On this day, Jan heard 10 words that changed not only the trajectory of his life but also the record books in college football and in two professional football leagues in the decades that followed. The White House was occupied by a B-movie actor, Hollywood seemed to want to make any cocaine-fueled idea for a movie that it could find, and football kickers were punting and scoring field goals in the dead of winter. win and I believe a home title tilt (certainly with the next day's "Balti" win at Cleveland, it would have manifested), it was certainly very possible, a . [8] The Dolphins won 2724 in double overtime on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. Shoeless. If there are qualitiesI have inherited from both of themis the stability and determination. Lawrence Tynes had the job from 2004 through 2006 but was traded to the New York Giants in 2007. Like just before our first game against Houston this year. Atlanta had drafted Stenerud at the end of the season, and he had promised to talk with the Falcons before making a decision. I dont know anything about this new kicker, said Arrowhead Prides Joel Thorman when the move was announced, but presumably special teams coach Dave Toub signed off on it. The ball curved upward at about 90 m.p.h. Thats how the scouts from around the league heard about me, Jan said. The next day, the Chiefs placed Santos on injured reserve and plucked Harrison Butker off the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers. Thank you, American football, for giving me this truly unbelievable moment. The first time I saw Jan, he was kicking 40-yard field goals like they were extra points in the preseason, pre-warm up game against Tulsa and Montana State in Tulsa, Okla.,in 1966. His 373 career field goals and seven seasons of scoring 100 or more points were also NFL records. In 1981, when he was with the Green Bay Packers, he made 22 of 24 field goals, a league record of 91% -- 91.7 -- and he had an impact also on the Hall of Fame because he was the very first specialist to enter Pro Football's Hall of Fame. Stenerud, who made field goals of 50 yards or more in the pros, normally studied the goal posts before stepping into the ball - saying they looked "narrower" the farther you stood from them. The season prior to the AFLNFL merger, he also helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV. Most positions require skill, strength, speed, intelligence and mental toughness. In the Chiefs' upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, Stenerud's three field goals, including a then-Super Bowl record 48-yarder, accounted for the first nine points. The 18 successive seasons, a Super Bowl ring and the Hall of Fame-worthy resum all trace their history to one fateful day in the mountains. I mentioned Hank earlier, and you know his coaching record, but one thing you don't know about Hank that made the biggest impact on me. Jans path to pro football falls into the only in America category of strange-but-true stories. He had me work from there, and now it's just like kicking from the middle or the left. Courtesy of BuckysBadgers, one name jumped out at me: Jan Stenerud. Thirty years later, Jan Stenerud still isn't over The Christmas Day Game. Jan Steneruds birth sign is Sagittarius and he has a ruling planet of Jupiter. He didn't just talk to me about signing, he talked about kicking. Other kickers had trouble hitting the footballs sweet spot wearing their issued uniform cleats. And the third and the fourth. I'm even ashamed to tell my wife about it. Quiz He had an impact on the record books. Against archrival Montana, he boomed a 59-yarder, shattering the NCAA record, in a 24-7 win. The discovery that the star ski jumper (three-time Big Sky champion) was a super football kicker was made, naturally enough, by Montana State's basketball coach, Roger Craft. There are two people here today that are great kickers as well as outstanding football players: George Blanda and Lou Graza. Im ready to be a starting kicker in the NFL. Weeks after his collegiate debut in 1965, Stenerud kicked a then-NCAA record 59-yard field goal also 3 yards longer than the then-NFL record. He was an All-American ski jumper on a ski scholarship. Zodiac Sign: Jan Stenerud is a Sagittarius. Jan Stenerud (, stenrd born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian former professional American football player for the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs (19671969), and the NFL's Chiefs (19701979), Green Bay Packers (19801983), and Minnesota Vikings (19841985). Thank you very much. ", Stram dug around inside the two huge files in his office, grumbled for a moment when the charts eluded his search, finally came up with the prize. He was released immediately. Meet the newest member of the Butker family! James Augustine Butker 1/27/19 12:29am9lb 5 oz, 21 inchesSs. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. "I was standing three feet deep in my own end zone," he said, his mouth curving into a small boy's grin. And this one day, I decided to go down and kick a few footballs, and all of us played a lot of soccer, and I guess I had one urge to try this oval ball. