NFL – All-time scoring record holder Morten Andersen retires
The 48-year-old Danish kicker and all-time leading scorer in the NFL, Morten Andersen, announced his retirement on December 8, 2008, due to knee problems, which have plagued him in recent years. Andersen, who did not play in the current season, told the press that he was trying to get another contract with an NFL team, but he realized that he was no longer the same and that he could not train like before. . The Dane announced his departure from the NFL in his hometown of Copenhagen after a 25-year professional football career.
Morten began his football career at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis in 1977 as an exchange student. His first season as a kicker with Ben Davis was so remarkable that he received a scholarship to Michigan State University in 1978. At Michigan, the Danish kicker set numerous records, including a 63-yard field goal in the Big Ten Conference. . After Michigan State in 1982, Morten became a professional NFL player with the New Orleans Saints, where he spent 13 seasons.
After playing with the Saints, Andersen signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons and played with them for another eight seasons. During the 1998-99 season with the Falcons, he had the highlight of his career by kicking the field goal that beat the Vikings and won Atlanta’s first and only NFC title, marking the franchise’s first appearance in the Super Bowl.
Andersen later played for one season in 2001 with the New York Giants and moved to the Kansas City Chiefs for the next two seasons. He then spent one season with the Vikings and became a free agent after the 2004 season; therefore, he did not play in 2005. But for the 2006 season, Morten returned to the NFL to play for the Atlanta Falcons once more. In December 2006, he broke the record for all-time leading scorer, Gary Anderson, and became the newest all-time scorer in NFL history, as well as the NFL career leader in goals. of fields scored.
Morten re-signed with the Falcons in 2007 and finished the regular season shooting 25-of-28 from the field, resulting in the most accurate season of his career. For this 2008 season he did not receive a call to play with any team and as he continued with his knee injuries; Andersen decided it was time to retire.
Morten finished his 25-year career with 2,544 points playing in 382 NFL games. He made 565 of 709 field goal attempts. He was also part of the NFL Teams of the Decade in the 1980s and 1990s. With all his career accomplishments, we can only say that he definitely became one of the best kickers in the history of the league. nfl.
In his last press conference as a professional NFL player, he expressed that the highest point of his career was reaching the 1999 Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons, which is one of the most important memories he will keep as a professional football player, as well He has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. Surely Morten Andersen will be remembered not only for his records but also for his love of the game.
