morten anderson

Pro Career

2006 SEASON (FALCONS): Split the uprights on 20 of 23 field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards ... Connected on all 27 extra points attempts en route to scoring 87 points during the season ... Became the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,435 points passing K Gary Anderson (2,434 points).

2004 SEASON (VIKINGS): Broke George Blanda's NFL record by playing in his 341st career game

2003 SEASON (CHIEFS): Ranked sixth in the AFC among kickers with 106 points, scoring 100+ points for the 14th time in his career to tie Anderson's career mark.

2002 SEASON (CHIEFS): Played in 14 games, missing the final two games with knee injury ... Named to USA Today's All-Joe Team.

2001 SEASON (GIANTS): Played in all 16 games in his lone season with NY Giants, converting 23-of-28 field goals and 29-of-30 PATs.

2000 SEASON (FALCONS): Played in every game, connecting on 25-of-31 field goals, 23-of-23 PATs and scoring 98 points.

1999 SEASON (FALCONS): Played in all 16 games.

1998 SEASON (FALCONS): Ranked eighth in the NFL with 120 points and was 51-of-52 on PATs.

1997 SEASON (FALCONS): Broke the 90-point plateau for the 15th straight season, hitting 23-of-27 field goals.

1996 SEASON (FALCONS): Scored 97 points in 16 games played.

1995 SEASON (FALCONS): Set an NFL record with eight field goals of 50+ yards.

1994 SEASON (SAINTS): Ranked second in the NFC with 116 points.

1993 SEASON (SAINTS): Tied for fourth in the NFC with 117 points.

1992 SEASON (SAINTS): Tied for the NFC lead with 120 points and earned Pro Bowl honors.

1991 SEASON (SAINTS): Ranked third in NFC with 113 points.

1990 SEASON (SAINTS): Earned fifth berth in Pro Bowl after converting three FGs of 50+ yards and a pair of game-winning field goals on the season.

1989 SEASON (SAINTS): Scored 100+ points for the fifth straight season.

1988 SEASON (SAINTS): Scored 110 points and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.

1987 SEASON (SAINTS): Led NFL kickers with 121 points and earned third straight trip to Pro Bowl.

1986 SEASON (SAINTS): Named to his second Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with an 86.7% field goal accuracy mark.

1985 SEASON (SAINTS): Connected on a career-high 31 field goals on 35 attempts, an 88.6% accuracy, and earned his first Pro Bowl berth.

1984 SEASON (SAINTS): Scored 94 points on the season.

1983 SEASON (SAINTS): Booted a 41-yard FG in overtime vs. Chicago (9/18) in a 34-31 win.

1982 SEASON (SAINTS): Saw time in eight games during strike-shortened NFL season.


College Career

Earned 1st-team All-America honors as a senior...Booted career-best 63-yard FG as a senior vs. Ohio State in 1981...Set a then-Big Ten record with 45 FGs in his career...Set MSU records for PATs with 126 and career points with 261...Named to Big Ten All-Academic Team with a 3.25 GPA.


Personal Bio

Moved to United States as an exchange student in 1977...Has provided Super Bowl analysis during numerous Super Bowls on Danish TV- TV 3 ScanSat...Fluent in Danish, German, French and English...Majored in communications and marketing...Active in New Orleans and Kansas City with his "Kicks for Kids" program that has raised money for hospitals and inner-city day care during his NFL career...Selected as New Orleans' "Outstanding Sports Citizen of the Year" in 1990 by the New Orleans Sports Foundation...Has a twin brother, Jakob, in the export business in India...Morten and wife, Jennifer, have a son, Sebastian and a XXXX...Born in Copenhagen, Denmark and raised in Struer, Denmark...Nearly made the Danish national soccer team before beginning his American football career...Starred at Ben Davis High in Indianapolis after moving to the United States in 1977 as a foreign exchange student.

