The Evolution of NFL Kickers

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Kickers have come a long way in the last 100 years. From the toe punchers, to the barefoot kickers, and everything in between, this video shows the evolution of what made kickers who they are today.
Justin Tucker kick from fan view original video: • Justin Tucker sets new...
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Outro- The Fix by Aldous Young

[@ButterBallTheOpossum]

Props to the announcers for recognizing the drop kick was coming before it happened. Some of those guys really understand the game.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

NFL announcers are some of the most knowledgeable and skilled of any sport

[@K37-h1z]

I was at that game!

[@ProjectInsight44]

Kevin Harlan, one of the USA’s national treasures

[@shaq74]

Kevin Harlan da GOAT

[@Falcnuts]

Kevin Harlan is my fave. Never forget his legendary moment calling TWO games at the same time.

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

A special teams player winning league MVP is something we will *never* see again.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

It was a weird season. It was unthinkable at the time too

[@miatalife94]

he then went on to start the 5 guys franchise 🤯

[@Fireyninjadog]

A 9 game season too

[@chrispayne6825]

A kicker has won MVP but a wide receiver never has.... insanity

[@nischal711]

@@chrispayne6825 not in the super bowl era but before yes

[@D0ugh.B0y]

The dropkick was the last real taste of the original rugby our game was birthed from. Was really cool to see Doug Flutie make that drop kick in 2006.

[@loganmayberry2296]

Rugby is making its way back into football through punting! Aussie punters are taking over college and pro, and the Aussie punt is more common than conventional now. Any time you’re watching a game, look at the way the punter drops the ball. 80% of the time it’ll be vertical, that’s an Aussie ball! Tory Taylor at iowa, and tons of others are former rugby players, turned punters

[@Kylora2112]

@@smasherblues5322 Association, Rugby, Australian, and Canadian footballs all got codified in the mid/late 19th century. American football was a subsequent modification of rugby (the scrimmage/down/possession system was implemented as a means to not just sit on the ball for the entire duration of the game, a problem in the early years).

[@kombirat]

@@loganmayberry2296 That's Australian rules football, not rugby

[@YOSSARIAN313]

Doug Flutie is one of the most important people in the history of football bellichek had tremendous respect for him and loved the guy

[@marcusaurelius5149]

I remember watching that. My uncles hated Doug Flutie, for some reason, so I always knew when he was playing. I distinctly remember it was one of the few times Bill Belichick was smiling from the sidelines.

[@KingPongC327]

As a punter who hopes to go pro, seeing KTO consistently push out content that sometimes has very good kicking content is amazing! Loving the videos since 2019!

[@bucketzgaming_706]

Who do you play for?

[@Hobo_38_]

as a kicker hoping to go D1 i am happy too

[@iKeeKool]

Good look to both of you guys

[@Gungho73]

My cousin would likely wish you luck as well mate! He got to hang out in Buffalo for a couple preseason games, had 1 punt go off the side of his foot and go a bit sideways and got cut following the game. Steel yourself mentally for the atmosphere.

[@KingPongC327]

@@bucketzgaming_706 Sadly don’t play for an organized team at the moment. Not in NCAA or anything.

[@balooko31]

Fun fact, back in college when Ben Roethlisberger used to occasionally punt, he would also knock in some drop kicks in practice. Too bad he didn't get to show it off in a game like Flutie.

[@damienrowley443]

Mr. Flutie is one BAMF. He made incredible memories and highlights in the sport of football when many couldn’t have imagined such a thing if they just saw him walking down the street. Much respect to him.

[@Connor_Miller0]

I hate how people forget that kickers and punters are athletes too are a important part of the game.

[@DarranKern]

That is a rare flaw these days. Kickers have been beloved for many years. The advent of the well worshipped kickers was like ten years ago

[@ge8198]

The word athlete is a stretch, they look like kids among men on the field for the most part. They possess a great skill though.

[@luke_cohen1]

@@ge8198 They’re still athletes but they represent a soccer build rather than a NFL one since most got their start as high school soccer players that excelled in penalty kicks. Most elite soccer players like Ronaldo, Neymar, and Messi have the same body type as Matt Gay, Justin Tucker, and Robbie Gould.

