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Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
. He was drafted by the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. A three-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection, Elam won two
Super Bowl ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Since only one Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the team (ownership) itsel ...
s with the Broncos and was tied with
Tom Dempsey Thomas John Dempsey (January 12, 1947April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and ...
,
Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...
, and
David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
for the longest
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
in NFL history at 63 yards. That record was broken by another Bronco,
Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...
, in 2013 with a 64-yard field goal, which was then has been broken by
Justin Tucker Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas and was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 ...
in 2021 with a 66-yard field goal.


Early years

Elam attended Brookwood High School in
Snellville, Georgia Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 18,242 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 20,077. It is a developed suburb of Atlanta and a part of the Atlanta metro ...
, and lettered in football, swimming and track. In football, he was a first-team all-county honoree and second-team all-state.


College career

In four years (1988-1992) as the placekicker for the
University of Hawaii at Mānoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
, Elam scored the third-most points in
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
history (397) and tied for the second-most
field goals A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
kicked (79). He held the record for all-time leading scorer in the
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
until 2010 and was a three-time All-WAC selection. He is Hawaii's career leader in field goals made and field goal percentage. Elam majored in communications at the University of Hawaii.


Professional career


Denver Broncos

Elam was drafted by the Broncos in the third round (70th pick overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. Elam holds NFL records for best extra point conversion percentage (.995), most consecutive seasons with at least 100 points (15), fastest to 300 successful field goals, and fastest to 1,600 and 1,700 points. Elam was also the first player in NFL history to score at least 200 points against three or more teams: the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
(222),
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(215), and
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
(203). Elam is tied with Steve Christie,
Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Wash ...
, and
Jim Breech James Thomas Breech (born April 11, 1956) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), who played for Oakland Raiders in 1979 and Cincinnati Bengals from 1980-1992. Before his NFL career, Breech played for t ...
for the most overtime field goals with nine. Elam was named to the Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team in 2009.


1994

Elam scored 119 points throughout his rookie season, placing him fourth in the AFC (seventh in NFL) for points scored, while his 26 field goals tied for the fourth-highest total in team history. Elam was successful on four of six field goal attempts longer than 50 yards. His 54-yarder against
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
was the fourth-longest in team history.


1995

In 1995, he finished tied for third in the NFL in scoring with 132 points and tied for second in field goals made with 31 as he was voted to his first
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
. On the season, he was 31 for 38 (.816) on field-goal attempts and 39 for 39 on extra-point attempts. His breakthrough season also included second-team All-Pro honors from both
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
and All-AFC honors from
Pro Football Weekly ''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illinoi ...
. He set the tone for his stellar season in the opener vs.
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, tying a Broncos single-game record with five successful field goals in six attempts (22, 52, 20, 38 and 37 yards). His 56-yarder at Houston was the longest of his career and the second longest in franchise history behind Steinfort 57-yarder vs. Washington in 1980. Elam made a franchise-record 13 consecutive field goals during the middle of the season, beginning with a 30-yarder at
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
and ending with a 35-yarder vs. the Chargers. On December 24 vs. the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, Elam scored 11 points, including the game-winning 37-yard field goal with 48 seconds remaining, in Denver's 31–28 victory. It was the second time in 1995 that Elam had kicked a game-winning field goal in the final minute.


1996

In 1996, he converted 21 of 28 field goal attempts with a .750 percentage and all 46 extra-point attempts to lead the Broncos with 109 points. He also tied the team record for most extra points in a game with six against the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
in a 45–34 Broncos win. He connected on his only 50-yard-plus field goal of the 1996 season at San Diego in the regular-season finale.


