Rian Lindell
Encyclopedia
Rian Lindell is an American football
placekicker
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football
at Washington State
where he was a part of Alpha Kappa Lambda
fraternity.
. One of the sports directors at the school has his team jersey hanging on the wall in his class.
Lindell attended Mountain View High School
in Vancouver.
Ryan Leaf
and made an appearance in the 1998 Rose Bowl as a freshman. The Cougars lost to a Michigan Wolverines
team that included future NFL players Brian Griese
, Tom Brady
(who was Griese's backup for the game) and Charles Woodson
.
for three seasons before joining the Buffalo Bills
in 2003
; Lindell replaced Mike Hollis
, who was allowed to leave as a free agent
. He was generally regarded as having a stronger but slightly less accurate leg than Hollis. One of his most notorious missed field goals came at the end of the 2004 season
; with Buffalo at 9-6, and leading against the backups of the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Buffalo had a chance to make the playoffs
for the first time in the Tom Donahoe
era with a win. However, Lindell missed a field goal in the third quarter, which ended up turning momentum to Pittsburgh. On the running game led by future breakout star running back Willie Parker
, Pittsburgh rallied to win the game and knocked Buffalo out of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
In the 2006 season
, Lindell converted 23 out of 25 field goal
attempts, at 92%, tied for the league. However, one of his missed field goals came during a game against the Indianapolis Colts
, where Indianapolis went on to win 17-16, costing Buffalo a possible upset. But on November 26, 2006, Lindell kicked the game winning field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars
to complete Buffalo's upset over Jacksonville.
On November 11, 2007, Lindell kicked a game winning field goal to allow Buffalo to win 13-10 over the Miami Dolphins
. On Sunday, December 2, 2007, Lindell kicked a game winning field goal against the Washington Redskins
. Lindell was 5/5 in field goal attempts on that day. When kicking the game winning field goal, Lindell was "iced" twice by Washington head coach Joe Gibbs
, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Washington, making the field goal 15 yards shorter.
In week 3 of the 2008 season
, Lindell had a game winning field goal on the final play of the game vs. the Oakland Raiders
, which allowed Buffalo to move to 3-0. Later, in week 11 of the season, Lindell missed a 47 yard field goal with 38 seconds left. As a result, the Cleveland Browns
ran the clock out to secure a 29-27 victory.
In week 13 of the 2008 season, Lindell went 1 for 3 on field goals, missing from 20 yards in the second quarter and from 40 yards late in the fourth quarter. Both missed kicks bounced off of the left upright, ultimately leading to a 10-3 victory for the San Francisco 49ers.
On December 9, 2007, Rian Lindell set the record for the most consecutive field goals made in Buffalo Bills
history. He has played in all 64 games for the Bills since 2003 and holds a Bills record with 83.04 field goal percentage.
On November 29, 2009, Lindell successfully made a 56-yard field goal against rivals Miami Dolphins
. This was not only Lindell's longest field goal of his career but also tied Houston Texans'
kicker Kris Brown
for longest successful field goal in the league for the 2009 season
, until Sebastian Janikowski
made a 61-yarder in week 17.
On November 7, 2010 Lindell had an extra point blocked against the Chicago Bears, ending his streak at 321 successful extra points, an NFL record for most consecutive extra points to start a career.
On September 25, 2011 Lindell booted two field goals against the Patriots, including a 28 yard game winner to give the Bills their first win in 15 games vs. the Patriots.
.
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 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...
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 2000. 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 Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
where he was a part of Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Kappa Lambda is an American collegiate social fraternity for men founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914...
fraternity.
Early years
Lindell attended Pacific Junior High School (now Pacific Middle School) in Vancouver, WashingtonVancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
. One of the sports directors at the school has his team jersey hanging on the wall in his class.
Lindell attended Mountain View High School
Mountain View High School (Washington)
Opened in 1981, Mountain View High School, located in Vancouver, Washington, is a public school in the Evergreen School District. In 2009, the enrollment was 1716...
in Vancouver.
College career
At Washington State, Lindell played with quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons...
and made an appearance in the 1998 Rose Bowl as a freshman. The Cougars lost to a Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
team that included future NFL players Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
(who was Griese's backup for the game) and Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
.
Professional career
Lindell was with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
for three seasons before joining 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...
in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
; Lindell replaced Mike Hollis
Mike Hollis
Michael Shane Hollis is a former professional American football placekicker. He spent most of his nine-year professional career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League , kicking for the team from 1995–2001 and setting several team records...
, who was allowed to leave as 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 generally regarded as having a stronger but slightly less accurate leg than Hollis. One of his most notorious missed field goals came at the end of the 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
; with Buffalo at 9-6, and leading against the backups of 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...
, Buffalo had a chance to make the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2004-05
The NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.-NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20:Although the Rams barely made the playoffs with an 8–8 record, two of their regular season wins were against Seattle...
for the first time in the Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe is a former general manager and president of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.-Biography:Prior to his tenure with the Bills, he was director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1991-1999...
era with a win. However, Lindell missed a field goal in the third quarter, which ended up turning momentum to Pittsburgh. On the running game led by future breakout star running back Willie Parker
Willie Parker
"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina...
, Pittsburgh rallied to win the game and knocked Buffalo out of the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
In the 2006 season
2006 Buffalo Bills season
The 2006 Buffalo Bills season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2005.-Offseason:General Manager Tom Donahoe was fired shortly after the end of the 2005 season. Marv Levy, who had coached the Bills from 1986–1997, was named as his replacement, with hopes that he would...
, Lindell converted 23 out of 25 field goal
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...
attempts, at 92%, tied for the league. However, one of his missed field goals came during a game against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis 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 ....
, where Indianapolis went on to win 17-16, costing Buffalo a possible upset. But on November 26, 2006, Lindell kicked the game winning field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to complete Buffalo's upset over Jacksonville.
On November 11, 2007, Lindell kicked a game winning field goal to allow Buffalo to win 13-10 over 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...
. On Sunday, December 2, 2007, Lindell kicked a game winning field goal against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. Lindell was 5/5 in field goal attempts on that day. When kicking the game winning field goal, Lindell was "iced" twice by Washington head coach Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Washington, making the field goal 15 yards shorter.
In week 3 of the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, Lindell had a game winning field goal on the final play of the game vs. the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which allowed Buffalo to move to 3-0. Later, in week 11 of the season, Lindell missed a 47 yard field goal with 38 seconds left. As a result, 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...
ran the clock out to secure a 29-27 victory.
In week 13 of the 2008 season, Lindell went 1 for 3 on field goals, missing from 20 yards in the second quarter and from 40 yards late in the fourth quarter. Both missed kicks bounced off of the left upright, ultimately leading to a 10-3 victory for the San Francisco 49ers.
On December 9, 2007, Rian Lindell set the record for the most consecutive field goals made in 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...
history. He has played in all 64 games for the Bills since 2003 and holds a Bills record with 83.04 field goal percentage.
On November 29, 2009, Lindell successfully made a 56-yard field goal against rivals 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...
. This was not only Lindell's longest field goal of his career but also tied 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...
kicker Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown 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 and scored 573 points...
for longest successful field goal in the league for the 2009 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...
, until 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...
made a 61-yarder in week 17.
On November 7, 2010 Lindell had an extra point blocked against the Chicago Bears, ending his streak at 321 successful extra points, an NFL record for most consecutive extra points to start a career.
On September 25, 2011 Lindell booted two field goals against the Patriots, including a 28 yard game winner to give the Bills their first win in 15 games vs. the Patriots.
Personal life
Lindell is married to his wife Johna. He is an avid fan of baseball’s St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.