Elam's career one of strength and accuracy
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
A solid kicker on your football team is like a solid catcher in baseball – everyone wants one, everyone needs one, few teams really have a great one, and when a great one leaves you feel the impact immediately. No offense to Matt Prater, but he’s no Jason Elam. The Broncos were in select company throughout the nineties with a can’t miss kicker in Jason Elam. He was dead on when it counted, and amassed 1,983 points over the course of his career. After a short stint with the Atlanta Falcons, Elam is signing a one-day contract with the Denver Broncos Wednesday and as a Bronco will officially file his retirement papers with the NFL, ending a 17-year career as one of the most prolific kickers the league has ever seen.
Elam was drafted out of Hawaii in 1993, and was a mainstay on the Broncos teams through the short-lived Wade Phillips era, and on into the high-powered championship teams of the late 90′s. He wore a Broncos uniform for more wins than any other player in history besides John Elway, which all but guarantees his spot in the Broncos Ring of Fame when he reaches eligibility in 2015.
In perhaps one of the most memorable moments of his career, in 1998 in the waning seconds of the first half in a game against Jacksonville, Shanahan did the unthinkable and trotted out his kicker for a 63-yard field goal. It had only been done once before, and after Elam pounded the ball through the uprights, it hasn’t been done since. Elam and Tom Dempsey still share the record for the longest NFL field goal.
Elam’s place in Broncos history is forever cemented as the clutch kicker that never left any doubt about his strength or accuracy. His place in NFL history is set as a record holder for longest field goal, as well as the most accurate extra point kicker ever (.995). The Ring of Fame calls next – unfortunately, as a kicker his path to Canton will be blocked by far too many quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. So while Elam may never wear the mustard yellow jacket, his place in Broncos Country lore is secure.