1997

In the 1997 season, he converted 26 of 36 field-goal attempts (.722) and tied his own franchise record for extra points in a season by going a perfect 46 of 46. His 124 total points on the season ranked second in the AFC (fourth in the NFL), and his 46 extra points led the AFC and were second in the NFL. During the postseason, he was perfect, converting all 15 extra-point attempts and both field goal attempts of 43 and 51 yards. His 51-yard field goal in Super Bowl XXXII against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
was the second longest in
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
history since Steve Christie's 54-yarder for the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in Super Bowl XXVIII as well as the longest in Broncos postseason history. He passed the 500-point plateau with his final extra-point attempt at Seattle, becoming only the third Bronco in history to do so and the fastest in terms of games played (66). He also kicked the game-winning 33-yard field goal in overtime at Buffalo, the second time in his career that Elam had won a game for the Broncos in overtime. He tied his own franchise record with five field goals at
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
, matching the standard achieved previously by himself.


1998

In 1998, Elam was selected to his second
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
and was named second-team All-NFL by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
and All-AFC by
Pro Football Weekly ''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illinoi ...
and Football News. He enjoyed his finest season statistically in 1998, converting 23 of 27 field goal attempts for a career-best and franchise-record percentage of .852. He also made all 58 extra-point attempts for 127 total points. On October 25, 1998, Elam kicked a 63-yard
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
to end the first half against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, tying
Tom Dempsey Thomas John Dempsey (January 12, 1947April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and ...
's 28-year-old record for the longest field goal in NFL history. His cleats from the game are currently on display in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
. Elam also scored the 20,000th televised point on ''
ABC Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
''. He tied for third in the AFC (tied for fifth in the NFL) in scoring by kickers, and his 58 extra-point conversions ranked second in the NFL while also representing a team record for a single season. He also made six of eight field goal attempts and all 11 extra-point attempts for a team-leading 29 points in three postseason contests to move into second place in all-time postseason scoring by a Bronco. Elam converted two of four field goal attempts in
Super Bowl XXXIII Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos (who were also defending their Super Bowl XXXII championship) and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlan ...
versus
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
and all four extra points for 10 points in the Broncos 34–19 win, earning his second
Super Bowl Ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Since only one Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the team (ownership) itsel ...
in his career. Against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, he tied a franchise record that he already shared with four other players by converting six extra-point attempts. He set a franchise record for consecutive field goals made at Kansas City on Monday Night Football, converting his 14th in a row to top
Rich Karlis Richard John Karlis (born May 23, 1959) is a former American football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990. He played college football at ...
' previous standard of 13 (1984–85), and he ran his streak to 19 consecutive before having a 37-yard attempt blocked vs. the Chiefs.


1999

In 1999, he converted all 29 extra-point attempts and was 29 of 36 (.806) on field-goal attempts to account for 116 points on the season, tied for fifth in the AFC and tied for sixth in the league. He was 5-7 on field-goal attempts between 50 and 59 yards in 1999 to improve his career percentage from that range to 63.7 percent (21–33). He was successful from 50 yards at Kansas City, 51 yards against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, 55 yards at San Diego, 53 yards against Oakland and 50 against San Diego again. The 55-yarder at San Diego was the third longest of his career, the effort earned Elam AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for Week 9 as he made four field goals and scored 15 points in the game, his highest single-game totals for both categories since setting career highs with five field goals and 16 points at Kansas on November 16, 1997. Elam matched the four field goal effort vs. Oakland on Monday Night Football with one of the most pressure-filled conversions of his career from 53 yards with seven seconds remaining to tie the score at 21 and send the game to overtime. It proved to be the eighth game-winning or game-saving field goal of his career as the Broncos went on to win 27–21.


2000

In 2000, Elam was 18 of 24 (.750) on field-goal attempts and 49 of 49 on extra-point attempts to account for 103 points on the season, 10th most in the AFC. With his three PAT attempts at the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, he passed Jim Turner for most PAT attempts in Denver history and became the first Bronco to make 200 field goals in a career with his successful boot from 26 yards vs. San Diego. His five extra points at New Orleans gave him an NFL record for consecutive extra points, breaking
Norm Johnson Norman Douglas Johnson (born May 31, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). During that time, he played for the Seattle Seahawks (1982–90), Atlanta ...
's standard of 301 (Elam finished the season having made 313 consecutive PATs).