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. He was a consensus All-America selection. He was a seven-time All-Pro and won Super Bowl IV . It was supposed to be a fake, with the ball snapped directly to Stenerud. While Santos got off to a rough start, eventually he became an effective (and popular) placekicker, becoming the most accurate field goal kicker in team history, making 84.8 percent of his field-goal attempts. Soon, the Norwegian who came here by way of a skiing scholarship at Montana State prepared for his first Chiefs camp by kicking with coach Hank Stram as his personal holder at the teams facility in Swope Park. While he went undrafted in 1967, he signed with the Chiefs, and once he did, he transferred to a National Guard unit in Kansas City. I am just thrilled to death that I got that opportunity.. Gano due to the contract that former Chief kicker Ryan Succop had just negotiated with the Tennessee Titans scored a four-year, $17 million deal with the Panthers last spring, while the Chiefs still have Butker on an inexpensive deal for two more seasons. James and Augustine, Pray for Us! He is best known for being a Football Player. The impromptu sessions continued, and one day the Bobcats basketball coach took notice. He got me started in this great American game, and Coach, without your enthusiasm, your intensity and desire to win, obviously I wouldn't be here today. But it was me it helped, not Jan, Stram told Sports Illustrated in 1968 as he rummaged through files for charts of those kicks. NFL placekicker who became the first pure placekicker to earn an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The excitement of the Chiefs-Raiders contests. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. Jan Stenerud is part of the Silent Generation, which followed after the G.I. And painfulhe was wearing tennis shoes. Always have, always will., It wasnt easy to overcome a game he still says kills me adding, I didnt want to play any more.. He makes you feel you cant give up a thing because he is so dangerous from anywhere inside the 50, Eller told Pro Football Weekly, adding, I think (Stenerud) was most valuable player in the game.. In the season opener, Medlock missed a 30-yard field goal in the first drive. Today with these memories and this honor, I got the same feeling, the feeling that my feet are now touching the ground. "Here's another one: 92 out of 103. He's always thinking. Considering he still blames himself, he cant blame you if you think of him for that missed kick. The basketball coach saw him kicking and alerted the football coach, Jim Sweeney, who gave Stenerud a tryout. With the Chiefs trailing 10-7 at the end of the first half, Butker just like Medlock in 2007 missed his first field-goal; the 46-yard attempt was wide left. $346.14. CHIEFS WIN!! As young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of this generation felt it was dangerous to speak out. A junior ski jump champion in his native Norway, Jan was recruited to Bozeman and already had earned all-conference and All-American honors as a member of the universitys ski team. He was enjoying life in America immensely, fascinated by all things unfamiliar, including a peculiar sport played with an oval ball (as he put it). I did. Late in his sophomore year, Stenerud was spotted kicking a football by the college's basketball coach, who relayed the news of the Norwegian's abilities to the football coach. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Like snapping my helmet before a third-down play ends. said Jan Stenerud. Ten minutes later he was telling Sweeney. Three months later, he signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he stayed with for four seasons. Well, why not? "It's really silly," he says. It gives me, of course, a sense of pride and accomplishment, but most of all I feel very, very lucky. As of 2017, only four kickers have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: George Blanda, Lou Groza, Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen, and among them, Stenerud and Andersen are the only ones who did not also play another position. And nowadays teams have so much invested in their players, kickers and punters included, that kicking a ball barefoot poses an undue risk for a potentially season-ending toe injury, to say nothing of the idea that the opposing team always seems to fight their way to the kicker these days. A reader suggestion gives us a great opportunity to reflect on Jan Steneruds brief but excellent run in Green Bay. Still Salvy after all these years: Stolen base symbolizes Sal Perezs endless energy, Jackson Mahomes accused of assault by Overland Park restaurant owner and waiter, Is Travis Kelce Chiefs most eligible bachelor? But that was about to change profoundly because of Stenerud, who revolutionized a major part of the game. The story is that when Stenerud heard he had been drafted, he started looking on the map for Vietnam. In his postgame press conference, he took a cue from Butkers Twitter handle @buttkicker7, and referred to him as Buttkicker-dot-com.. Chiefs meet with Florida defensive tackle ahead of NFL Draft. No one has more respect for the people seated behind me that are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first Norwegian to play in the NFL, Stenerud pioneered the soccer-style kicking that is used by all modern placekickers and was the first pure kicker to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Field conditions generally werent as accommodating, and the ball wasnt as aerodynamic. Jan Stenerud (/stnrud/, Norwegian: [stenrd ]; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian -born former American football player for the AFL /NFL Kansas City Chiefs (1967-1979), Green Bay Packers (1980-1983), and Minnesota Vikings (1984-1985). And it came while Stenerud was running on the school track. And look at this: 136 out of 153. He told Sweeney, Youve got to take a look at this Norwegian skier out there. The Chiefs lead their division with a 7-1 record and he leads the American League scoring race with 83 points. [fetch instagram= display=posts show=2 ]. The Chiefs might run through a few, for instance, on a Friday afternoon. The street where he grew up, in the municipality Fetsund, was renamed in his honor. free shipping Jan Stenerud Autographed Signed Auto Official Wilson NFL Football W/HOF 91 JSA WIN. Down went the ball. For 19 years, Jan Stenerud has been winning games with field goals. He never missed a game because of injury or illness. Couldnt they have picked another team? he joked. "The wind had been blowing hard all day and our punter was having trouble getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage. Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In 2013, Stenerud recalled that he had a significant tail-wind aiding him on that kick in Bozeman; the ensuing kick-off went over the end-zone bleachers at Gatton Field, whose elevation exceeded 4,900 feet (1,495 . He was such a transformative presence as to become a factor in rules changes and led a wave that ultimately rendered obsolete the traditional straight-on kickers, a fact underscored by the 1.2 million patented tees and instructional books sold in his name. We are all very, very proud of you, Jan. Good luck and God bless. He was the longest-tenured player in the now-defunct American Football League, playing in the league for 19 years. A daily roundup of all your Kansas City Chiefs news from Arrowhead Pride, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Arrowhead Pride | Kansas City Chiefs Schedule, News, Roster and Stats, The Chiefs have had a long, tortured journey from Nick Lowery to Harrison Butker, The hidden Super Bowl record Patrick Mahomes broke in Arizona. Hed become all the more enchanted with the sport after attending the nearby Oslo Olympics in 1952. The New England Patriots kicker Tony Franklin even made a 59-yard field goal while completely shoeless. Not so, he says. This is the land of opportunity, Stenerud remembered thinking. The 80-year-old football player was born in Norway. And that first-half miss from 29 yards out? At first blush, it seems a little odd. I felt ridiculous.". Now Coach Sweeney did not want to listen to, in Jim's own words, a goofy basketball coach, and a couple of weeks later, however, I was out there again and he summoned me down from the stands and he asked if I could kick off and showed me how to put the ball on the tee. We have Bobby Bell, a great linebacker, Len Dawson, Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier and, of course, our owner Lamar Hunt, who is also in the Hall of Fame. Let me close by going back to where it started: ski jumping. Since, Stenerud has kicked four against New York, two against Denver, two against Miami, four against Buffalo, two against Cincinnati, one against Oakland and two against San Diego. There were many factors in the 27-24 defeat in the last game at Municipal Stadium: The Chiefs committed four turnovers to the Dolphins two, and the defense couldnt keep Miami out of the end zone in the final minutes after taking a 24-17 lead. Jan Stenerud on the Kansas City bench on Jan. 1, 1976. Nearly 30 years ago, I was recruited from Norway to Montana State on a ski scholarship. As I became more and more familiar for this great game, I learned to appreciate the skills necessary to play the various positions. As the Montana State Bobcats practiced for their final home football game in 1964, Jan Stenerud was going through his own fall routine: conditioning his legs for the upcoming ski season by running the stadiums steps. Something went wrong. But Succop wasnt the first young kicker the team had tried. He converted 373 out of 558 field goals (67 percent) and 580 out of 601 extra points (97%) for a total of 1,699 points scored. "Just because I dont do cartwheels when I make a game-winning field goal doesnt mean Im not extremely pleased.. I decided right then that he was the coach I wanted to play for, that he was a man who could help me.". Ive been in Atlanta my whole life, now Im in Kansas City a different part of the country. Its not the 59-yarder, but at 23 yards, you cant even tell hes kicking barefoot, just as he had during every other game of his career. But from virtually the time he made his first attempt with the Chiefs (from 54 yards away) to stints with the Packers and Vikings before the end of his career in 1985, Stenerud was the best kicker in the game. Jan also made a great impact on the American Football Leagueand National Football League,as he helped usher in the age of soccer-style kickers. Stenerud kicked 18 of 33 field goals in two years at MSU. His first, a 48-yarder, was the longest field goal in a Super Bowl for 24 years, exceeded by Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII in January 1994. Now, he will simply call the day a horrible experience, one that he suffers more from because he believes its often referred to with little balance about his broader career. Jan Stenerud was born on November 26, 1942 in Norway (80 years old). He went on to help us become one of the winningest teams in the National Football League with two divisional championships, three playoffs and a Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Butker had been raised in an environment where such things mattered. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. Well I saw that kicker for Houston (85 Cotton Bowl) kick barefoot on a kickoff. Those are very kinds words, and I appreciate them very much. People who are born with Jupirer as the ruling planet are optimistic and have a big appetite for life. Jan was the most accurate kicker in all of pro football from '80 to '84; hemade 82% of this field goals. He made his very first field goal inhis first attempt, a 54-yarder against Houston in 1967. In training camp, Butker had a tough battle against veteran kicker Graham Gano and ultimately the Panthers couldnt decide. [1][2] In the fall of 1964, Stenerud was training for the upcoming ski season by running the stadium steps of Gatton Field, the football venue through 1971. Now he hustled up to Stram. