Kris Brown
Encyclopedia
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is an American football
placekicker
who is currently a free agent
.
He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals
(76%) and scored 573 points. He was a key player for the expansion Houston Texans
, being their placekicker for the entirety of the team's existence until 2010. On September 12, 2010, Neil Rackers
became the first kicker other than Brown to attempt (and make) a field goal for the Texans.
He has also played for the San Diego Chargers
and Dallas Cowboys
.
. He led the Dragons to consecutive 16-0 records and Class 3A State Championships in 1992 and 1993, starting at quarterback on the 1993 team.
Brown served as captain of the Dragons as a senior and connected on 16-of-18 field goal attempts in 1994. He earned first-team all-district, All-Northeast Tarrant County honors and all-area honors as a kicker, as well as honorable-mention all-state honors from both the AP and the Texas Sportswriters Association. Brown was named an All-America kicker by Bluechip Illustrated and an All-Midlands region choice by SuperPrep in 1994.
In Carroll's first ever 4A playoff game in 1994, Brown kicked four field goals, including a long of 50 yards, and the unranked Dragons defeated No. 2 Waxahachie, 26-23. The following week Brown was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a concussion and Carroll was eliminated from the playoffs. The Dragons went 38-5 during Brown's tenure with the Dragons.
. He still holds several school scoring records, including most career points (388), most field goals made (217), most consecutive field goals made (17), most PATs made (217), most consecutive PATs made (114), most points scored by kicking during a season (116) and career (388), most points scored by a freshman (97 in 1995), and most PATs made during a season without a miss (62 of 62 in 1997).
. Brown saw action immediately in his rookie
season leading the team in scoring with 105 points, while seeing action in all 16 games of the regular season.
Brown remained with the Steelers through the 2001 season
, but had a crucial field goal blocked in the AFC Championship game that was returned for a touchdown. Brown also struggled in the team's first season at Heinz Field
.
Following the 2001 season Brown sought free agency
and was granted the right to sign with another team. In 2002, Brown chose to sign with the newly formed Houston Texans
as a restricted free agent. The Steelers chose not to match the Texans' offer, opting to initially go with Todd Peterson before selecting kicker Jeff Reed after Peterson was injured mid-season.
.
Brown kicked five field goals on October 7, 2007 against the Miami Dolphins
at home, including the game-winner on a career-long 57-yarder with one second remaining. Brown set an NFL single-game record with three field goals of 54 yards or more, hitting two 54-yarders earlier in the game. Neil Rackers
, Connor Barth
, Morten Andersen
, Sebastian Janikowski
, and Josh Scobee
are the only other kickers to kick three field goals of 50+ yards in a single game.
Brown was given an extension on June 16, 2009 worth $10 million over 4 years. It also included $2.5 million in guarantees.
Brown missed two game-tying field goals vs the Colts and Titans on Monday Night Football in week 9 and 11 of the 2009 season.
On September 3, 2010, Brown was released from the Texans after losing a training camp battle to Neil Rackers. Brown was the last-remaining member of the inaugural 2002 team.
. On October 24, 2010, Brown kicked his first field goal as a San Diego Charger against the New England Patriots, later making his second field goal. With 27 seconds left in the game he missed a 50 yard field goal which would have tied the game. It was the only one he missed out of 5 attempts in 3 games. Brown was cut by the Chargers on November 23, 2010, but signed with the Dallas Cowboys
.
During his recent career with the Texans, Brown has raised $384,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital Charity Care Program through the program Kris Brown’s Kick Club. The program's mission is to provide hope, medical resources, and healing for patients at Texas Children's Hospital that do not have the ability to provide these for themselves and to increase community awareness about their needs. His involvement stemmed from a personal experience that Brown dealt with as a child. His sister April was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 11. She recovered and has been in remission for 13 years. The support his family received during the ordeal served as the inspiration to form Kris Brown's Kick Club.
On March 7, 2004, Brown greeted President George W. Bush
when he landed at Ellington Field
in Houston, Texas. Bush honored Brown and Texas Children's Hospital for their charity efforts.
In addition, Brown started the “Kicks for Kids” program in 2002, partnering with Ikon
and Academy Sports & Outdoors to donate $800 to the Houston Texans Foundation for every to benefit Family Services of Greater Houston.
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...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 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...
(76%) and scored 573 points. He was a key player for the expansion Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, being their placekicker for the entirety of the team's existence until 2010. On September 12, 2010, Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
became the first kicker other than Brown to attempt (and make) a field goal for the Texans.
He has also played for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 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...
.
High school
Brown was a three-year starter at kicker and a two-year starter at quarterback for Carroll High School in Southlake, TexasSouthlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...
