Billy Cundiff
Encyclopedia
William A. "Billy" Cundiff (born March 30, 1980 in Valley Center, California
Valley Center, California
Valley Center is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 9,277 at the 2010 census, up from 7,323 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Valley Center is located at ....

) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

 for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

 of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Drake University.

Cundiff has suited up for nine different teams in just as many seasons, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....

, and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

.

Early years

Cundiff attended high school in Harlan, Iowa
Harlan, Iowa
Harlan is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States, along the West Nishnabotna River. The population was 5,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Shelby County.-History:...

 where he was a three time All-Iowa and helped lead his team to the Iowa state championship in 1998 as starting quarterback. Cundiff was also a starting point guard in basketball.

College career

Cundiff played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....

 where he broke five Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...

 records including most points and most career field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...

. He made eight field goals over 50 yards during his career at Drake, including a Pioneer Football League record 62-yard field goal as a junior in 2000 against San Diego. Cundiff was brought to the 2002 training camp as a free agent, and won out over incumbent Tim Seder
Tim Seder
Timothy R. Seder is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Ashland University. He now teaches and coaches at Wills Point Highschool...

 as the team's kicker.

Cundiff also was part of the Drake University Men's Basketball team during his time at Drake. He played sparingly, partly due to several members of the team being ruled academically ineligible.

Cundiff is married to his college sweetheart, Nicole. They have two children.

In July 2007, Billy enrolled in a full-time MBA program at Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business. He graduated with his MBA from ASU in May, 2009.

Dallas Cowboys

Cundiff played four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 from 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...

 to 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...

. He kicked a then-record seven field goals in a game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

on September 15, 2003.

In 2005, which would have been his fourth season with the team, he was waived/injured during training camp following a quadriceps injury, and briefly replaced by kickoff specialist
Kickoff specialist
A kickoff specialist is a seldom-used position in American and Canadian football. Kickoff specialists are members of the special teams. They are responsible to kick the ball in the kickoff...

 José Cortéz, who had not been expected to make the team. Cundiff was later re-signed on November 19, 2005 (directly following the mandatory period after an injury waiver) having recovered from his training camp injury. He replaced kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

, in the hope of providing greater consistency to the Cowboys' special teams. In his first game back with the Cowboys, Cundiff made a 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half to set a record for longest field goal in franchise history. Cundiff played six games that season before being released by the Cowboys on December 26, 2005 after missing two field goals in a critical game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...

. The Cowboys re-signed Suisham to replace him for the season finale.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On February 15, 2006, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

 signed Cundiff to a contract but released him after kicker Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...

 was re-signed.

Green Bay Packers

Cundiff signed with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

 on March 28, 2006 and was expected to compete with Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

 for the starting kicking position before being cut by Green Bay on August 17, 2006.

New Orleans Saints

On November 22, 2006, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....

 signed Cundiff as a kickoff specialist, easing the workload of John Carney.

Atlanta Falcons

After being released by the Saints, Cundiff signed with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 on May 4, 2007, but was released at the end of the preseason after losing the starting job to Matt Prater
Matt Prater
Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who plays for the Denver Broncos. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in psychology.-High school career:Prater attended...

.

Kansas City Chiefs

In January 2008, Cundiff was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 to a two-year contract. He was released prior to the regular season.

Detroit Lions

Cundiff was signed by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

 on August 26, 2009 after an injury to placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

 Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...

. He was cut on September 5, 2009.

Cleveland Browns

Cundiff was signed by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 on September 26, 2009 after an injury to placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

 Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...

. Cundiff beat out Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...

 in a workout with the Browns' and was signed after the Browns first choice of Matt Stover declined to sign with the team. In week 5 of the 2009 NFL season
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...

, Cundiff hit the game-winning field goal to help the Browns beat the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, 6-3. He was waived on November 3, 2009.

Baltimore Ravens

Cundiff was brought in by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

 for a workout on November 10, 2009 and was signed on November 18, 2009 to replace Steve Hauschka, who was waived on November 17.

Cundiff re-signed with the Ravens to return for the 2010 season. Cundiff was voted to the 2011 Pro Bowl as the AFC placekicker after successfully completing 26 of 29 field goal attempts and a league-high 40 touchbacks.

On January 2, 2011, Cundiff recorded his league-leading 40th touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...

, which tied the NFL record set by Mitch Berger. Berger performed his feat in 1998 with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

, playing at home in the indoor Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...

 before the NFL instituted the K-ball rule (where a brand new set footballs had to be used for every special teams play each game). Cundiff currently plays at home in the outdoor M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of...

and set the record after the institution of the K-ball rule. He averaged 71.1 yards per kickoff to lead the league and had touchbacks on 51.3% of his kickoffs.

On January 23, 2011 Cundiff signed a 5-year $15 million dollar contract to become Baltimore's long-term kicker.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK