How did Jack Dempsey lose his toes?

Hardly the prototype of a kicker, Dempsey was a defensive lineman at Palomar College in California. He was 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, a pudgy icon of the NFL's past, having overcome birth defects that saw him born minus toes on his right foot and fingers on his right hand.

What football player has no toes?

Tom Dempsey (1947–) was the kicker for the New Orleans Saints. But he wasn't your usual kicker. Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot and without four fingers on his right hand. That didn't keep him from following his dreams.

What kicker kicked barefoot in the NFL?

Anthony Ray Franklin (born November 18, 1956 in Big Spring, Texas) is a former National Football League football kicker in the National Football League between 1979 and 1988 for the Philadelphia Eagles, the New England Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins. Franklin was best known for his barefoot kicking style.

What was Dempsey's longest kick?

50 years ago today: Tom Dempsey kicked a then NFL record 63-yard FG...on half a foot!

Who has the longest kick in the NFL?

The Broncos kicker slugged a 64-yard field goal in December of 2013 against the Titans. It didn't finish the game off but it did send Denver to the halftime tunnel extremely pumped up. Justin Tucker is responsible for the longest field goal in NFL history.

DID JACK DEMPSEY KO JACK JOHNSON??

Who kicked the longest field goal for the Saints?

Here is a look back at the New Orleans Saints vs Detroit Lions game on Nov. 8, 1970 when Tom Dempsey kicked a NFL-record 63-yard field goal to give the Saints a 19-17 win.

Did Tom Dempsey have an advantage?

Flying home from New York, where the Cowboys had lost to the Giants in Yankee Stadium that day, Schramm told writers that Dempsey, one of the last of the straight-ahead kickers, had an “advantage” because of the shape of his foot and the shape of his kicking shoe.

How far was Jack Dempsey's field goal?

In 1970, when Saints kicker Tom Dempsey kicked a then NFL record 63-yard field goal to beat the Detroit Lions!

Who beat Tom Dempsey record?

In 2013, the Broncos' Matt Prater finally broke Dempsey's record with a 64-yarder.

Has anyone ever kicked a 70 yard field goal?

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a 70-yard field goal during 'Monday Night Football' warmups in Mexico City.

Who was the last barefoot punter in the NFL?

Rich Karlis gained notoriety as the NFL's last full-time barefoot kicker. He picked up the technique during his freshman season at Cincinnati.

Who was the last straight on kicker?

The last full-time straight on placekicker in the NFL was Mark Moseley who retired from the Cleveland Browns after the 1986 season, and the last straight-on kicker drafted into the NFL was Manny Matsakis from Capital University by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1984, who went on to become a successful college and CFL Coach ...

What kicker had a club foot?

Born without a right hand or toes on his right foot, Tom Dempsey had seemingly no future in the NFL. Yet on November 8, 1970, Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal—setting an NFL record that endured for 43 years—not in spite of his clubbed foot, but rather because of it.

Who is the best field goal kicker in the NFL?

Picking out the best kicker in NFL history isn't easy. Some look at field goal percentage.

When did NFL kickers start kicking soccer style?

Pete Gogolak, who played for the Bills and Giants in the 1960s and 70s, was the NFL's first soccer-style kicker. Due to his success, all other kickers eventually adopted his then-unorthodox method, which entailed approaching the ball from an angle rather than straight-on and using the foot's instep instead of the toes.

Who kicked the field goal with half a foot?

November 8, 1970 Tom Dempsey, a New Orleans Saints kicker who was born with half a right foot and without a right hand, kicked a 63-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions at Tulane Stadium on this date.

What is the longest field goal in college football history?

Forty-five years ago, Johansson kicked a 69-yard field goal against East Texas State, becoming the record-holder for the longest field goal in college football history.

Where was the longest NFL field goal kicked?

Earlier this season, Baltimore Ravens' kicker Justin Tucker converted the longest field goal in NFL history at 66 yards. Trailing 17-16 to the Detroit Lions in Week 3, Tucker successfully kicked a field goal that bounced off the cross bar and through the uprights to give the Ravens the victory as time expired.

What was wrong with Tom Dempsey's kicking foot?

Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot and no fingers on his right hand. He wore a modified shoe with a flattened and enlarged toe surface.

What is Justin Tucker's longest field goal?

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's game-winning, 66-yard field goal is the longest field goal in NFL history.

How old was George Blanda when he retired from football?

Hall of Famer George Blanda played for several teams, ending his football career with the Oakland Raiders in 1975 as a placekicker. He played professional football for 26 years before retiring at the age of 48. He died in 2010 at the age of 83.

What is the farthest field goal ever made?

Longest NFL field goal: Broncos placekicker Matt Prater connects on a 64-yard field goal at the end of the first half on December 8, 2013. It was the longest field goal in NFL history.