2001

In 2001, he was voted to his third Pro Bowl was also named the NFL 2001 Special Teams Player of the Year by the NFL Alumni and voted second-team All-NFL. He led the NFL in field goals with a franchise record-tying 31 while also tying for third in the league with 124 points. The AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November, Elam converted a franchise-record 86.1 percent of his field goals (31 of 36) and all 31 extra-point attempts to extend his NFL record for consecutive extra points to 344. Elam enjoyed a record-setting night at Oakland, hitting two field goals, including a 39-yarder that gave him his 1,000th career point to make him the 30th NFL player to reach that plateau as well as extend his franchise scoring record. He scored 14 points against San Diego with a season-high four field goals, hitting from 25, 29, 26 and 33 yards, as well as two PATs. For the second time in three games, he scored a season-high 14 points at Dallas, hitting four field goals (24, 50, 46 and 28 yds.) and both extra-point opportunities. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November when he led all NFL kickers with 38 points and 11 field goals. He converted 11 of 12 field-goal attempts (.917) during the month, including two from beyond 45 yards, tied his career single-season high with his 31st field goal of the year in the season finale vs. the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, matching his mark from 1995.


2002

In the 2002 season, he converted 26 of 36 field-goal attempts (.722) and 42 of 43 (.977) extra-point attempts to account for a team-leading 120 points, marking his 10th consecutive season with 100 or more points. Also in 2002, he tied his career-high with five field goals (on five attempts) vs. the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, including a 55-yard kick. He also tied a career-high by scoring 16 points in the contest, he made all three field-goal attempts at Kansas City, including the game-winner from 25 yards in overtime. It was his 11th career game-winning or game-saving field goal and his third in an overtime situation, Elam, who at the time owned the NFL record for consecutive extra points (371, later broken by
Matt Stover John Matthew Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was amon ...
), saw the streak end against
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.


2003

In 2003, he played all 16 regular-season games and converted 27 of 31 field goal attempts (.871) and all 39 extra point attempts to account for 120 points, third most in the AFC (fourth in NFL) among kickers. In the season opener at the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, he made all three field goal attempts (51, 27, 39) and totaled 12 points to eclipse the 1,200-point plateau (1,205), doing so in fewer games than any player in NFL history (157 games). Against the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, Elam made his first game-winning field goal of the season when he connected on a 47-yarder as time expired. With the field goal, he surpassed
Jim Breech James Thomas Breech (born April 11, 1956) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), who played for Oakland Raiders in 1979 and Cincinnati Bengals from 1980-1992. Before his NFL career, Breech played for t ...
and moved into 19th place on the NFL’s all-time scoring list with 1,249 points. He added three field goals, including a 51-yarder, against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 1,300 points in 170 games and the first player in NFL history to score more than 100 points in each of his first 11 seasons. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. It marked the first time in Elam’s career that he made field goals to send a game to overtime and then win the game in overtime. The overtime field goal was his sixth career “walk-off” field goal (four OT, two at the end of regulation).


2004

In 2004, Elam connected on 29 of 34 field-goal attempts (.853) with a long of 52 yards for the Broncos. He accounted for 129 of Denver 381 points in 2004 (87 points on field goals, 42 on PATs) for his 12th consecutive 100-point season. Also in 2004, he notched in 300th career field goal against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
, becoming the fastest kicker in NFL history to reach that mark and one of only 16 kickers with 300 or more field goals. He helped Denver overcome a stingy defense vs. the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
by hitting all three field goals that day to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in his career. In addition to making a 50-yard field goal against the Buccaneers in the second quarter, he added a clutch fourth-quarter 23-yarder to secure a win that marked his 16th career game-winning or game-tying field goal. Elam took over sole possession of second place on the NFL all-time consecutive scoring streak list (187 games with at least one point) vs. the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, making three of four field goals and all four PATs against the Titans while passing
Matt Bahr Matthew David Bahr (born July 6, 1956) is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League, and professional soccer player in the North American Soccer League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, ...
for 15th place on the NFL all-time scoring list.


