Mark Moseley

For the entertainer, see Mark Moseley (actor).
Mark Moseley
No. 3, 11
Position:Kicker
Personal information
Born: (1948-03-12) March 12, 1948 (age 76)
Laneville, Texas
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Livingston
(Livingston, Texas)
College:Stephen F. Austin
NFL Draft:1970 / Round: 14 / Pick: 346
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Field goals:300/457 (65.6%)
Points scored:1,382
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Mark DeWayne Moseley (born March 12, 1948) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played for Philadelphia Eagles (1970), the Houston Oilers (1971–72), the Washington Redskins (1974–86), and the Cleveland Browns (1986). A native of Livingston, Texas, Moseley played quarterback at Texas A&M University and Stephen F. Austin State University before switching to kicker for his senior season at Stephen F. Austin.

Drafted by the Eagles in the 14th round of the 1970 NFL Draft, he played one season with them and then two seasons with the Houston Oilers. He was out of football in 1973. Then signed he with the Washington Redskins in 1974 and played with them until 1986. He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season. He is the only special teams player to win the NFL MVP award and is one of only three non-offensive MVPs.

Moseley was released by the Redskins in 1986 and retired that year after a few games with the Cleveland Browns.

Early life and education

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Moseley grew up in Livingston, Texas where[1] he played football at Livingston High School.[2] After high school, he attended Texas A&M University from 1965 to 1966[3] and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) from 1967 to 1969.[4] He played quarterback while at both schools until his senior season at SFA when he made the switch to placekicker.[3][5] In that season, he set Lone Star Conference records for most points in a game and most field goals in a season.[6]

Professional career

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Moseley was selected 346th overall in the 14th round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles making him the first kicker ever drafted in the NFL.[3] He was released by the Eagles in 1971 and signed by the Houston Oilers only to be released again in 1972. He spent two years out of the NFL before moving back to Livingston, Texas, where he installed septic systems and coached high school sports. During this time, he sent letters to two dozen NFL teams and regularly practiced kicking with his children returning his kicks. In 1974, the Washington Redskins signed him as a free agent.[5][7]

With the retirement of the Minnesota Vikings' Rick Danmeier in 1982, Moseley became the only full-time straight on placekicker in the National Football League since then. In the 1960s, the "soccer-style" of kicking (wherein the kicker approaches the ball at an angle and kicks it with the instep) was introduced by the Hungarian brothers Pete and Charlie Gogolak. It is now universal in the NFL and other levels.

In the strike-shortened 1982 season, Moseley converted 23 straight field goals from 1981-82,[8](a record at the time), made a league-leading 20 of 21 field goals, a then-record 95.2 success rate, and was responsible for 76 points.[9] He became the first placekicker to ever win the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player.[10] Moseley had a much rougher time in the postseason as he missed four field goals in Washington's two postseason games. In the Washington Redskins' 27–17 victory in Super Bowl XVII over the Miami Dolphins, Moseley kicked two field goals. He was successful on all three of his extra point attempts. During the following season, he led the NFL in scoring with 161 points. He also kicked the game-winning field goal in Washington's 24-21 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. He only missed four prior attempts in the game.

In 1986, Moseley was released by the Washington Redskins mid-season. He remains their all-time leading scorer with 1,207 points. He signed with the Cleveland Browns and retired at the end of the season, helping them win their divisional playoff game against the New York Jets with a game-winning field goal in double overtime despite missing two field goals in regulation and another in the first overtime period.

In his career, Moseley was successful on 300 out of 457 field-goal attempts (65%), successful on 482 out of 512 extra points attempts (94%), and scored a total of 1,382 points. He led the NFL in field goals made four times.

References

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  1. ↑ Steinberg, Dan (August 7, 2014). "Alabama-Coushatta Tribe responds to Mark Moseley, saying it does not support the Redskins name". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ Meredith, Hardy; McDonald, Archie P. (August 31, 2009). Stephen F. Austin State University Jacks (Images of America) (Images of Sports). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7180-5.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Moran, Malcolm (January 21, 1984). "Split-Second Decisions". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  4. ↑ Partsch III, Raymond A. (August 7, 2014). "Grandson of SFA legend looks to make impact at Lamar". Beaumont Enterprise. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Anderson, Dave (January 30, 1983). "Kick Finish Overdue". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  6. ↑ Gonsalves, Rick (August 31, 2009). Placekicking in the NFL: A History and Analysis. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0051-2.
  7. ↑ Romano, Lois (December 21, 1982). "The Moseleys Get A Kick Out of Life". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  8. ↑ "85 Years Of Redskins History: Moseley's Record-Breaking FG". Washington Football. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Mark Moseley – Career Stats". National Football League. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  10. ↑ Martin, Cameron (January 5, 2013). "An M.V.P. Award for One of a Dying Breed". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

Other websites

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