Tampa Bay’s Bryant challenges Dempseys field goal record

by James on October 24th, 2006

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

Bryant boots a 62 yarder

Matt Bryant kicked a 62 yard field goal at the end of the game against Philadelphia to lead the Bucs to victory. It was an improbable ending to an upset victory over Donovan McNabb.

Although, all we heard this week was about Tiki Barber wanting to retire at the end of the year, it was brother Ronde that took over with two interceptions for touchdowns.

The best part was the long field goal was by Bryant, a kicker not known for long kicks, that just destroyed the Eagles.

It reminds me of another great kicker and an almost impossible victory…

Believe me your gallivanting author can feel their pain. For yours truly witnessed another long field goal by Tom Dempsey. 63 yards long to be exact.

It was a warm Michigan day in November, very rare, and the sun was shining, even rarer, and we were all playing ball at the neighbors field. Yes, we went outside in those days. Not all the games were in TV. It was 1970.

After playing football outside, a bunch of us went to my house to catch the end of the Lions game. We walked in as the Lions were protecting a 17 to 16 lead.

Nobody had kicked field goal over 56 yards before. This one would have to be 63 yards. Not going to happen. Then Tom kicked it and it sailed towards the goal posts.

Tom Demsey makes history

Tom was kind of chunky looking and had a birth defect that left him with part of his kicking foot missing. He wore a special shoe that was sort of like a squared off shorter version. This was before the invasion of the soccer kickers, so the kickers hit the ball pretty much head on.

Dempsey admitted later, that he was not sure he could even kick it that far. The Lions seemed to only half heartedly go for the block.

So here it was in the swirling winds of Tulane Stadium in New Orleans that Tom Dempsey amazed us all and put it through the uprights for a 19 to 16 victory. It was tough to take and yet we were all dumbfounded.

Want to know the strangest thing, in those days the goal posts were on the goal line, so the kick was from New Orleans 37 yard line! Later the goal posts were moved back to prevent injuries.

NFL Football Fan Question Last minute heroics by the improbable hero can be the best. What last minute victories stick in your mind?

More blogs about football.

Tags: nfl football

b5media.com

NFL Football Revealed on Squib Kick