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|style="text-align:center;"|[[2007 NFL season|2007]] ||style="text-align:left;" nowrap="nowrap"|[[Atlanta Falcons]] ([[2007 Atlanta Falcons season|1-3]]) || 5 ||12 ||15 ||80.0 ||0-0 ||6-6 ||4-4 ||2-5 ||0-0 ||47 ||1 ||7 ||7 ||100.0 ||43
|style="text-align:center;"|[[2007 NFL season|2007]] ||style="text-align:left;" nowrap="nowrap"|[[Atlanta Falcons]] ([[2007 Atlanta Falcons season|1-3]]) || 5 ||12 ||15 ||80.0 ||0-0 ||6-6 ||4-4 ||2-5 ||0-0 ||47 ||1 ||7 ||7 ||100.0 ||43
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!colspan="2"|Career (25 seasons) ||373 ||552 ||696 ||79.3 ||13-14 ||173-178 ||181-205 ||145-215 ||40-84 ||60 ||18 ||832 ||842 ||98.8 ||2488
!colspan="2"|Career (25 seasons) ||374 ||554 ||698 ||79.3 ||13-14 ||173-178 ||181-205 ||145-215 ||40-84 ||60 ||18 ||832 ||842 ||98.8 ||2496
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|style="font-size:x-small;text-align:left;" colspan="17"|''Number in brackets in team column is the teams' regular season record for that year | G = Games | FGM = Field goals made | % = Percentage of field goals made | Subsequent numbers indicate made-attempted field goals within that yardage | LNG = Longest field goal made | BLK = Field goals blocked | XPM = Extra points (PATs) made | XPA = Extra points attempted | % = Percentage of extra points made | PTS = Points scored''
|style="font-size:x-small;text-align:left;" colspan="17"|''Number in brackets in team column is the teams' regular season record for that year | G = Games | FGM = Field goals made | % = Percentage of field goals made | Subsequent numbers indicate made-attempted field goals within that yardage | LNG = Longest field goal made | BLK = Field goals blocked | XPM = Extra points (PATs) made | XPA = Extra points attempted | % = Percentage of extra points made | PTS = Points scored''

Revision as of 06:11, 6 November 2007

Morten Andersen
Atlanta Falcons
Career information
College:Michigan State
NFL draft:1982 / Round: 4 / Pick: 86
Career history
Career highlights and awards

Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is an American football placekicker. The all-time leading scorer in NFL history, Andersen currently plays for the Atlanta Falcons. At 47, he is the oldest active NFL player, and seven months older than current Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino.

Early life

Though born in Copenhagen, Andersen was raised in the west Jutland town of Struer, Denmark.[2] As a student, he was a gymnast and a long jumper, and barely missed becoming a member of the Danish junior national soccer team. He visited the United States in 1977 as a Youth For Understanding exchange student. He first kicked an American football on a whim at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He was so impressive in his one season of high school football that he was given a scholarship to Michigan State University.

Andersen starred at Michigan State, setting several records, including a Big Ten Conference record 63-yard field goal against Ohio State University. He was named an All American in 1981. His success landed him the kicking job with the New Orleans Saints

NFL career

Andersen's NFL career got off to a rocky start. On his first NFL kickoff to start the 1982 season, Andersen twisted his ankle and missed eight weeks of the season.[3] Despite the early setback, he soon emerged as one of the strongest and most reliable placekickers in the NFL. In his years with the Saints, he was named to six Pro Bowls, kicked 302 field goals, and scored 1318 points. In 1991, against Chicago, Andersen kicked a 60-yard field goal, tying him with Steve Cox for the second-longest field goal in league history at the time, behind the 63-yard record-holder kicked by Tom Dempsey. (Andersen's kick has since been matched by Rob Bironas and surpassed by Jason Elam and Matt Bryant.) Andersen's proficiency with field goal kicking earned him the nickname "Mr. Automatic." Following the 1994 season, he was released by the Saints for salary cap purposes and because his accuracy had started to decline.