2005

In 2005, he connected on 24 of 32 field goals for a .750 percentage and 43 of 44 PATs to total 115 points that ranked fifth in the AFC and ninth in the NFL among kickers. He also surpassed the 1,500-point plateau faster than any player in league history, doing so in just 197 games. With his performance versus the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game, he became the Broncos postseason leader in field goals (15) and points (84). He converted both extra-point attempts and connected on field goals of 41 and 45 yards in the home opener against San Diego. The 41-yarder came with five seconds remaining in regulation and gave the Broncos a 20-17 win, marking the 18th game-winning field goal of his career. He set career highs in PAT attempts and conversions in a game by connecting on all seven extra-point attempts vs. the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He also reached the 1,500-point plateau faster than any player in league history as he eclipsed the milestone with an extra point in the second quarter against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in his 197th career game. On
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...
against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, Elam connected on his only field-goal attempt of 24 yards in overtime as well as all three PATs. The overtime field goal was the 19th game-winning field goal of his career.


2006

In 2006, his 14th season with the Broncos, Elam moved into seventh place on the league’s all-time field goals made list (368) and ninth on the league all-time points scored list (1,672) as he connected on 27 of 29 field goal attempts (.931), setting a Denver single-season record for accuracy, along with all 34 PATs. His 115 points ranked ninth in the NFL, and he became the first kicker in league history to post at least 100 points in each of his first 14 seasons. Elam scored at least once in every game to extend his scoring streak to 220 games, in every game of his career, marking the second-longest such streak in league history. He accounted for all of the Broncos points as he connected on three of four field goals, including a 39-yarder in overtime, in the home opener versus Kansas City. He tied
Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie," is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...
for eighth on the league all-time points scored list with 352 successful field goals as he hit his lone attempt against Indianapolis and became the fastest player in NFL history to reach the 1,600-point mark in 211 games. Against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, he moved into a tie with
Fred Cox Frederick William Cox (December 11, 1938 – November 20, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a kicker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. After playing college football for ...
(455) for twelfth in league history in field goal attempts and passed
Nick Lowery Dominic Gerald Lowery (born May 27, 1956) is a former American football placekicker. In his career he played for the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Jets. He played in college at Dartmouth College. Lowery was selected to th ...
(562) to move into seventh place in league history in extra points made by making three field goals.


2007

In his last season as a Denver Bronco, he scored in all 16 games, connecting on 27 of 31 field goal tries and all 33 extra point attempts for 114 points. Against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, he surpassed the record of 233 games played as a Bronco by John Elway. He hit three game-winning field goals on the last play of those games as well as hitting one as time expired to send a game into overtime. He nailed the game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired for the 21st game-winning or game-saving kick of his career in the season opener against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the home opener as he connected on field goals of 23, 20 and 23 yards and both extra points vs. Oakland, then made the winning field goal in OT. He reached the 1,700-point plateau faster than any player (224 games) as he tallied eight points (two FG and two PAT) at the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and connected on field goals from 21 and 39 yards as well as all four extra point attempts on Monday Night Football vs. the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
and moved into sixth all-time in points scored in the NFL with 1,746. He hit both field goal attempts of 43 and 30 yards, including the overtime winner in the season finale vs. the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. While with the Broncos, Elam reached seventh place on the NFL's all-time points scored list. He reached that position with a game-winning 48-yard field goal on October 21, 2007, giving him 1,712 career points, converted four extra points and a 49-yard field goal on Sunday Night Football vs. Pittsburgh. He connected on attempts from 45 and 21 yards as well as an extra point on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. His 21-yard field goal against the Packers was his 24th either game-winning or game-saving field goal as it tied the score at 13 as regulation time expired. He booted an extra point and missed a 48-yard field goal against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. The overtime kick against the Vikings was also the 12th walk-off kick of his career. His two successful field goals extended his streak of successful kicks to 15, the third-longest streak in team history. He also moved into sole possession of seventh place in field goal attempts (490) and became just the sixth player in league history to make 600 extra points. Elam also kicked four game-winning field goals, becoming the first player to do so since at least 1990.


