![]() Although his leg strength had declined greatly with age, he continued to prove himself accurate for field goals. He was released by the Chiefs for the final roster cut, and was subsequently signed by the Vikings. ![]() In the 2004 offseason, Andersen was beaten out for the kicking job by rookie Lawrence Tynes. ![]() Also, Anderson missed a field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game for the Minnesota Vikings before Andersen kicked his winning kick, both from the same distance as well (38 yards).Īndersen went on to play with the New York Giants for the 2001 season, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs the following two seasons. Their overall accuracy is also nearly identical their career percentage being within. Anderson and Andersen have nearly identical last names, were born within a year of one another outside the United States (Anderson was born in South Africa), came to the United States as teenagers, had long and successful NFL careers throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and both retiring in the 2000s decade), and hold first or second place in a number of NFL records for scoring, field goals, and longevity. There are a number of interesting coincidences between Andersen and former NFL placekicker Gary Anderson. Two years later, he kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game to beat the Minnesota Vikings and send the Falcons to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. In Week 17 of the 1996 season, Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal that enabled the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs. In December 1995 against the Saints, he became the first player in NFL history to kick three field goals of over 50 yards in a single game. He silenced those who felt him to be washed up and was once again named a Pro Bowler during his time in Atlanta. Automatic." Following the 1994 season, he was released by the Saints for salary cap purposes and because his accuracy had started to decline.įollowing his release by the Saints, Andersen signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Andersen's kick has since been matched by Rob Bironas, Dan Carpenter and Greg Zuerlein, and surpassed by Sebastian Janikowski (twice), Jason Elam, Justin Tucker, Jay Feely, Matt Bryant, David Akers, Matt Prater, Jake Elliott, Graham Gano, Brett Maher and Stephen Gostkowski.Īndersen's proficiency with field goal kicking earned him the nickname "Mr. 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 63-yard record-holder kicked by Tom Dempsey. In his years with the Saints, he was named to six Pro Bowls, kicked 302 field goals, and scored 1318 points. Despite the early setback, he soon emerged as one of the strongest and most reliable placekickers in the NFL. On his first NFL kickoff to start the strike-shortened 1982 season, Andersen twisted his ankle and missed eight weeks of the season. On 24 September 2011, he was inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame.Īndersen's NFL career got off to a rocky start. His success landed him the kicking job with the New Orleans Saints. He was so impressive in his one season of high school football that he was given a scholarship to Michigan State University.Īndersen, with his left leg as his dominant kicking leg, starred at Michigan State, setting several records, including a Big Ten Conference record 63-yard field goal against Ohio State University. He first kicked an American football on a whim at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He visited the United States in 1977 as a Youth For Understanding exchange student. As a student, he was a gymnast and a long jumper, and just missed becoming a member of the Danish junior national soccer team. Early life Īndersen was born in Copenhagen and raised in the west Jutland town of Struer. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and, along with Jan Stenerud, is one of only two exclusive placekickers to receive the honor. In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints' all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. Morten Andersen (born 19 August 1960), nicknamed the " Great Dane", is a Danish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
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