a Yourlist ranking · the crowd decides the order
From Lou Groza's frozen-field toe to Justin Tucker's laser leg, these are the specialists who won games with their feet — vote for who truly belongs at the top.
What counts: Ranking blends career longevity, clutch postseason moments, statistical dominance (points, yards, accuracy), and peer recognition (Pro Bowls, All-Pro teams, Hall of Fame status). All career totals and selection counts are approximate.
Two Super Bowl-winning kicks in the snow and in the desert made Vinatieri the most clutch leg in NFL history, and he retired as the league's all-time leading scorer. Twenty-four seasons of pressure kicks with the Patriots and Colts cemented a legacy no one else has matched.
Years Active: 1996-2019Pro Bowl Selections: 3First-Team All-Pro: 1Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 9.5/10
added by IJRAdam Vinatieri
The most accurate kicker ever, Tucker owns the NFL's longest field goal (66 yards) and has redefined what's possible from beyond 55. His near-automatic consistency for the Ravens has made him the modern gold standard.
Years Active: 2012-presentPro Bowl Selections: 5First-Team All-Pro: 5Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 9.5/10
added by IJRJustin Tucker
Morten Andersen
'Great Dane' played 25 seasons and held the all-time scoring record before Vinatieri passed him, doing it with a booming leg that stayed strong into his 40s. His longevity across four decades of NFL football is unmatched among kickers.
Years Active: 1982-2007Pro Bowl Selections: 7First-Team All-Pro: 3Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 9/10
added by IJR
The first pure placekicker enshrined in Canton, Stenerud brought soccer-style kicking into the mainstream and anchored the Chiefs' Super Bowl IV championship team. His induction validated kicking as a Hall of Fame-worthy craft.
Years Active: 1967-1985Pro Bowl Selections: 6First-Team All-Pro: 3Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 8.5/10
added by IJRJan Stenerud
'The Toe' was a two-way legend, an offensive tackle and kicker who won a game-winning field goal in the 1950 NFL Championship and helped Cleveland dominate the league. He remains the archetype for the position's Hall of Fame credibility.
Years Active: 1946-1967Pro Bowl Selections: 9First-Team All-Pro: 5Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 9/10
added by IJRLou Groza
Blanda kicked and quarterbacked into his mid-40s, famously leading a stretch of comeback wins in 1970 that made him a folk hero. His sheer longevity, playing 26 seasons, is a record that may never be touched.
Years Active: 1949-1975Pro Bowl Selections: 4First-Team All-Pro: 1Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 8.5/10
added by IJRin 2 rankingsGeorge Blanda
Ray Guy
Guy was so dominant that he became the first pure punter ever drafted in the first round, and decades later the first enshrined in the Hall of Fame. His hangtime and directional precision for the Raiders redefined the punter's value.
Years Active: 1973-1986Pro Bowl Selections: 7First-Team All-Pro: 3Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 9/10
added by IJR
Lechler holds the NFL record for career punting average and generated some of the most towering, field-flipping boots ever seen with the Raiders and Texans. His combination of power and hang time made him a weapon in field position battles for two decades.
Years Active: 1999-2017Pro Bowl Selections: 7First-Team All-Pro: 3Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 8.5/10
added by IJRShane Lechler
Tom Brady's kicker for 14 seasons, Gostkowski holds the Patriots' all-time scoring record and was automatic during New England's dynasty years. His consistency in big games helped anchor multiple championship runs.
Years Active: 2006-2020Pro Bowl Selections: 4First-Team All-Pro: 2Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 8/10
added by IJRStephen Gostkowski
A fan favorite in Philadelphia and later San Francisco, Akers combined reliability with a flair for pressure kicks across more than a decade of playoff runs. He set a single-season scoring record in 2011 that showed his leg only got stronger with age.
Years Active: 2001-2013Pro Bowl Selections: 6First-Team All-Pro: 2Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 8/10
added by IJRDavid Akers
'Seabass' brought a howitzer leg from Florida State to Oakland, once nailing a 63-yard field goal that tied the all-time record. Nearly two decades as a Raider made him one of the most enduring and powerful kickers of his era.
Years Active: 2000-2018Pro Bowl Selections: 1First-Team All-Pro: 0Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRSebastian Janikowski
Stover quietly built one of the most accurate careers in history, helping the Ravens' 2000 defense-driven Super Bowl team by never missing a big kick. His steady reliability across three different decades made him a coach's dream.
Years Active: 1991-2009Pro Bowl Selections: 1First-Team All-Pro: 0Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRMatt Stover
Elam tied the NFL's then-record 63-yard field goal in the thin Denver air and was a key piece of two Broncos Super Bowl championships. His combination of leg strength and playoff pedigree made him a premier kicker of the late '90s and 2000s.
Years Active: 1993-2009Pro Bowl Selections: 3First-Team All-Pro: 1Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRJason Elam
Lowery was one of the most accurate kickers of the 1980s, retiring as the most accurate in NFL history at the time despite going undrafted and bouncing around before landing in Kansas City. His perseverance story became as notable as his numbers.
Years Active: 1978-1996Pro Bowl Selections: 3First-Team All-Pro: 2Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRNick Lowery
Gary Anderson
Anderson authored the most perfect regular season by a kicker in 1998, going 35-for-35 on field goals for the 15-1 Vikings, though a missed kick in the NFC Championship still haunts the highlight reel. His overall career scoring output ranks among the all-time leaders.
Years Active: 1982-2004Pro Bowl Selections: 4First-Team All-Pro: 1Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 8/10
added by IJR
Landeta was a punting pioneer who helped legitimize the position with the USFL before becoming a Giants Super Bowl champion and multi-decade NFL stalwart. His hang time and directional kicking set a standard other punters chased for years.
Years Active: 1985-2005Pro Bowl Selections: 5First-Team All-Pro: 2Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJRSean Landeta
Feagles played a staggering 22 seasons and set the NFL's consecutive games played record, becoming a locker-room glue guy who anchored two different Giants Super Bowl runs. His longevity alone makes him one of the most durable specialists ever.
Years Active: 1988-2009Pro Bowl Selections: 1First-Team All-Pro: 0Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7/10
added by IJRJeff Feagles
Andy Lee
Lee spent most of his career quietly flipping field position for mediocre 49ers and Panthers teams, using elite hang time and directional precision to become one of the most technically sound punters of his generation. His longevity into his late 30s extended an underrated legacy
Years Active: 2004-2018Pro Bowl Selections: 2First-Team All-Pro: 1Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7/10
added by IJR
Johnny Hekker
Hekker turned punting into an art form with the Rams, setting the single-season punting yardage record and becoming a trick-play weapon as a passer and faker. His numerous All-Pro nods reflect a level of dominance rarely seen at the position.
Years Active: 2012-presentPro Bowl Selections: 4First-Team All-Pro: 4Pro Football Hall of Fame: —Legacy Rating: 7.5/10
added by IJR
Long before specialization, Baugh was a Hall of Fame quarterback who also happened to lead the league in punting average multiple times, including a legendary 51.4-yard average season in 1940. His dual-threat dominance shows just how far the kicking game has evolved.
Years Active: 1937-1952Pro Bowl Selections: —First-Team All-Pro: —Pro Football Hall of Fame: ✓Legacy Rating: 8/10
added by IJRSammy Baugh
Free account · your comment posts right after signup