Best-ever KICKOFF kickers?

[Gary Najman]

I remember that even in the 1970s, some teams had kickoff specialist (in 1974 Sergio Albert with the Cardinals) and even punter Ray Guy with the Raiders (In the Ghost to the Post playoff game at Baltimore, but he had a short kickoff that Marshall Johnson returned for a TD).

[Jay Z]

Looking at some data from the 1970s, my conclusion is that the coverage teams were more important than a kicker who could boom them deep. Fred Cox was at the bottom in kickoff length, but the Vikings had good coverage units and more than made up for him. It was still the best to get a touchback, but the coverage could compensate for a weaker leg. At least in the 1970s when teams started focusing more on coverage units.

[JohnTurney]

I remember that even in the 1970s, some teams had kickoff specialist (in 1974 Sergio Albert with the Cardinals) and even punter Ray Guy with the Raiders (In the Ghost to the Post playoff game at Baltimore, but he had a short kickoff that Marshall Johnson returned for a TD).

Yes, Lonnie Perrin was another on -- he was effective for the Broncos for a few years, with Jim Turner not kicking off.

[JohnTurney]

I remember that even in the 1970s, some teams had kickoff specialist (in 1974 Sergio Albert with the Cardinals) and even punter Ray Guy with the Raiders (In the Ghost to the Post playoff game at Baltimore, but he had a short kickoff that Marshall Johnson returned for a TD).

Chris Gartner for the Browns was another one like Albert.

Also, Lonnie Perrin was another on -- he was effective for the Broncos for a few years, with Jim Turner not kicking off.

1974's TB percentage leader board is interesting

[JohnTurney]

I remember that even in the 1970s, some teams had kickoff specialist (in 1974 Sergio Albert with the Cardinals) and even punter Ray Guy with the Raiders (In the Ghost to the Post playoff game at Baltimore, but he had a short kickoff that Marshall Johnson returned for a TD).

Chris Gartner for the Browns was another one like Albert.

Also, Lonnie Perrin was another on -- he was effective for the Broncos for a few years, with Jim Turner not kicking off.

1974's TB percentage leaderboard is interesting

1974
rank - Player — KO — TB — TB %
1 - Mirro Roder — 41 - 8 - 19.5
2 - Roy Gerela — 58 - 11 - 19.0
3 - Ray Wersching — 48 - 8 - 16.7
4 - Tom Dempsey — 55 - 9 - 16.4
5 - John Smith — 73 - 11 - 15.1
6 - Sergio Albert — 54 - 8 - 14.8
7 - Bobby Howfield — 22 - 3 - 13.6
8 - Mark Moseley — 61 - 7 - 11.5
9 - Jim Turner — 59 - 6 - 10.2
- Chris Gartner — 49 - 5 - 10.2
11 - Ray Guy — 31 - 3 - 9.7
12 - Pat Leahy — 33 - 3 - 9.1
13 - Pete Gogolak — 48 - 3 - 6.2
14 - Nick Mike-Mayer — 35 - 2 - 5.7
- Horst Muhlmann — 35 - 2 - 5.7
16 - Jan Stenerud — 56 - 3 - 5.4
17 - Chester Marcol — 57 - 3 - 5.3
18 - John Leypoldt — 59 - 3 - 5.1
19 - Errol Mann — 61 - 3 - 4.9
20 - Bill McClard — 42 - 2 - 4.8
21 - Toni Linhart — 47 - 2 - 4.3
22 - Dave Green — 24 - 1 - 4.2
23 - Tom Wittum — 50 - 2 - 4.0
24 - Skip Butler — 52 - 2 - 3.8
25 - Fred Cox — 66 - 2 - 3.0
26 - Efren Herrera — 52 - 1 - 1.9
27 - Garo Yepremian — 64 - 0 - 0.0
28 - David Ray — 50 - 0 - 0.0
29 - George Jakowenko — 29 - 0 - 0.0
30 - George Blanda — 12 - 0 - 0.0
31 - Don Cockroft — 12 - 1 - 8.3
32 - Mike Bragg — 10 - 0 - 0.0
33 - Mac Percival — 10 - 0 - 0.0
34 - Bobby Walden — 9 - 0 - 0.0
35 - Jim Bakken — 8 - 0 - 0.0
36 - Mike Burke — 8 - 0 - 0.0
37 - Billy Van Heusen — 6 - 0 - 0.0
38 - Garry Puetz — 5 - 0 - 0.0
39 - Greg Gantt — 3 - 0 - 0.0
40 - Bruce Gossett — 3 - 0 - 0.0
41 - Dave Washington 3 - 0 - 0.0

[JohnTurney]

should probably add Lou Groza --- literature of the day alke about his strong leg. I have seen him kick on films but never really tracked his kickoffs. I was just written about. In the 1960s though there is more data and it seems like not that many touchbacks as he got older.