Following his release by the Saints, Andersen signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He silenced those who felt him to be washed up and was once again named a Pro Bowler during his time in Atlanta. In December 1995, he became the first player in League history to kick three field goals of over 50 yards in a single game, against the Saints in Atlanta. In Week 17 of the 1996 season, Andersen had perhaps his most memorable miss that enabled the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs. He missed a 30-yard field goal at the gun that kept the Jaguars dreams alive. They went from 4-7 to 9-7 to make the playoffs, and would stun Buffalo and Denver on the road in the playoffs before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Jacksonville's magicial run would have never happened if the sure footed Andersen made the chip shot.[4] Two years later though, he would make franchise history for the Falcons. He hit the game-winning field goal in overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game to beat the Minnesota Vikings and send the team to its first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

He went on to play with the New York Giants for the 2001 season, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs the following two seasons. In the 2004 offseason, Andersen was beaten out for the kicking job by rookie Lawrence Tynes. He was released by the Chiefs for the final roster cutdown and was subsequently signed by the Vikings. Although his leg strength had declined greatly with age, he continued to prove himself accurate for field goals. Having not been signed by a team following the 2004 season, he became a free agent and did not play in 2005. He announced NFL Europe games in the 2005 season.

In January 2006, Andersen was inducted as the first member of the Danish American Football Federation Hall of Fame. Later that year, Andersen returned to the NFL, re-signing with the Atlanta Falcons. His first game back was against his former team, the Saints, on Monday Night Football. The game was the first game in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina prevented its use for the entire 2005 regular season. Andersen scored the first Falcon points with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter. In his second game back, Andersen made all five of his attempted field goals (matching, for the ninth time,[5] a career best), as well as both extra point attempts. He was named NFC special teams player of the week, becoming the oldest player to earn the honor since the award was first introduced in 1984.[6] He is also the team record holder for both the New Orleans Saints[7] and the Atlanta Falcons for overall points scored.

On December 16, 2006, Andersen passed Gary Anderson to become the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. The following weekend, December 24, 2006 Andersen again passed Anderson to become the NFL's career leader in field goals made.

On September 17, 2007, Morten Andersen re-signed with the Falcons in an attempt to secure their unreliable kicking game.

Career regular season statistics

NFL records

As of week 7 of the 2007 NFL season, Andersen holds the following NFL records:

  • Most games played (career) - 373
  • Most field goals (career) - 554
  • Most points (career) - 2,496
  • Most field goals attempted (career) - 698
  • Most field goals (50 or more yards) (total) - 40
  • Most field goals (50 or more yards) in a season - 8
  • Most field goals (50 or more yards) in a game - 3 (vs. New Orleans, December 10 1995) (tied with Neil Rackers and Kris Brown) note: Kris Brown has 3 field goals of 54+ yards in a single game.
  • Most seasons, 100 or more points - 14 (tied with Jason Elam and Gary Anderson)
  • Most consecutive games with a point (career) - 346

Pro Bowl records:

  • Most points in Pro Bowl (total) - 45 (15 points after touchdown, 10 field goals)
  • Most points after touchdown in Pro Bowl (total) - 15
  • Most field goal attempts in Pro Bowl (total) - 18
  • Most field goals in Pro Bowl (total) - 10

Andersen currently holds 2nd place in the following NFL records:

  • Most points after touchdown attempted (career) - 844 (1st place: George Blanda, 959)
  • Most points after touchdown made (career) - 834 (1st place: George Blanda, 943)
  • Most seasons - 25 (1st place: George Blanda, 26)

Andersen has stated that his goal is to be the first NFL player to play until he turns 50 in 2010.[8] If he plays on or after December 7, 2008, Andersen will become the oldest person ever to play in an NFL game. The record is currently held by George Blanda, who played in his last NFL game on January 4, 1976 (the 1975 AFC Championship) at the age of 48 years, 110 days.

References

  1. ^ Andersen was signed in week 3 of both the 2006 and 2007 season, therefore, listing it as "2006-present" would not be accurate
  2. ^ "Morten Andersen #7". nflplayers.com. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  3. ^ Zimmerman, Paul (October 16, 2003). "Just For Kicks". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  4. ^ AP (December 23, 1996). "Andersen's Miss Puts Jaguars in Postseason". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2007-11-5. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ SPORTSTICKER NFL RECAP (ARIZONA-ATLANTA) at CoverWire.com
  6. ^ Ageless K Andersen earns NFC honors, NFL, October 4, 2006
  7. ^ Scoring at New Orleans Saints
  8. ^ Bob Harris, 2003 Camp Battles: Kickers lace 'em up, Sports Illustrated, August 7, 2003
Preceded by Career NFL points record holder
(2,488)
2006–present 		Succeeded by
Current record holder
Preceded by Career NFL Field Goals made
(552)
2006–present 		Succeeded by
Current record holder
Preceded by Career NFL Field Goal Attempts
(696)
2006–present 		Succeeded by
Current record holder
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