[@pinto4445]

@@ge8198 I mean Ronaldo and Messi are obviously athletes who are much smaller than nfl players. Athletes doesn’t necessarily mean being over 200lb

[@ge8198]

@@pinto4445 you are confusing being skilled at a specific task with being athletic. Tyreke Hill is 5'10" but is way more athletic than any soccer player you could mention. He might not be as SKILLED as kicking a ball into a net or though a goal post, but he possesses way more strength, power, and speed.

[@jahser6722]

11:49 shout out to pinero who just sold a potential win on two separate kicks this past weekend :)

[@balljointfd3s]

If I remember right, the guy with the deformed foot had a special exemption where he could keep kicking but no more deformed kickers were allowed. So until he retired he was his own loophole in the rules.

[@slemire]

Deformed kickers weren't banned, special shoes were banned. The shoes Dempsey wore fit against his deformed foot snugly, basically making it a sledgehammer on his hip swivel. No one after him could wear a special shoe.

[@Kylora2112]

That's usually the case when there's an equipment rule change (like Craig MacTavish not needing to wear a helmet in the NHL into the 1997 season, when helmets were mandated in 1979, but only for incoming players). And the rule was that your kicking shoe must conform to a typical kicking shoe form, rather than a personally specialized shoe like Dempsey wore.

[@balljointfd3s]

@@slemire So I got the specifics wrong.... Either way he was allowed to keep using that odd shaped kicking Shoe that laced up sideways across his deformed foot. He was grandfathered in, where he could kick with it but no one else could. Which was ultimately my point.

[@Beezle66]

5:38 Pete came to America, walked past a random football practice, saw some kick the football and said "oh hell nah. Hold my beer playboi" and the rest is a wrap 🤣

[@encognitusmaximus7598]

KTOOOOOOOO!! I'd never have thought about the history of kickers in the NFL. A few fundamentally altered the play of the game and one a reason for the formation of a unified League! Thanks for this one!

[@cameroncrouthamel9797]

I always watch that clip and just can’t imagine how it felt to be Justin in that moment, ur whole team just crowding you knowing that ur now a major piece of nfl history and most likely for a very long time. As well as securing a win.

[@classof2010president]

The 80s was really wild times. Dude is out there with the 5 toes of steel

[@Barefootkicker]

As a current barefoot kicker, I gotta say, this is all very well done. Each segment was well-organized and showcased the progression of the position

[@lukehorne7903]

As a Lions fan, you cannot escape that kick, it's everywhere and it is only pain when you see it

[@billblaski9523]

Lol

[@danielvasquez3758]

Justin Tucker messing around and winning MVP this year!!

[@ImJustFusion]

So who’s gonna tell him

[@KorZen10]

@@ImJustFusion not it

[@cj-hw3pv]

Showing kickers some love

[@Joe-wi3rv]

Congrats on getting this video out a whole 7 hours before the sponsor deadline!

[@david.tousignant20]

When the "soccer style" was made famous, the NFL saw a huge boost in kicking footballs accuracy... Thank you KTO for that work!

[@Brandon_metab]

When I was younger I was given a book at Christmas called “The Football Book”. I tried to find it on Google but I had no success. Anyway, in that book is the entire history of the NFL with photos that date back to the late 1800s. It blew my mind that the best kicker around the formative years of the NFL (Lou “the toe” Groza) was set at left tackle. For years that name popped in and out my head for no reason whatsoever but now it came full circle in this video. I learned here that there wasn’t a kicking position, but rather whoever had the best leg got to boot it. Super interesting! Highly recommend that book if you can find it! It’s phenomenal for young kids who love the game of football. I spent hours just fawning over the photos of Jack Lambert, or Chuck Bednarik, or Randy Moss.

[@Kylora2112]

Back before 1949, substitutions were limited (including between playing offense and defense), so everyone had to play every phase. Sammy Baugh was a QB, DB, and punter, and basically the best in the league at all 3 positions.

[@billblaski9523]

@Kylora Sammy Baugh was tight dawg! Man was playing in the 30s and 40s when it was a much, much more brutal sport!

[@Brandon_metab]

@@billblaski9523 They all were tough bastards. I’m telling y’all, you would love the football book. I’m pretty certain most people have never seen the photographs/charts/statistics in that book.

[@billblaski9523]

@DaFluffySeal lol also I have always remembered hearing about the Lou Groza award, for the best kicker in college, since I was a kid playing the NCAA Football games for PS2 before they got canceled. So imagine my surprise when I found our the award for college best kicker was named after am offensive lineman who kicked!

