Lawrence Tynes
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Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||
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Born: | Greenock, Scotland, UK | May 3, 1978||||||||||
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College: | Troy | ||||||||||
Undrafted: | 2001 | ||||||||||
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Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001. After four seasons in Kansas City, he was traded to the Giants in 2007. In his first season with the Giants, he kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Green Bay Packers in the 2007–08 NFC Championship Game, which qualified the Giants for Super Bowl XLII. Four years later, he kicked another overtime field goal against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011–12 NFC Championship Game, which qualified the Giants for Super Bowl XLVI. He has experienced his best success in New York, winning two Super Bowl championships in 2007 and 2011, winning against the New England Patriots in both games.
Tynes is the only player in NFL history to have two overtime game-winning field goals in the playoffs. Tynes kicked the longest post-season field goal in Lambeau Field post-season history (47 yards) in the 2007 NFC Championship Game. He then kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime in the NFC Championship game to advance the New York Giants to Super Bowl XLVI in 2011.
Professional career
Kansas City Chiefs (2001–2002)
Signed as an undrafted free agent, Tynes spent the first two seasons with the Chiefs but only on their practice squad.[1]
Scottish Claymores (2002)
Tynes spent a short period of time with the Claymores of NFL Europe during 2002.[2]
Ottawa Renegades (2002–2003)
After his departure from the Claymores, Tynes signed for the Renegades organization in the Canadian Football League.[3]
Second stint with the Kansas City Chiefs (2004–2006)
Tynes re-signed for the Chiefs and was ready to be the next full-time kicker for the team. During the 2004 season, he converted 17 field goals out of 23 opportunities.[4] In 2005, he made 27 field goals out of 33 opportunities.[5] In 2006, he made 24 field goals out of 31 opportunities.[6]
New York Giants (2007–2012)
2007
Tynes' first year with the Giants worked well as he converted 27 field goals out of 32 opportunities in the 2007 season. During the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Tynes missed 2 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, however in overtime he made the game-winning 47 yard field goal in a 23–20 victory en route to the Giants' first Super Bowl appearance since 2000. Tynes got his first career championship ring as the Giants would eventually defeat the potentially-perfect New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.[7]
2008
Tynes was limited to only two games during the 2008 season due to a torn meniscus that was bothering him since training camp. He still made one field goal before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.[8] During his absence, John Carney replaced him as the new kicker for the season.[9]
2009
During the 2009 season, Tynes converted 27 field goals out of 32 opportunities.[10]
2010
Playing 15 games of the regular season, Tynes made 19 field goals out of 23 opportunities.[11]
2011
In 2011, Tynes converted 19 field goals out of 24 opportunities. During the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, Tynes kicked another walk-off field goal in overtime to win the game, 20–17. Tynes got his second championship title as the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the Patriots.[12]
2012
In the 2012 season, Tynes made a career-high of 33 field goals out of 39 opportunities.[13]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013)
On July 17, 2013, the Buccaneers acquired Tynes after Connor Barth suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. He contracted the bacterial infection MRSA in August 2013, as a result of an ingrown toenail that failed to heal.[14] He was released on March 11, 2014.[15]
Personal
Since joining the Giants, Tynes and his family have lived in Clifton, New Jersey.[16] He and his wife, Amanda, make their offseason home in the Kansas City area in Overland Park, Kansas, where their sons were born at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.[17]
Tynes is the seventh Scottish-born player in NFL history.[18] Tynes is the son of a former American Navy SEAL and a Scottish mother. He lived in Greenock until he was 10 years old before moving to the United States.[19] His father, Larry, was a member of SEAL Team 2 stationed in Scotland in the early 1970s. He is currently a detective in the Santa Rosa County, Florida Sheriff's Department in Milton, Florida. One of his brothers, Jason, served in the United States Army in Iraq and Kuwait.[20]
His other brother, Mark, is serving 27 years in federal prison on drug and witness intimidation charges stemming from his 2004 involvement in a plan to move 3,600 pounds (1,600 kg) of marijuana between Texas and Florida. Tynes has sought a presidential pardon to shorten or commute his brother's sentence. He has acknowledged his brother's guilt but feels the sentence was too harsh. However, in the proceedings, Mark was reportedly belligerent and uncooperative. The judge who presided at the case had parameters in which to sentence Mark and, because of his foul and unruly behavior, gave Mark the maximum sentence.[21] Tynes enjoys soccer and supports Celtic Football Club, based in Glasgow.[22]
Legal trouble
On August 17, 2005, Tynes turned himself into Pierce County, Wisconsin jail after punching a bar patron and breaking a bouncer's nose in a bar fight the previous weekend (the Chiefs' training camp at the time was based out of River Falls). Tynes was charged with one felony count of substantial battery and one count of misdemeanor battery. He was released on a $15,000 signature bond. Tynes paid a $397 fine for the incident.[23]
References
- ^ http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/7633001.html
- ^ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13046101.Former_Claymores_team_mate_says_Super_Bowl_bound_Lawrence_Tynes_is_the__real_deal_/
- ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/giants-kickers-footprints-lead-to-super-bowl/article543118/
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=280203017
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/johncarney/2499991/profile
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201202050nwe.htm
- ^ http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencetynes/2504346/profile
- ^ Cascio, Josh (August 28, 2013). "Tynes not responding to treatment for MRSA, wife says". FOX 13 News. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ Gantt, Darin. "Buccaneers release kicker Lawrence Tynes". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ Pedulla, Tom. "Tynes never lost confidence in his kicking or his family", USA Today, January 29, 2008
- ^ "Trade to Giants has worked out well for former Chief Tynes", kansascity.com, January 30, 2008.
- ^ Profile, pro-football-reference.com; accessed August 16, 2015.
- ^ "Scots Star Sends NY Giants To Super Bowl", DailyRecord.co.uk, January 22, 2008.
- ^ "Brothers' bond stays true despite trying circumstances", sports.espn.go.com, April 14, 2008.
- ^ "Giants kicker hopes to use fame to shorten drug-dealing sibling's jail time", nydailynews.com, November 25, 2008.
- ^ "Celtic fan Lawrence is aiming for Super Bowl success". Celtic Football Club. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ^ "Tynes accused of breaking bar bouncer's nose". ESPN.com.
External links
- 1978 births
- Living people
- American football placekickers
- American people of Scottish descent
- Scottish players of American football
- Troy Trojans football players
- Undrafted National Football League players
- Kansas City Chiefs players
- Scottish Claymores players
- Canadian football placekickers
- Ottawa Renegades players
- New York Giants players
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
- Troy University alumni
- People from Greenock
- People from Clifton, New Jersey
- People from Santa Rosa County, Florida
- People from the Kansas City metropolitan area
- Military brats
- Milton High School (Florida) alumni
- Super Bowl champions