Uwe von Schamann
Encyclopedia
Uwe Detlef Walter von Schamann (born April 23, 1956 in Berlin
) is a former professional American football
placekicker
. He played for the Miami Dolphins
of the National Football League
, from 1979
to 1984
.
at the age of 16. After graduating from Eastern Hills High School
in 1975, he received a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma
.
career, he was a member of the 1975 National Championship
team, and was later voted the all-time, All-Big 8 kicker. In 1999 von Schamann was named the All-Century Oklahoma Kicker. He was most noted for making a clutch game-winning kick in the final seconds of the 1977 game at Ohio State
, after leading the crowd in a "block that kick" chant. In Sooner lore, this play came to be known simply as 'The Kick'.
drafted von Schamann, for whom he played for six seasons.
Von Schamann finished his NFL career with 101 of 149 field goal attempts (67%) and 237 of 250 extra points (94%), for 540 total points. In the 1984 season he set an NFL record, with 70 extra point
attempts, converting 66 of them, records that stood until they were broken by Patriots
kicker Stephen Gostkowski
in 2007. A clip from the 1984 season of von Schamann kicking is used in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
.
In 2001, von Schamann was named Director of Development and Fundraising for the J.D. McCarty Center, a treatment facility for children with developmental disabilities
.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) is a former professional 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 played for 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...
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...
, from 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
to 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
.
Early life
Von Schamann moved to Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
at the age of 16. After graduating from Eastern Hills High School
Eastern Hills High School
Eastern Hills High School is a four-year public high school in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, educating students in grades 9-12, as part of the Fort Worth Independent School District. In an historical footnote, the band from the school played "Hail to the Chief" during President JFK's visit to...
in 1975, he received a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
Oklahoma Sooners 1975-1978
During his college footballCollege 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...
career, he was a member of the 1975 National Championship
1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 1975-1976. The team was helmed by Barry Switzer in his third season as head coach. After sailing through their first eight games, Oklahoma suffered a surprising home loss to Kansas,...
team, and was later voted the all-time, All-Big 8 kicker. In 1999 von Schamann was named the All-Century Oklahoma Kicker. He was most noted for making a clutch game-winning kick in the final seconds of the 1977 game at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, after leading the crowd in a "block that kick" chant. In Sooner lore, this play came to be known simply as 'The Kick'.
Professional career 1979-1984
After college, the Miami DolphinsMiami 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...
drafted von Schamann, for whom he played for six seasons.
Von Schamann finished his NFL career with 101 of 149 field goal attempts (67%) and 237 of 250 extra points (94%), for 540 total points. In the 1984 season he set an NFL record, with 70 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempts, converting 66 of them, records that stood until they were broken by Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
in 2007. A clip from the 1984 season of von Schamann kicking is used in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
.
After football
After his retirement from the NFL, he worked in the securities and insurance business.In 2001, von Schamann was named Director of Development and Fundraising for the J.D. McCarty Center, a treatment facility for children with developmental disabilities
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
.