Q: What is the longest field goal ever kicked in football, in national, pro and college? I would like to also know when and where.
—Bob Walton, Carrollton
A: On Dec. 8, 2013, Broncos kicker Matt Prater kicked a 64-yard field goal in Denver, shattering the 63-yard record set by former New Orleans Saints kicker Tom Dempsey in 1970. Prater's 64-yard kick against the Tennessee Titans is the longest successful field goal in NFL history, and earned his shoes a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
While field goals of 60 yards or more are unusual, three other NFL kickers had equaled Dempsey’s 63-yard distance prior to Prater’s record-breaker, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame —Denver’s Jason Elam in 1998, Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski in 2011 and San Francisco’s David Akers in 2012.
According to the NCAA, the longest successful Division I field goal is 67 yards, which was first set by University of Texas’ Russell Erxleben in 1977 and followed soon after by University of Arkansas’ Steve Little in 1977 and Wichita State’s Joe Williams in 1978. At the Division II level, Tom Odle of Fort Hays State also kicked a 67-yard field goal in a game in 1988. But the longest college field goal came in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, when Abilene Christian’s Ove Johansson kicked a 69-yard goal in 1976.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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