A kicking specialist or kick specialist, sometimes referred to as a kicker, especially when referring to a placekicker, is a player on gridiron football special teams who performs punts, kickoffs, field goals and/or point after touchdowns. The special teams counterpart of a kicking specialist is a return specialist.
Kicking specialists were exceptionally rare until the 1940s; for most of the history of American football, teams relied upon players who played another position to kick and punt. The first kicking specialist in the National Football League was most likely Mose Kelsch, a former sandlot football kicker who was on the inaugural roster of what became the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933 and 1934. Even after the one-platoon system was phased out in the 1940s, kicking specialists remained uncommon. The introduction of the soccer style of placekicking in the late 1960s coincided with the rapid rise of kicking specialists. Danny White of the Dallas Cowboys was the last non-specialist kicker in the NFL, serving as a punter in addition to his quarterback duties until 1985.
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touchdowns. The special teams counterpart of a kickingspecialist is a return specialist. Kickingspecialists were exceptionally rare until the 1940s; for...
or running back. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a kickingspecialist. According to All-American Venric Mark, "Returning punts is...
specialist roles that are unique to the kicking game. Kickingspecialists are in charge of kicking the football. Depending on the type of specialist and...
responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist and occasionally...
football as an end and his team's kickingspecialist; in 1973, he was named first-team All-Blue Hen Conference as a specialist while making 2-of-3 field goals...
attacking midfielder. He is left-footed, and he is described as a free kickspecialist. Railston, Steven (4 March 2023). "'I rejected Manchester United Class...
boasts a fine array of passes and a powerful shot, having been a free-kickspecialist during his PSV days". He played in and won the Dutch Eredivisie with...
roster spot on a kickingspecialist (Groza's back injury prevented him from playing on the line), Brown had signed Sam Baker to kick and play halfback...
A kickoff specialist is a special teams position in gridiron football. They are responsible for kicking the ball in the kickoff. These players tend to...
bending free kicks, he is regarded by some as one of the greatest free kickspecialists of all time. Van Hooijdonk was born in Steenbergen. His Moroccan biological...
technically gifted and creative supporting forward who was also a free-kickspecialist, Del Piero won the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award in...
abilities, he possessed an eye for goal and was known to be a free kickspecialist. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname El Pibe de Oro...
Johnny Mize Baseball 1939 Jack Manders Football Pro football's first kickingspecialist 1930s Marty Barry Ice hockey 1947 Hank Greenberg Baseball 1951 Tom...
his highly touted status as a player and free kickspecialist stating: "There are some very good free kick takers, all those taking part will be good at...
the first place kickingspecialist to ever be put on athletic scholarship in the UH football program. Clendenen auditioned for the kicking job at La Porte...
inside and outside the penalty area, as well as being a free-kick and penalty kickspecialist. Although he was primarily known for his ability to bend the...
midfielder. A player of good dribbling skills, he was also a penalty kickspecialist. He spent his entire career with Real Sociedad, playing 530 competitive...
Chicago Bears from 1933 to 1940. He's considered pro football's first kickingspecialist. Manders is considered one of the biggest stars of the NFL early years...
oldest player to score in Premier League history. He was also a penalty kickspecialist. On 16 April 2011, in Burnley's win over Swansea City in a Championship...
most recently the sporting director of French club Lyon. A dead-ball specialist noted for his bending free kicks, in particular the knuckleball technique...