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169. Gary Anderson

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169. Gary Anderson

Gary Anderson made a lot of history as a Place Kicker, the first of which was becoming the first South African to play a game in the NFL.  Anderson would not just play a game or two, as he would play 353, which as of this writing, places him second all-time.

Obviously, when you play that many games, you are a pretty good player, and Anderson was.  Consistently considered among one of the better kickers since he debuted in 1982 (with Pittsburgh), Anderson would be a four-time Pro Bowl Selection.  His best year (and as will be discussed, most infamous) came in 1998 when, as a Minnesota Viking, Anderson became the first Kicker to go perfect in both Field Goals and Extra Points in a season.  Anderson played until 2004, and at the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in Points and Field Goals Made.

What hampers Anderson's Hall of Fame candidacy badly is that Place Kickers are known for their clutch kicks or critical misses.  Despite the vast amount of field goal attempts he had, Anderson will always be remembered for missing a 38-Yard Field Goal in the 1998 NFC Championship (the year he was perfect in the regular season) that would have put them in the Super Bowl. 

When you are a Kicker, that is all it takes to keep you out.

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Parys, South Africa
  • Eligible Since: Friday, 01 January 2010
  • Position: Place Kicker
  • Games Played: 353
  • Notable Statistics: 538 Field Goals Made
    672 Field Goal Attempts
    80.1 Field Goal Percentage
    820 Extra Points Made
    827 Extra Point Attempts
    99.2 Extra Point Percentage
    474 Kickoffs*
    28,727 Kickoff Yards*
    1 Rushing Attempt
    3 Rushing Yards
    92 Approximate Value

    32 Field Goals Made
    40 Field Goal Attempts
    80.0 Field Goal Percentage
    57 Extra Points Made
    57 Extra Point Attempts
    100.0 Extra Point Percentage
    36 Kickoffs*
    1,926 Kickoff Yards*

    Kickoffs were not a statistic until the 1990 Season.
  • Played For: Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans
  • College: Syracuse
  • Drafted: 7th Round, 171st Overall in 1982
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Super Bowl Champion (None)
    NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
    NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
    First Team All-Pro (1) (1998)
    Second Team All-Pro (1) (1983)
    Pro Bowl (4) (1983, 1985, 1993 & 1998)
    All-Rookie (1982)
    Most Points Scored (1) (1998)
    Most Extra Points Made (1) (1998)
    Most Extra Points Attempted (1) (1998)
    Most Field Goals Made (1) (1985)
    Most Field Goals Attempted (1) (1985)
    Highest Field Goal Percentage (1) (1998)

  • Other Points of Note:

    Top Ten Finishes: Points Scored (10) (1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998 & 2003)
    Top Ten Finishes: Extra Points Made (8) (1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2003)
    Top Ten Finishes: Extra Points Attempted (8) (1984, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 & 2003)
    Top Ten Finishes: Field Goals Made (12) (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998 & 2003)
    Top Ten Finishes: Field Goals Attempted (12) (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997 & 1998)
    Top Ten Finishes: Field Goal Percentage (13) (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2003)

  • Notable All Time Rankings: 3. Games Played: 353
    3. Points Scored: 2,434
    3. Field Goals Made: 538
    3. Field Goals Attempted: 672
    4. Extra Points Made: 820
    5. Extra Points Attempted: 827
    18. Extra Point Percentage: 99.154%
    66. Field Goal Percentage: 80.060%

Should Gary Anderson be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 92%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 8%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 0%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 0%
Last modified on Tuesday, 28 March 2023 17:48

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