. He led the Dragons to consecutive 16-0 records and Class 3A State Championships in 1992 and 1993, starting at quarterback on the 1993 team.
Brown served as captain of the Dragons as a senior and connected on 16-of-18 field goal attempts in 1994. He earned first-team all-district, All-Northeast Tarrant County honors and all-area honors as a kicker, as well as honorable-mention all-state honors from both the AP and the Texas Sportswriters Association. Brown was named an All-America kicker by Bluechip Illustrated and an All-Midlands region choice by SuperPrep in 1994.
In Carroll's first ever 4A playoff game in 1994, Brown kicked four field goals, including a long of 50 yards, and the unranked Dragons defeated No. 2 Waxahachie, 26-23. The following week Brown was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a concussion and Carroll was eliminated from the playoffs. The Dragons went 38-5 during Brown's tenure with the Dragons.
College
Brown was a four year starter at kicker and won two national championships at the University of NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
. He still holds several school scoring records, including most career points (388), most field goals made (217), most consecutive field goals made (17), most PATs made (217), most consecutive PATs made (114), most points scored by kicking during a season (116) and career (388), most points scored by a freshman (97 in 1995), and most PATs made during a season without a miss (62 of 62 in 1997).
Pittsburgh Steelers
Following his college career, Brown was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 draft (228th overall) by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Brown saw action immediately in his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season leading the team in scoring with 105 points, while seeing action in all 16 games of the regular season.
Brown remained with the Steelers through the 2001 season
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, but had a crucial field goal blocked in the AFC Championship game that was returned for a touchdown. Brown also struggled in the team's first season at Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
.
Following the 2001 season Brown sought free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and was granted the right to sign with another team. In 2002, Brown chose to sign with the newly formed Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a restricted free agent. The Steelers chose not to match the Texans' offer, opting to initially go with Todd Peterson before selecting kicker Jeff Reed after Peterson was injured mid-season.
Houston Texans
Brown won the job as placekicker for the Texans and held the position for the first eight years of the franchise's history. On Christmas Eve 2006, Brown nailed a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Texans their first-ever win over the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
Brown kicked five field goals on October 7, 2007 against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home, including the game-winner on a career-long 57-yarder with one second remaining. Brown set an NFL single-game record with three field goals of 54 yards or more, hitting two 54-yarders earlier in the game. Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Connor Barth
Connor Barth
Connor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
, Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
, Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
, and Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
are the only other kickers to kick three field goals of 50+ yards in a single game.
Brown was given an extension on June 16, 2009 worth $10 million over 4 years. It also included $2.5 million in guarantees.
Brown missed two game-tying field goals vs the Colts and Titans on Monday Night Football in week 9 and 11 of the 2009 season.
On September 3, 2010, Brown was released from the Texans after losing a training camp battle to Neil Rackers. Brown was the last-remaining member of the inaugural 2002 team.
San Diego Chargers
Brown signed with the Chargers on October 20, 2010 after an injury to Nate KaedingNate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
. On October 24, 2010, Brown kicked his first field goal as a San Diego Charger against the New England Patriots, later making his second field goal. With 27 seconds left in the game he missed a 50 yard field goal which would have tied the game. It was the only one he missed out of 5 attempts in 3 games. Brown was cut by the Chargers on November 23, 2010, but signed 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...
.
Dallas Cowboys
Brown signed with Dallas on December 31, 2010. On July 28, 2011, he was released.Charity work
Off the playing field, Brown has demonstrated a commitment to charity. During his three seasons for the Steelers, Brown was active in the Pittsburgh community. He volunteered his efforts for The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and Junior Achievement’s “Kickin’ for Kids” program.During his recent career with the Texans, Brown has raised $384,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital Charity Care Program through the program Kris Brown’s Kick Club. The program's mission is to provide hope, medical resources, and healing for patients at Texas Children's Hospital that do not have the ability to provide these for themselves and to increase community awareness about their needs. His involvement stemmed from a personal experience that Brown dealt with as a child. His sister April was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 11. She recovered and has been in remission for 13 years. The support his family received during the ordeal served as the inspiration to form Kris Brown's Kick Club.
On March 7, 2004, Brown greeted President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
when he landed at Ellington Field
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
in Houston, Texas. Bush honored Brown and Texas Children's Hospital for their charity efforts.
In addition, Brown started the “Kicks for Kids” program in 2002, partnering with Ikon
Ikon
Ikon can mean:* An alternate spelling of icon* , Journal of Iconographic Studies* Ikon Asean, a recent singing competition between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines* Ikon , an Australian dark wave group...
and Academy Sports & Outdoors to donate $800 to the Houston Texans Foundation for every to benefit Family Services of Greater Houston.