Matt Stover

For the science fiction and fantasy author, see Matthew Stover.
Matt Stover

refer to caption

Stover with the Ravens in 2006
No. 3
Position: Placekicker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1968-01-27) January 27, 1968
Place of birth: Dallas, Texas
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school: Dallas (TX) Lake Highlands
College: Louisiana Tech
NFL draft: 1990 / Round: 12 / Pick: 329
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Field Goals Made: 471
Field Goals Attempted: 563
Field Goals %: 83.7
Career Long FG: 55
Points scored: 2,004
Player stats at NFL.com

John Matthew "Matt" Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for 13 seasons. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts in October 2009 to replace injured kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Early years

Stover attended Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas (Class of 1986), the alma mater of fellow NFL placekicker Phil Dawson (Cleveland Browns). Stover won All-District honors as both a wide receiver and kicker. During the 1985-86 LHHS season he kicked a 53-yard field goal.

College career

Prior to his NFL career, Stover attended Louisiana Tech University, where he was an active member of the Alpha Omega chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon acting as vice president. He graduated with a degree in marketing. During his college career, Stover successfully converted on 64 of 88 field goal attempts. As a sophomore, facing Texas A&M, he kicked a 57-yard field goal, then a school record. He also punted as a senior, punting 36 times for 1,277 yards (34.1 yards per punt avg). He left Louisiana Tech with 262 career total points and seven field goals of 50 yards or more. While at La Tech, Stover would usually kick the ball through the goal posts on the first kickoff of the game. Stover currently holds the NCAA record for most punts in a single game at 16 against Louisiana-Monroe November 18, 1988.

Professional career

New York Giants

Stover was drafted by the New York Giants with the 329th selection (12th round) in the 1990 NFL Draft. He was on the injured reserve list the entire season as the Giants won Super Bowl XXV.[1]

Cleveland Browns

Stover signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1991 and spent five seasons as a Brown.

Baltimore Ravens

In 1996 the Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Ravens. Stover spent the majority of his career as a Raven. In 2000, the Ravens failed to score an offensive touchdown in five straight games, in which Stover, who was selected as a Pro Bowler, scored all the team's points. Stover received a Super Bowl ring that year when the Ravens defeated his former team, the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Stover remained kicking with the Ravens, setting several records and kicking 18 game-winning field goals. In 2008, Stover booted a 43-yard field goal to win against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Round.[2] That was Stover's last field goal as a Raven. The Ravens decided not to re-sign Stover following the 2008 season.

On Nov 20, 2011, Stover was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor, during a halftime ceremony at M&T Bank Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals.[3]

Indianapolis Colts

As a free agent following 2008, Stover signed with the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of the 2009 NFL season to replace the injured Adam Vinatieri.[4] In Indianapolis, Stover played in two wins against the Ravens, and helped the Colts to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV, at age 42, which made Stover the oldest player in Super Bowl history.[5] However, he was not re-signed.

Career regular season statistics

Career high/best bolded

Retirement

Stover in 2013.

Stover announced his retirement from football on May 25, 2011 with the Baltimore Ravens.[1] At the time of his retirement, he was the last remaining member of the original Cleveland Browns still active in the NFL, and was also the last Raven to have played for the franchise before the team moved from Cleveland. He retired as the NFL's fourth all-time leading scorer.

NFL records

Ravens franchise records

References

  1. 1 2 "Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover to retire". USA Today. May 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  2. ↑ Stover's FG with 53 seconds left boots Ravens into AFC Championship Game-ESPN Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Stover Inducted into Ravens Ring of Honor
  4. ↑ Indianapolis Colts sign ex-Raven Matt Stover-Bleacher Report Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Colts kicker Matt Stover, 42, is oldest player in Super Bowl history Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 What Kicker Holds the Record for Most Consecutive Extra Points Made?
  7. ↑ Reiss, Mike (30 January 2010). "Vinatieri's shot at fifth ring bittersweet". ESPN. Retrieved 8 February 2010.

External links

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