Good research, I guess he did make an AP team. Inside 40 for his career he was 232-279- that's far from automatic.
Yes. It was Steve Nelson from New England, #55. I didn't see it because I was 11 and everyone in front of me stood up so I couldn't see. I remember the radio post game in the car, the fans calling in were pissed at Nelson. That was the first home game on TV in a long time, so it was interesting that fans at home could actually see what happened when I didn't. Seven years later, 1985, Leahy made a game winning FG in OT at home (Meadowlands) vs New England in a game for first place. He mentioned the 1978 game after that one, I was at the 85 game, too. The funny part about the Herm thing was it looked like a final on the Shea Stadium scoreboard, GIA 17 PHI 12, as we were leaving. Finding out later what happened to the Giants and them also losing 19-17 was the only consolation that day.
It is strange. Although, I'm looking at the numbers and remember many big misses, I've still always had a favorable opinion of him. Maybe because he was around for so long, not sure....
5 fg's over 50 yards in an 18 year career and people wanted to kill Nuge for not hitting one until his second year :rofl:
Don't forget that kickers weren't even close to as efficient back than as they are now... Not even close...
Yeah. The one year he was hurt, 1979, it seemed like they couldn't replace him, they tried all different guys. I liked not having to deal with the constant revolving kickers like most teams do, but any big kick for Leahy and you got that sick feeling. He missed more big ones than he made.
I remember not trusting him to make a kick, ever. Then when he had been around years and years and started approaching records and getting press, that's when out out of the blue he was really good for half a season or something and everyone started making a big deal about him. He was never a great kicker. He just (somehow) hung around a long time.
Slightly above average when it comes to kickers in the 70's and 80's. He was similar to Doug Brien actually.
This is true. If you look at box scores from the 1970's you will notice an XP was not the gimmie it is today. Alot of misses from most kickers including Leahy. I suppose their legs weren't as strong back then either. You can even make the same point for penalties and turnovers. It was very common for both teams to combine for 20+ penalties and about 2 or 3 turnovers each a game. The NFL has now evolved to the point where a turnover is considered a mortal sin ...penalties too, it's not smart football where as years ago it seemed more like a backyard game.
I dont remember Leahy's two misses, maybe my mind is just blocking that horrible game. I seem to remember him hitting a long one before the half..I know he didn't attempt one in OT. I don't think the Jets would have had a chance in Denver..too many injuries. The Jets beat up Denver on a MNF game earlier in the year but both teams fortunes had changed dramaticly since then. I think it may have been a blow out.....
The 1982 playoff game at Cincinnati was something like 42-14. Not many big kicks there. He was on target the following week at the LA Colliseum against the Raiders in a 17-14 win. Didn't make a game-on-the-line kick but provided the margin of victory.
Or maybe you weren't. Even a cursory glance at his stats (including the years before 1980) shows the overwhelming Shea Stadium effect. His overall FG percentages (including road games) were 65.6% (1974-1983, when the Jets played at Shea) versus 77.3% (1984-1991, when the Jets played at the Meadowlands), and his PAT percentages were 92.4% (1974-1983) versus 98.6% (1984-1991). The numbers for kicks inside the 40 are just as different: 83.2% (1974-1983) versus 93.0% (1984-1991). On kicks from beyond the 50, he was 0/10 in the Shea years, and 5/14 in the Meadowlands years. As a point of comparison, Jim Tuner's FG percentage during his years with the Jets with Shea as the home field (all but his first year) was only 61.1%, and was only 71% in the team's two excellent seasons of 1968-1969. The Jets' other Shea-era kicker, Bobby Howfield, had a 66.7% FG percentage in his years as a Jet. Shea was a horror to kick in, and when you evaluate Leahy's stats you have to take that into account. Despite my loyalty to the kicker of my youth (Turner), Leahy was overwhelmingly the best kicker the Jets have ever had. Positive opinion for sure.