[@NightFighter88]

"But before we get started, this video is sponsered by-" 10>>> 10>>> 10>>>

[@saac0937]

🤣🤣🤣

[@OldSoul-px3ld]

Another banger NFL history vid from KTO? Love to see it

[@Dom_1130]

Awesome video, you should definitely do more of this stuff for the other specialist positions. I love special teams, so to see a comprehensive video like this done for long snappers, punters or gunners would be awesome.

[@LordDefekator]

This channel is waaaay underrated. Amazing content. Saludos desde México

[@desmondcarpenter5095]

You guys can make any a sports fan with how these videos are done. 10/10 thank you!

[@berr21able]

1:58 Man, a trick play where the offense looks like they'll punt from the 30 yard line or so, but instead having the punter dropkick it for a field goal would be incredible in today's NFL, even though there probably isn't a scenario in the world where this'd be actually practical to do.

[@Kylora2112]

You'd never see it since a place kick is a known and consistently good. What *I* want to see is a massive fair catch kick to win a game. There hasn't been a successful attempt since 1976.

[@juliogarciaii2379]

I remember watching Doug flutie doing that lol

[@Trillyana]

Not sure if it's still there, but at Metlife Stadium the Jets had an area where you could line up to attempt a (short) field goal. I made it once with the straight-toe method, but I knew that wasn't the right way to kick so I tried doing it the "modern" way and it went hard right off the goalpost. So basically I have no idea how to kick a football properly. Still fun though

[@slowerr3343]

i did the same thing at metlife. Tried the normal way and i actually made the second one. But holy hell is it hard to even kick from there for an average person.

[@VinceLyle2161]

Doink!

[@Kylora2112]

@@slowerr3343 I could consistently make 40 yarders at my school's field. Granted, that was what I did in my free time rather than a one-off thing to try. I was a decent cornerback, but thought I'd have a better chance at playing at a higher level if I got to be a good kicker/punter. It takes a LOT of work to get the mechanics down

[@T-REXMACHINEGUN]

Being a washington fan. Having the only special teams mvp is a weird flex lol I also need to see a video of the history of legs in Washington. 2 of the leagues worst injuries happening then us winnin mvp with a kicker

[@Arientis]

Mark Mosley it’s the man! He would be the last Straight-on kicker in the league ever

[@Natendowii]

I am still baffled as how Pete Gogolak is not in the hall of fame given his contributions to the NFL and how he helped kickstart the war between the AFL & NFL

[@Kylora2112]

Special teams players get screwed. There's half a dozen punters, a dozen kickers, and a handful of returners who should have been in the HOF for a decade.

[@frankatherton730]

Excellent video once again! Thank you!

[@spartaninvirginia]

My favorite part of that Tucker kick at the end is that it shouldn't have happened, the clock was a zero for multiple seconds.

[@atlasalpaca8580]

Michael Dickson did some drop kicking for the seahawks in 2018 after Sebastain Janikowski got hurt

[@marcusaurelius5149]

2:49 - I remember watching this. My uncles hated Doug Flutie, for some reason, so I always knew when he was playing. I distinctly remember it was one of the few times Bill Belichick smiling.

[@notjukebox7]

Amazing video as usual. You have covered many people and players, but there is one I would love to see you cover. As a kid I wasn't much into football, but growing up in the Chicago area you couldn't go long without hearing some names. Urlacher was on every hair restoration buildboard I saw, Cutler was hated by my Uncle, and Parkey was public enemy #1 after his missed fieldgoal. But one player I heard most and with the most love was Walter Payton. From family and friends I heard about how he would run up and down a hill nearby in Arlington Heights. I also heard more personal stories, such as how one day while filling her gas, my Mom saw a purple sports car pull up and out pops Walter Payton. The one year I did try out for football (I was a pretty big kid, tallest and heaviest in almost all my classes) I remember the process of picking my number. I could be anyone I wanted, but 34. The coaches said it was the first to go and the one kids picked most because of Walter Payton. He is a crucial part to one of the best teams to ever play Football in the 85 Bears and his impact in and off the field is amazing. From everyone I know who met him, he was one of the most down-to-Earth people and when he died it was a tragedy to my area. I know asking a video from you is a lot, and it's not my place to make requests as you're the creator, but I would love to see you cover Sweetness in one of your videos.

[@big8dog887]

It would be fun to bring back the dropkick and make it worth 4 points.