Atlanta Falcons


2008

On March 21, 2008, the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
signed Elam to a four-year, $9 million contract with $3.3 million guaranteed. Against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, he split the uprights on both attempts, his first two in a Falcons uniform. Elam extended his streak of consecutive field goals to 17 and also notched his 38th field goal of 50-plus yards. Against Tampa Bay he made three field goals, all of Atlanta's points in the game. In week 6 against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, Elam made five of six field goal attempts from 29, 48, 32, 41, and 48 yards. Chicago came off a miscue with a 77-yard touchdown drive to take a 20-19 lead with 11 seconds to play. Coming off a 26-yard strike from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins, Elam's kick of 48 yards was converted with one second left in the game to clinch a Falcons victory. Along with adding one PAT, Elam accounted for 16 points. His two kicks of 48 yards tied for the second-longest that season. Elam missed a kick from 33 yards in the fourth quarter, which ended a streak of 29 consecutive field goals dating back to the 2007 season. His five field goals made, six field goals attempted and 16 points all tied career-highs.


2009

In 2009, Elam was only eight for 15 in field goals over 30 yards. He was waived on December 1, 2009.


Retirement

On March 30, 2010, Elam signed a one-day ceremonial contract with Denver so he could retire as a Bronco.


Career regular season statistics

''Career high/best bolded'' ;Franchise Records 's NFL off-season, Jason Elam held at least 8 Broncos franchise records, including: * Extra Points: career (601), game (5 on 2000-10-15 CLE; with
Connor Barth Connor Thomas Barth (born April 11, 1986) is a former American football placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undraft ...
), playoffs (39), playoff season (15 in 1997), playoff game (5 on 1999-01-09 MIA) * Field Goals: career (395), season (31 in 1995, 2001), playoffs (15)


Personal life

Elam has a wife, Tammy (a former Broncos cheerleader), four sons (Jason Jr., Joshua Matthew Jackson Asher, and Jude Dawson) and two daughters (Jordan Noel and Julianna Grace).


Books

Elam published his first book in January 2008, titled ''Monday Night Jihad''. He co-wrote it with Steve Yohn, currently pastor at Strasburg Community Church in Strasburg, CO.MONDAY NIGHT JIHAD - Part I
/ref> The book is an action-adventure tale about football and an attempt to stop a terrorist plot. In a statement issued by his publisher, Elam said, "The genesis of ''Monday Night Jihad'' goes back almost 10 years...My brother kept a journal of all the crazy football stories I'd told him over the years. About a year-and-a-half ago, I began to think what if I was able combine all those quirky stories with a terrorist element to create an action-adventure story. Through this story, I want to bring out why people of strong conviction do what they do." In December 2008, Elam and Yohn released "Blown Coverage", the second book in the Riley Covington Thriller series. In December 2009 "Blackout", the third book was released, and the series was completed with "Inside Threat", released June 2011.


Other media

Jason and his wife were featured in a 2012 episode of '' Buying Alaska'' where they purchased an island home in Sitka, Alaska, to live in with their family.


References


External links


Monday Night Jihad Official WebsiteAtlanta Falcons bioDenver Broncos bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elam, Jason 1970 births Living people People from Fort Walton Beach, Florida Players of American football from Florida People from Snellville, Georgia Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state) American football placekickers American Conference Pro Bowl players Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football players Denver Broncos players Atlanta Falcons players