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. He is the only player to get All-Prohonors in three decades -- the '60s, the '70s and the '80s. All along the way, he never forgot the first coach who gave him a shot. Jan Stenerud was selected to the Pro Bowl six times. As a high-school youngster in Norway, before accepting the ski-jumping scholarship to Montana State, he had been listed as one of the country's most promising young soccer players. Those two seasons represented the lowest point of a long, bad stretch of placekicking inconsistency for the Chiefs. Jan Stenerud is a Sagittarius and his 81st birthday is in, The 80-year-old Norwegian was born in the Silent Generation and the Year of the Horse. [Football] is so important to the people of the community and the people of the state. If the opportunity knocks, who knows what could happen?. The 6-2, 187-pound Stenerud excelled for 19 seasons and 263 games in pro football. A kicker with three NFL teams from 1966-1985, Stenerud was at the head of a group of foreign-born athletes who revolutionized kicking in the 1960s and 1970s. Then he was hit hard after kicking a field goal in the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Players for the Eagles, Broncos, Rams, and Steelers were all known to kick off their shoes before kicking off the game (except for the Rams - their kicker always wore shoes on kickoffs). He never changed. But the most glaring and, thus, lingering elements were three field goals that Stenerud didnt make, something that over the years he has alternately attempted to joke about, expressed incredible pain over or declined comment on. He was one of the first placekickers to use the "soccer style", a technique the Hungarian-born Pete Gogolak had recently introduced in the AFL. KANSAS CITY Mo. Along with his 13 seasons in Kansas City, Stenerud was a member of the Green Bay Packers for four seasons and the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons until retiring in 1985. He kicked a 59-yard field goal against the Grizzlies at Gatton Field that fall, and eventually set NCAA kick scoring and field goal . And he was not just a kicker, he was an athlete. If that scene sounds absurd by todays standards imagine Andy Reid doing the same for Cairo Santos this was about more than Strams endless innovations and eccentricities. Vahe Gregorian: 816-234-4868, @vgregorian. Your access to this page has been blocked. A miss in the 2017 postseason a 48-yard attempt in the third quarter of the 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans that easily could have made a difference in the game might have removed some of Butkers luster among Chiefs fans, but most fans probably remember uhhh other failures in that game. Over the years, Stram and Dawson (the holder) and Bobby Bell (the snapper) have told a handful of interviewers about the miscommunication: Stenerud was so intent on selling the fake that Bell worried he didnt know it was on. Fred Arbanas, the Kansas City tight end, had been watching. Luck is on their side. The first time I saw Jan, he was kicking 40-yard field goals like they were extra points in the preseason, pre-warm up game against Tulsa and Montana State in Tulsa, Okla., in 1966. Stenerud promptly picked up where he had left off in his native Norway. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. They have AstroTurf there and we worked out on it. How much help can you give a guy like that? Dating & Relationship status She is currently single. Jan Stenerud was born on the 26th of November, 1942. He is best known for being a Football Player. Whos the richest Football Player in the world? Stenerud, the middle of Johan and Klara Steneruds three children, was skiing since before he can remember: from the jumps his father built outside their house in Fetsund (population approximately 7,000) to the improvised ones hed contrive like other local kids or at any of a half-dozen venues that lit the town at night. Various publications have their all-time teams and best-ever teams. And after watching him that day, we were convinced that he would add the dimension we were seeking. He holds the record of the longest field goal in Super Bowl history of 48 yards, which has been matched but not eclipsed. "O.K.," he said, "I'm loose. Ruling Planet: Jan Stenerud has a ruling planet of Jupiter and has a ruling planet of Jupiter and by astrological associations Thursday is ruled by Jupiter. It's all his own natural ability. Please enter a valid email and try again. They snagged a drafted rookie without expending any draft capital, and will end up having him on a minimum-cost contract for almost four full seasons a point former sports agent Joel Corry noted last January. Jan Stenerud. Needless to say, he made a dramatic impact. It made a difference.". Jan Stenerud was born in 1940s. Arrowheadlines: Mahomes left-handed pass is Andy Reids favorite, Eric Bieniemy has recruited his first Chiefs player to Washington, according to a report. Gambling problem? "Whenever the team got to the 50-yard line (the student section) would start yelling, 'Send in Jan!'" Stenerud said with a laugh. He did just that with three field goals in the first half of Super Bowl IV that in themselves would have been enough to beat the Vikings.