[@emeryanden6190]

You didnt even mention Bert Rechicarhar he held the record for longest field goal for 17 years at 56 yards in 1953 until Dempsey robbed him with a literal LEAD foot Bert used to come over our house he was as a friend of my dad heres a NFL record holder in my presence i was in shock and awe

[@b1oom406]

Kto is the most underrated youtuber on all of youtube

[@_Shadoh_]

I guess you've heard this a billion times, but your outros are the best! And I love it when you put my Ravens in there, though this must kinda suck with you being a Bengals fan, lots of respect and you got a new subscriber ☺Still hope we'll win the division this year 😈

[@scottthompson3493]

Speaking as a Canadian and a CFL fan, you can still attempt a drop kick from anywhere in the field. The returner on a punt that travels into the end zone can punt it out instead of conceding a safety. The team that originally punted the ball can catch it and attempt another punt, if it goes through the end zone you get a single point also known as a Rouge. Same thing with missed field goals that travel through the back of the end zone.

[@Grumpygrumpygrumpy]

I used to put Punter or Kicker as my QB in Madden Games (PS2) so that I could surely get the no. 1 pick 😂

[@ericmarks7648]

Thank you for these videos. All the subtle things that completely change everything. Barry Bonds putting on a suit of armor and clearly standing on top of the plate changed baseball. I often wonder if Bob Gibson or Randy Johnson could get Bonds off the plate.If you want to do an intriguing study, look at snappers in football. It's by far the most overlooked and specific thing in modern sports.Miss a kick and you get other chance next Sunday. Miss a snap and you're children just lost college tuition.

[@thelegendofBigRay]

Good video . I KNEW 🤣 u were going to put Tucker in the last segment !!

[@gavinrussell6270]

I never got why kickers stopped kicking barefoot cause I play soccer and when you're barefoot you'll hit the ball cleaner and usually harder then you will with shoes and the only way i could see it going bad is that it'll eventually hurt your foot

[@SynRequiem]

You’d be a lot more prone to getting hurt from being stepped on by 300lb dudes

[@Hoi4Hangout]

Barefoot kickers are best!

[@Rub1xHimself]

If you didnt know the drop kick from the early 20s originated from rugby which was what football had transitioned from. It is still one of if not the most prominent parts of rugby today. That is why the ball was much more circular in early years.

[@HarveyMeadowlark]

I knew that Tucker 66-yarder was coming, and as a fellow browns fan, I don’t like that guy, but only because he’s a Raven. And yet, gotta acknowledge that that kick was something else. Truly special. History.

[@johnchedsey1306]

I grew up in Colorado in the 80s and still think Rich Karlis is nuts for going out there in the snow barefoot. My mom yelled at me for trying that!

[@alanrubenstein7618]

Just found this. Great info and incredibly well done.

[@corbinchristian7915]

A KICKER VID LETS GOOOO

[@Boltman12278]

JT is a beast and I don't even watch football anymore to know that.

[@DogeCheese]

I love how kto makes ads short, like I cant find a shorter ad time in videos, not sarcasm

[@thema1998]

I saw the Doug Flutie drop kick as a highlight on ESPN when I was a kid. My mind was blown! I had no idea at the time that it was once the standard in the early days of the NFL.

[@azmiupnorth2220]

Imagine Justin tucker kicking with the posts at the goal line, that extra yardage added makes most of the field hittable

[@rileysullivan4123]

12:18 Bro the 1 dude who was 90%+ in 1991 had 100% lmfao, what a dude

[@Eddieavina123]

Love your video man

[@MarloSoBalJr]

As a Ravens fan, thank goodness for our ability to identify quality special teams quality. Haven't failed in that department, yet!

[@shadowstalker7259]

For the Tom Dempsey situation, wouldn't it like not hurt him at all, if he kicked the ball as hard as he could, not to be rude but.....he had a literal flat foot

[@JacionBryant]

This is a certified hood classic

[@mLSuccess]

seeing the clip at the end makes me sad as a lions fan, its crazy how tucker made that.

[@jkaiser02]

Fantastic video as always.

[@trethetree]

Goat 100%

[@henrysteiner8136]

I’m a simple man. I see the GOAT Tucker. I watch the video

[@Austheboss-kc6dm]

3:30 “how much history can I make in one play”

[@ashtonwoods9644]

Justin da GOAT

[@alexanderguerrero347]

Vinatieri the GOAT kicker

[@postverifiedlifestyle]

😂 He doesn’t even touch tucker… no player is further away than the second best player in their position of all time than kicker

[@mjlsx376]

It’s bad enough to have one record breaking kick against your team. It’s happened to the Lions twice!