Also, touchbacks were good but many times coaches were probably teaching to get ball around the goalline so as to entice guys to come out and cover it well to get inside the 20 ... that would be the interesting things if someone did that. Kicks that ended up inside the 20.

[Bryan]

1974's TB percentage leaderboard is interesting

1974
rank - Player — KO — TB — TB %
1 - Mirro Roder — 41 - 8 - 19.5

16 - Jan Stenerud — 56 - 3 - 5.4

27 - Garo Yepremian — 64 - 0 - 0.0

29 - George Jakowenko — 29 - 0 - 0.0

I won't pretend that I am a Mirro Roder expert, but he seemed to be a pretty good FG kicker for the Bears when he was there....at least as good as clunky Bob Thomas. Seemed like Mirro didn't really get a fair shake in the NFL.

I thought it was weird that Stenerud and Yepremian were so low on the TB list. They seemed to have been able to make a lot of long FGs.

Jakowenko was the Raiders designated kickoff guy for a bit...he seemed to be like Danny Kight of the Colts...not very good at the one thing he was supposed to do. Nat Moore took one back on him in the 74 playoffs.

[JohnTurney]

I thought it was weird that Stenerud and Yepremian were so low on the TB list. They seemed to have been able to make a lot of long FGs.

With the line moved back there was a dropoff for everyone ... but also, maybe the strategy was to not get touchbacks and try and pin teams back. With vet coaches and vet teams like Mia and KC -- maybe they trusted their coverage guys to get there, rather than juts take it at the 20.

Stenerud was among leaders in previous years ... so 1974 was a dropoff, but honestly don't know reason. Maybe more than one reason. All I know is his TB% went down.

[Jay Z]

should probably add Lou Groza --- literature of the day alke about his strong leg. I have seen him kick on films but never really tracked his kickoffs. I was just written about. In the 1960s though there is more data and it seems like not that many touchbacks as he got older.

Also, touchbacks were good but many times coaches were probably teaching to get ball around the goalline so as to entice guys to come out and cover it well to get inside the 20 ... that would be the interesting things if someone did that. Kicks that ended up inside the 20.

The Browns used Bobby Franklin for a time as a kickoff guy. It was more common in the early 1960s. The Packers used not only Jerry Kramer but Willie Wood, Dan Grimm, Hank Gremminger, and Dave Robinson at various times.

I know even in the early 1970s Marcol and Stenerud, in their prime, didn't do a few of the kickoffs. Dave Pureifory and Marvin Upshaw subbed in. Some sort of minor injury, play it safe?

[JohnTurney]

should probably add Lou Groza --- literature of the day alke about his strong leg. I have seen him kick on films but never really tracked his kickoffs. I was just written about. In the 1960s though there is more data and it seems like not that many touchbacks as he got older.

Also, touchbacks were good but many times coaches were probably teaching to get ball around the goalline so as to entice guys to come out and cover it well to get inside the 20 ... that would be the interesting things if someone did that. Kicks that ended up inside the 20.

The Browns used Bobby Franklin for a time as a kickoff guy. It was more common in the early 1960s. The Packers used not only Jerry Kramer but Willie Wood, Dan Grimm, Hank Gremminger, and Dave Robinson at various times.

I know even in the early 1970s Marcol and Stenerud, in their prime, didn't do a few of the kickoffs. Dave Pureifory and Marvin Upshaw subbed in. Some sort of minor injury, play it safe?

1980 Jack Younbglood kicked off one game. Lonnie Perrin kickod off for Broncos and was very good at it. Dave Lloyd of Eagles, MacArthur Lane, Milt Morin, Brad Van Pelt, Dave Washington, Garry Puetz, Dan Pastorini, Ted Thompson, Karl Baldischwiler, Rodney Holman

of those Ted Thompson did it the most, behind Perrin. The rest maybe 1, 2, 5, 6 kickffs in a year, nothing major