Few teams in the NFL can or would list a kicker as one of their top 5 players in team history, but there’s no question that the “Great Dane” belongs on the Saints’ list. Andersen, who displayed an uncanny combination of accuracy and power, hailed from Denmark – hence the nickname. Another nickname he was often referred to was “Mr. Automatic”. Andersen kicked for the Saints for 13 seasons and he is the all time leading scorer in team history by far. He was a 7 time Pro Bowl selection, and only one of those trips was representing another team (the hated rival Atlanta Falcons). Speaking of him going to the Falcons, he almost singlehandedly beat the Sains with an NFL record 3 50+ yard field goals in one game. It took me a long time to forgive him for that one, but his success during his time in New Orleans cannot be overlooked. Maybe most memorable for me was a 60 yard bomb he hit through the uprights just prior to halftime in a home game against the Chicago Bears. To this day it is the longest field goal I’ve ever seen in person by far.
Other notable stats:
Andersen is tied with John Carney for most field goal makes in a season, with 31 conversions in 1985. He’s also attempted and made the most career field goals in team history. Garrett Hartley will need to be on the team for a long time to ever have a chance at making a run for Andersen’s records. John Carney, despite playing in 10 different seasons with the team, never came close. Andersen’s career long 60 yarder is second in team history, only behind Tom Dempsey legendary NFL record 63 yard kick. Andersen leads the Saints in total points with 1,318 for his career. Next is Carney with a measley 768.
Thanks for the memories #7!
The “List”
10. Eric Martin
9. Pat Swilling
8. Archie Manning
7. Sam Mills
6. Joe Horn
5. Morten Andersen
to be continued…
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