[@loolfactorie]

A drop kick (Drop goal) won England the 2003 Rugby world cup, kicked by champion fly-half, Johnny Wilkinson. Any Americans interested should look it up.

[@jadgaming2303]

Cool vid kto

[@TheJustusLeague98]

Seatgeek better start using the XFL too 😂

[@mitchellraeck4133]

it would be cool if you tried to figure out what NFL position has evolved the least over the years (not counting holder or long snapper). probably an offensive line position, but the early years of football were crazy. i wouldn't be surprised if the old rules required the left guard to do a little dance before the snap or something

[@Codewordthecerealkiller0]

Most linemen also played defence or half back

[@JacionBryant]

Raider nation own this list with punter and kickers

[@bd500_]

You should make a video/documentary on the entire evolutionof the NFL

[@ToughFighterGuy-g7b]

Place kicks travel straighter and more accurately. Drop-kicks that bounce off the ground travel the highest and the furthest of all kicks performed off the laces at maximum performance.

[@jliller]

I'm surprised kicking barefoot was even legal. Shoes seem like mandatory equipment for players on the field. Could some lunatic kick returner or speed receiver play completely barefoot if he really wanted to because he thought it gave him a speed advantage?

[@connor4955]

Now we see selfies before games to miss crucial kicks down the line🫠

[@mackandzie]

i'm praying that justin tucker beats his own record one of these days so i don't have to relive that painful lions game again every time that clip is shown

[@staubach1979rt]

What an excellent video!

[@HenryDaNinth]

Notification squad, what's good? Who's your favorite kicker(s) and why?

[@JacionBryant]

Mvp from a kickers is crazy

[@jerryezel4530]

Alot of NFL championships wouldn't been won without em' #KTO

[@danielvasquez3758]

I want to see a field goal shootout like they do in soccer to end OT!! No draws!!

[@gkdunch]

yeah but bring out it to something ridiculous like 70 yards, then start moving up 5 yards, maybe stop at the 40 yard line.

[@MAVJ]

I never thought of that, but im kinda on board. Would be exciting as hell and add some stock to having a good kicker

[@straight2thepoiint377]

Crazy the average percentage is so low considering it's always in front. NRL kickers can kick from the sideline 30+m out regularly and have to do it tired after playing both sides of the ball without a break. Most players are high 80s

[@michaelmace924]

Tom Dempsey died from covid last year while living in a nursing home in PA even though the CDC report said seniors were high risk. Nobody will be charged with negligence

[@BIG-yw3fc]

"Frosty Peters" has to be the coolest name I've ever heard of 😂

[@droman2830]

Dempsey being a straight toe kicker without toes😂

[@MariFactsHub]

Your my favorite KZbin keep it up bro

[@zachhutfilz1224]

You should do a vid on Charles Haley, just heard out about this guy and want to know more information

[@dylannguyen2115]

Ayye Iowa state kick in your video haha #rollclones 🌪️🌪️

[@lesblase3667]

Best kickers of an oval ball all come from down under 🇦🇺🇳🇿 Aus & NZ with the AFL, Rugby League & Rugby Union.

[@JahNuhThunDeeTheOneAndOnly]

It seems like the NY Giants were always at the center of many pro football innovations for decades.

[@BBQSAUCEPRODS]

Cade York ❤

[@liampricei417]

I remember when kickers was barefoot kicking the ball 😂😂😂😂 imagine they be in the snow barefoot boutta kick a 56 yard game winner 😂😂😂 But anyway glad we drafted tucker, changed the game and ravens organization

[@MegaBahamamamma]

Bro, as a lions fan, that tucker kick is still bs. The ravens 100% should have had a delay of game the play before

[@mytwosense9135]

It's been debunked mate. Let it go.

[@shawnprivate5322]

😂 frosty Peter's with extra point

[@CrashSiteZERO]

Kto the goat

[@brodeybartlett1641]

I really liked your video on ucf can we see one on James Madison

[@unspherdcomb6]

Not sure why but it’s fitting that the last made drop kick was made by Doug flutie.

[@plthirty2]

Lions fan here. The Tucker kick still hurts a bit.