GAINESVILLE - Morten Andersen gets the nod as the Atlanta Falcons' best kicking option in a recent poll of AccessNorthGa.com readers. The 47-year old Andersen recently signed on for his third tour of duty with the Falcons, and 57% of readers voting in the online poll supported the move.

Former Georgia Bulldogs kicker Kevin Butler, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals, came in second. Butler, who is 45-years old and last kicked professionally in 1997, got 16% of the vote.

Another 15% of respondents felt that Atlanta's best option would be to run the ball where a kick would normally be in order.

SportsRadio 1240 The Ticket talk-show personality Gene Anderson (age not disclosed), who has never played professional football, or kicked on any known level, received 7% of the votes cast. Anderson outpaced former Atlanta kicker Mick Luckhurst, who hasn't suited up for the Falcons in 20 years. At 49, Luckhurst is still only two years older than Morten Andersen. Luckhurst received 5 % of the ballots.

None of the respondents selected former Steelers and Vikings kicker Gary Anderson, who, like Morten Andersen, kicked into his 40's.

The newest online readers' poll can be found on this page. FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. ― Morten Andersen has got this down pat. Sit out training camp. Watch the first two games on television while sipping on some nice, cold brews. Then report to the Atlanta Falcons armed with plenty of old-man jokes.
"It's Yogi Berra," Andersen quipped. "It's deja vu all over again."

For the second year in a row, the Falcons sent out a belated call to Andersen to rescue their sorry kicking game. He was more than happy to help out, because this puts the 47-year-old freak of nature another season closer to his ultimate goal: playing until he's 50 and passing George Blanda as the oldest player in NFL history.

"This is what I was meant to be doing," Andersen said. "This is my calling."

He's already the leading scorer in NFL history, an ambition fulfilled last season after he was called in by the Falcons to replace Michael Koenen, who missed six of eight field goal attempts in the first two games.

This time, it was another untested kicker who flopped.

Looking for someone with a stronger leg who might be around a few years, the Falcons decided to go with 23-year-old Matt Prater, even though he had never kicked in the NFL and only joined the team before its final preseason game.

The lack of experience showed when Prater made one of four attempts in the first two games, his fate sealed when he shanked a 26-yarder against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. It didn't take long for the Falcons (0-2) to dig up Andersen's number.

"I was just sitting on the couch with some of my neighbors Sunday evening, having a couple of cold ones," he said. "The next thing I know, my phone rang. It was personnel asking, 'Can you come in tomorrow?' I told them, 'Not too early, I hope."'

Andersen ran through a quick tryout at the Falcons' complex on Monday afternoon and agreed to a contract by that evening. He joins a team rocked by the Michael Vick dogfighting saga and that has scored only 10 points heading into Sunday's home opener against Carolina (1-1).

"I was excited to hear about Mort," Falcons center Todd McClure said. "We all know what he's done for us in the past with the kicking game. We need to score points when we can get them."

This is Andersen's third stint with Atlanta. He is best remembered for making the kick that sent the Falcons to their lone Super Bowl during the 1998 season, but his career appeared over - just 77 points shy of career scoring leader Gary Anderson - when no one called heading into 2005.

Andersen sat out an entire season but keeping himself in shape, he also kept pestering the Falcons, having settled in Atlanta during his first go-round with the team.

When Koenen, who still handles the Falcons' punting, struggled as a kicker at the start of last season, Mr. Reliable came to the rescue. Andersen made 20 of 23 attempts (one was blocked) and all 27 extra points, replacing his near-namesake at the top of the scoring list with 2,445 points.

New Falcons coach Bobby Petrino wanted to go in a younger direction, but he always knew Andersen was available. The geriatric kicker continued to work out twice a week at a local park to stay sharp.

"Same thing as last year," Andersen said. "I did my thing on the little league field out there. I brought my helmet, my shoulder pads, my Pro Bowl jersey, my balls. And, you know, people looked at me strangely."

Yes, this is all a bit strange.

