Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an
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 ...
coach and former
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 ...
. Graham played 15 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
. He made his professional debut in May 2000 with the
Richmond Speed
The Richmond Speed were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference in 2000, before going over to the Northeast Division in 2001, then to the Atlantic Division from 2002–2003. ...
of the
Arena Football
Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...
League's now-defunct developmental league,
AF2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
.
His first NFL contract was with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
where he signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2000. A
journeyman
A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...
most of his career, he played for 14 different NFL franchises over 9 seasons, excluding the 7 seasons he spent with 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 ...
. With the Bengals, he made the Pro Bowl in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
. In the latter part of his career, he was signed as an injury replacement or to provide competition during training camps for a number of teams.
In 2018, Graham was hired as a special teams intern at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
.
Early years
Graham attended
Pulaski County High School in
Dublin, Virginia
Dublin is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The amount of Bojangles was 1 in 2023. It is part of the Blacksburg, Virginia, Blacksburg–Christiansburg, Virginia, Christiansburg Blacksburg-Christiansbur ...
, graduating in 1996. He holds many of the school's kicking records including most field goals in career (28, from 1992 to 1995), most field goals in a season (15, 1995), and longest field goal, a 54-yarder against
Anacostia
Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is nam ...
in 1995.
College career
Graham played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
and was named to the first-team All-
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...
in all four seasons. In 1999, as a senior, Graham earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Year honors after leading the conference and breaking the school's single-season scoring record with 107 points on 56-of-57 extra points and 17-of-22 field goals. He was 68-of-93 (73.1%) in field goals for his Virginia Tech career and set a Virginia Tech and Big East record with 97 consecutive successful extra points. He left Virginia Tech as the all-time scoring leader in school history and Big East history with 371 points. His contributions at Tech led to his induction in the
Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Richmond Speed
Following a tryout with 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 ( ...
, it was announced in May 2000, that Graham would play in two games for the
Richmond Speed
The Richmond Speed were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference in 2000, before going over to the Northeast Division in 2001, then to the Atlantic Division from 2002–2003. ...
of the
AF2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
, and that he would use the time to practice for a future
NFL tryout with 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 ...
. As it turned out Graham played in only one game for the Speed, a 60 - 21 loss against the
Arkansas Twisters
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
on May 26, 2000. During the game, he missed two field goals, from 36 and 44-yards, and two of three extra points.
[Lindquist, Jerry (June 3, 2000) Graham Leaves Town After One Game. ''Richmond Times-Dispatch''] After the game, Graham told the ''
Roanoke Times
''The Roanoke Times'' is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, ...
'': "It was a big adjustment. In the arena game, the holder puts the ball down, then the kicker starts forward. I've always been accustomed to starting with the snap. My rhythm was all messed up."
Graham left the team and was replaced by special teams coach Dave DeArmas, who unretired and played in the following week's game against the
Jacksonville Tomcats
The Jacksonville Tomcats were an arena football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They were an inaugural franchise in af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League (AFL), and played for three seasons, from 2000 to 2002. They p ...
.
New Orleans Saints
After going undrafted in the
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
, Graham signed with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on June 30, 2000. Graham was 1-for-1 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal during the preseason. He was waived on August 22, 2000.
Seattle Seahawks
Graham was signed by the
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 ...
on April 27, 2001. He was 6-for-6 on extra points in the preseason but had his only field goal attempt blocked.
[Three kickers given tryout by Seahawks](_blank)
'The Seattle Times'', October 31, 2001, Retrieved January 11, 2014 He was waived on September 2, 2001. On October 30, 2001, Graham was invited back for a tryout after kicker
Rian Lindell
Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State.
Early years ...
missed two field goals in a 24–20 loss to 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 ...
. Graham did not get a contract and Lindell was retained as the Seahawks' kicker for the remainder of the
2001 season.
Buffalo Bills
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. ...
signed Graham on November 27, 2001, to replace rookie kicker
Jake Arians
Jacob Bruce Arians (born January 26, 1978) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played college football at UAB.
Arians spent less than one season as the field goal kicker for the Buffalo Bills in 2001, ...
; Arians had missed several key field goals and a crucial extra point over the course of the season. Graham played in the Bills' final six games, going 6-for-8 on field goals. He was released on April 23, 2002, and replaced by
Mike Hollis
Michael Shane Hollis (born May 22, 1972) is most recently an American football placekicker for the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League. He formerly played in the National Football League from 1994-2003, leading the NFL in scoring ( ...
.
Seattle Seahawks (second stint)
Graham was re-signed by the Seahawks on May 13, 2002. He began training camp with Seattle before being waived on August 13, 2002.
Carolina Panthers
Graham signed with 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 ...
on September 28, 2002, after an injury to veteran
John Kasay
John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
. Originally,
Jon Hilbert
Jonathan Samuel Hilbert (born July 15, 1975) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at the University of Louisville.
