Tom Dempsey (American football player)

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Tom Dempsey
Position (s):
Kicker 		Jersey numbers:
19, 10, 23, 6
born January 12, 1947 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin
died on April 4, 2020 in New Orleans , Louisiana
Career information
Active : 1969 - 1979
Undrafted in 1969
College : Palomar College, California
Teams
Career statistics
Field goals     159
Quota     61.6%
Longest field goal     63 yards
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Career highlights and awards

Thomas John "Tom" Dempsey (* 12. January 1947 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin ; † 4. April 2020 in New Orleans , Louisiana ) was an American American football poker players in the National Football League (NFL). The 1.88 meter tall and 115 kilograms during his playing career, Dempsey played in the position of the kicker and was one of the few handicapped players in NFL history.

Life

Dempsey was born with a stunted right side of his body: his right arm was underdeveloped, his right hand had only two fingers instead of five, and his right foot had no toes and was only half the length of his healthy left foot. These disabilities didn't stop him from playing American football. Dempsey remembered repelling bullying attempts by colleagues and opponents because he could "kill someone" with his right arm stump. At Palomar College , California , he played linebacker , although he only had one hand to tackle, until the coach noticed Dempsey's long, powerful kicks and he made him a kicker despite his disabled right shot. For this position, Dempsey was hired by the New Orleans Saints in 1969 .

Due to his handicap, Dempsey wore a special shoe on his right firing foot that was shorter but wider than ordinary football boots and had an iron weight on the front (all of this is forbidden under current NFL rules). He also used an unusual shooting technique. Instead of shooting with a strong hip rotation like other placekickers (similar to a soccer goalkeeper when kicking), he ran head-on and only kicked the egg out of his legs. Dempsey was able to shoot far but not particularly precisely, which shows his rather average career field goal rate of 61 percent. Nevertheless, Dempsey was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1969 and established himself as a crowd favorite, as the Saints' fans had great respect for the performance of the physically challenged kicker.

On November 8, 1970, Dempsey's big hour struck. The New Orleans Saints were behind the Detroit Lions two seconds before the end of the game at 16:17 and had not even crossed the center line. The gate was to the then rules (to 1974) nor on the goal line (the beginning of the end zone ). For the last play, it was decided to let Dempsey kick a 63 yard field goal attempt, although by then the longest field goal in NFL history was scored from 56 yards. Dempsey transformed that kick. Until 2013, only Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos (supported by the mountain air of Denver ) in 1998, Sebastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders in Denver in 2011 and David Akers of the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 , managed to repeat this performance in an NFL game . Matt Prater now holds the record with 64 yards.

With the Saints Dempsey played for two years until he played with the Philadelphia Eagles (1971-74), the Los Angeles Rams (1975-76), the Houston Oilers (1977) and the Buffalo Bills (1978-79). Then he ended his career. Although he only played two years with the Saints, Dempsey was elected to the Saints Hall of Fame in 1989. He still holds the all-time Saints record for field goals in an NFL game (six against the New York Giants , 1969 season).

Dempsey last lived in New Orleans with his wife . He contracted COVID-19 on March 28, 2020 and died a week later on April 4, 2020 in a hospice in New Orleans.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ramon Antonio Vargas: Tom Dempsey, historic New Orleans Saints placekicker, dies at 73 after coronavirus battle. In: nola.com. April 4, 2020, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b Sheldon Spencer: Living with 63 yards - and beyond. In: ESPN . October 29, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 (article on Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey).
  3. ↑ Wayne Coffey: 25 Years ago this Week, Saints Kicker Tom Dempsey Swung his Right Half-Foot Through the Ball and Made NFL History on a 63-Yard Field Goal. Today, They're Still Talking About ... the Kick. In: Daily News . November 5, 1995, archived from the original on September 6, 2010 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 (English).
  4. ↑ Sven Kittelmann: Brady throws over 500 yards in the Patriots victory - kick record for Janikowski. In: Stern.de . September 13, 2011, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  5. ↑ American football: Broncos kicker succeeds NFL record. In: Spiegel Online . December 9, 2013, accessed April 6, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Dempsey, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dempsey, Thomas John (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American football player
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Milwaukee , Wisconsin
DATE OF DEATH April 4, 2020
Place of death New Orleans , Louisiana