Andersen is seven months older than his head coach. When he began his NFL career in 1982, 22 of his teammates weren't even born. They were quick to remind him of that, posting flyers for a wheelchair and a set of crutches next to his familiar stall in the corner of the Falcons' locker room.

"C'mon, the guy still wears Ken Stabler shoulder pads," quarterback Joey Harrington joked. "But after watching him kick today, he still looks like he's only 43 or 44."

Petrino piled on, too.

"I was tired of being the old man around here," the coach said.

Andersen has plenty of material himself.

"I've heard all the jokes. I've seen all the blogs. I've gotten all the e-mails," he said. "Did you hear that Morten was watching 'Jurassic Park' and started crying? It brought back some nice memories. Did you hear that Morten went to the antique store and they wanted to keep him?"

He was smiling the whole time.

"Yes, it's good to be back."

The Falcons' once-vaunted rushing attack has yet to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game this season.

"We still want to run the ball better," coach Bobby Petrino said Monday, a day after the team's first win. "We still have to improve on that."


CURTIS COMPTON/AJC
(ENLARGE)
Falcons kicker Morten Andersen had a good day kicking against the Houston Texans. Andersen made field goals of 28, 22, 26 and 46-yards; and had a 42-yard attempt (above) blocked.

Your Turn


Bobby Petrino's offense is averaging 90 yards on the ground and 225 yards passing per game. Are you concerned about the running attack?
Yes. It's a worry that offense seems one dimensional.
No. As long as receivers keep catching the ball.



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With help from quarterback Michael Vick's rushing yards, the Falcons led the league the past three years.

"Just a consistency deal," Petrino said. "Maybe it's more runs. Maybe it's more opportunities. What hurt us a little bit at times was the pressures that [Houston] brought."

The Falcons rushed for 90 yards on 30 carries against the Texans on Sunday. Against Carolina (19 for 91 yards), Jacksonville (25 for 82) and Minnesota (26 for 96) they also failed to rush for more than 100 yards.

Against Houston, after John Abraham's forced fumble was recovered by Chauncey Davis with 8:04 left, the Falcons wanted to run down the clock. Three running plays netted minus-5 yards and the Falcons were forced to attempt a 42-yard field goal.

"That was probably on me, just being stubborn," Petrino said. "Wanting to run the ball when they were bringing pressure and playing Cover 0. You would normally throw it."

NFC South race: Bucs take early lead

Tampa Bay (3-1) has gotten off to the best start in the division. Carolina (2-2) and New Orleans (0-3) have been disappointments. The Falcons are 1-3.

"One thing we've been trying to do is focus on our division," Petrino said. "It would have certainly been nice to get the win against Carolina because we'd be right in it.

"But there's a lot of room for movement here."

One victory makes a big difference

After battling through a bizarre offseason and training camp, Petrino noticed the change just one victory makes.

"You notice it around the building," Petrino said. "There's no question, we needed a win. There has been a lot of stress. There have been a lot of tense moments here."

No players were available to speak on Monday.

Despite being held, Abraham keeps cool

Abraham did not let some blocking tactics by Houston tackle Ephraim Salaam push him over the emotional edge.

"The thing about him that I liked so much," Petrino said of Abraham, "was that when they were holding him and they were tackling him and it wasn't getting called, he just kept coming. That says a lot for his maturity."

Patience with sack-less Anderson

Rookie defensive end Jamaal Anderson, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, does not have a sack yet. Petrino said the team is asking him to do a lot of dirty work with stopping the run.

"His sacks will come. I know they will come," Petrino said.

Thankful to have Andersen kicking

Petrino is enjoying the security of having a dependable placekicker. Morten Andersen made field goals of 28, 22, 26 and 46 yards against Houston. He had a 42-yarder blocked.

"It was great to count on the three points," Petrino said. "But what you want to do is get to a certain spot on the field and say, at worst, we've got three points."