Mick Luckhurst
Encyclopedia
Michael Christopher Wilbert "Mick" Luckhurst (born March 31, 1958, in Redbourn
, Hertfordshire
, England
) is a retired American football
placekicker
. He made his professional debut with the Atlanta Falcons
in 1981
, remaining with the team until the 1987 NFL season
. Mick was also the face of Channel Four's American Football coverage from 1988 through until 1992. In part he quit football in order to take the job with Channel 4. In his own words he "did not come cheap!". He also spent a lot of time speaking for the players during the 1987 players strike and felt that his time had come in the NFL despite the fact he probably had many NFL seasons left in him. He spent the first year of broadcasting working with fellow NFL Brit kicker John Smith who was working as the rovering reporter, who had worked in this role since 1984 with Nicky Horne
and Frank Gifford
. Smith left Channel 4 following the 1988 season and Luckhurst began working with Gary Imlach
who was in the rovering reporters role until he finally took over the lead role for Channel 4 following Luckhurst's retirement after the 1992 season. In 1990, Mick was appointed Honorary President of the now defunct Blackpool Falcons, when they were twinned with the Atlanta Falcons, as part of the NFL Trust programme.
Luckhurst is perhaps best known for responding to the former New York Jets' defensive lineman Mark Gastineau
's "sack dance" by tauntingly imitating Gastineau's actions after kicking a go-ahead field goal for the Falcons in a 1983 game against the Jets. Gastineau had done the "dance" earlier in the game after sacking Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski
.
After living in Atlanta for many years and running a prize indemnity insurance company American Hole In One., Mick moved to Santa Barbara, California where he still runs the business in the comfort of his wife and three children.
Redbourn
Redbourn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, lying on Watling Street, 3 miles from Harpenden, 4 miles from St Albans and 5 miles from Hemel Hempstead. It has a population of around 6,000.-History:...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a retired 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...
. He made his professional debut 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...
in 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, remaining with the team until the 1987 NFL season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
. Mick was also the face of Channel Four's American Football coverage from 1988 through until 1992. In part he quit football in order to take the job with Channel 4. In his own words he "did not come cheap!". He also spent a lot of time speaking for the players during the 1987 players strike and felt that his time had come in the NFL despite the fact he probably had many NFL seasons left in him. He spent the first year of broadcasting working with fellow NFL Brit kicker John Smith who was working as the rovering reporter, who had worked in this role since 1984 with Nicky Horne
Nicky Horne
Nicky Horne was a road manager for Emperor Rosko in 1969, before presenting shows on BBC Radio 1, from 1970 - 1973.Horne was one of the original line-up on London's Capital Radio, where he presented shows such as Your Mother Wouldn't like it, Mummy's Weekly & 6 of the Best...
and Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
. Smith left Channel 4 following the 1988 season and Luckhurst began working with Gary Imlach
Gary Imlach
Gary Imlach is a British author, journalist and broadcaster, specialising in sport. Imlach is particularly associated with non-mainstream sports, working for many years as the face of Channel 4's coverage of American Football and the Tour de France, having transferred to ITV when the station...
who was in the rovering reporters role until he finally took over the lead role for Channel 4 following Luckhurst's retirement after the 1992 season. In 1990, Mick was appointed Honorary President of the now defunct Blackpool Falcons, when they were twinned with the Atlanta Falcons, as part of the NFL Trust programme.
Luckhurst is perhaps best known for responding to the former New York Jets' defensive lineman Mark Gastineau
Mark Gastineau
Marcus Dell Gastineau is a former American football player who was a leading defensive end for the New York Jets from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowler, his 100½ quarterback sacks in only his first 100 starts in the NFL made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation...
's "sack dance" by tauntingly imitating Gastineau's actions after kicking a go-ahead field goal for the Falcons in a 1983 game against the Jets. Gastineau had done the "dance" earlier in the game after sacking Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski
Steve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
.
After living in Atlanta for many years and running a prize indemnity insurance company American Hole In One., Mick moved to Santa Barbara, California where he still runs the business in the comfort of his wife and three children.