Early years
H ...
replaced
Kasay; however, after missing two field goals during the Week 3 game versus 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 ...
, Hilbert was replaced by Graham.
[Pro Football – Almost Is Not Good Enough For Panthers](_blank)
www.nytimes.com, Retrieved September 13, 2014. The following week, in a game 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 ...
and after being on the team for only two days, Graham missed a 24-yard field goal inches to the right with 13 seconds remaining that would have tied the score.
The
Panthers
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**''Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
***Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in Sout ...
ended up losing the game 17–14.
In total he played in 11 of the
Panthers' final 13 games, leading the team in scoring with 60 points.
[Shayne GrahamGame Logs 2002](_blank)
www.nfl.com, Retrieved September 14, 2014. He was 13-of-18 on field goals and averaged 66 yards on his five kickoffs.
After spending the 2003 preseason with
Carolina, Graham was waived on August 31, right before the season began.
Cincinnati Bengals
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 ...
claimed Graham off waivers on September 1, 2003. With the Bengals in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, Graham played in all 16 games and set a franchise record by making 88% (22-of-25) of his field goals.
In the following offseason, Graham was tendered a
restricted free agent
A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...
offer sheet by 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 ...
, but the offer was matched by the Bengals. In
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Graham narrowly missed matching his previous season's accuracy mark, finishing the year 27-of-31 (87.1%) on field goals. In
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, Graham made 28-of-32 field goals (87.5%), scored a franchise record 131 points, was selected to be the kicker for the
AFC 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 ...
squad, and helped the Bengals record their first winning season since 1990. Graham was the first kicker in franchise history ever to be selected to play in a Pro Bowl.
In
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, Graham set the NFL record for tackles by a kicker with 11 combined (7 plus 4 assists.)
In
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Graham finished fourth in the AFC with 115 points and was 25-of-30 (83.3%) on field goals on the season.
In
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Graham missed his first field goal attempt of the season (a 53-yard attempt). But after that, he set a Bengals record by kicking 21 consecutive field goals without a miss over the season's first 10 games. This included a game 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 ...
where he set a franchise record by kicking 7 field goals (the second highest total in NFL history). His streak came to an end when he missed a 26-yard attempt in Week 12. By the end of the season, Graham set new franchise records for field goals in a season (31) and field goal percentage (91.2).
Graham finished the
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
season with an 87.5 field goal percentage, going 21-of-24. In
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, Graham went 23-of-28 in the regular season, his lowest percentage — 82.1 — in his Bengals career. In the
Wild Card playoffs
Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to:
Common meanings
* Wild animal
* Wilderness, a wild natural environment
* Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed
Art, media and entertainment Film and television
* ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...
on January 9, 2010, Graham missed two field goals in the Bengals' 24–14 loss to 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 ...
, including a 28-yard attempt that would have cut the score to 24–17 late in the fourth quarter. After the game,
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
commented on Graham's missed field goals stating "It is a shame, and it killed us. Unfortunately kicking is mostly a one-man operation. I know Shayne feels worse about it than anyone. Those points obviously make a big difference."
He was not re-signed as an
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
following the 2009 season.
Baltimore Ravens
In June 2010, Graham signed a 1-year-deal with 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 ...
worth up to $2.5 million. Graham was released during final cuts before the season started in favor of
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
.
New York Giants
On October 16, 2010, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
signed Graham due to an injury to kicker
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy ...
. Graham only played in one game for the Giants and did not attempt a field goal. He did, however, make all four of his extra point attempts. On October 18, 2010, just two days after being signed, the Giants released Graham.
New England Patriots
On November 10, 2010, 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 ...
signed Graham after an injury to kicker
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots.
He was selected in the fourth round of th ...
. In his first game, in Week 10 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 ...
, Graham was 2-for-2 on field goals but missed one of four extra point attempts on the night. In eight games, Graham finished the 2010 season 12-for-12 on field goals, and 35-for-37 on extra points.
In the playoffs, Graham was 2-for-2 in the Patriots loss to the Jets.
Washington Redskins
On August 1, 2011, the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
signed Graham to provide training camp competition for
Graham Gano
Graham Clark Gano (born April 9, 1987) is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free ag ...
. After missing two field goals in a pre-season game, Graham was released.
Dallas Cowboys
On August 23, 2011, 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 ...
signed Graham due to a hip injury to
David Buehler
David Jonathan Buehler (born February 5, 1987) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college foot ...
, but did not make the roster after being passed on the depth chart by rookie
Dan Bailey.
Miami Dolphins
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 ...
signed Graham on November 19, 2011, after an injury to
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...
. Graham was waived November 30.
Baltimore Ravens (second stint)
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 ...
signed Graham on December 21, 2011, to back up
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
, who had a calf injury throughout most of December. He made both field goal attempts and both extra point attempts in his short stint with the team. Graham was released on January 3.
Houston Texans
The Texans signed Graham on May 7, 2012, to battle rookie
Randy Bullock
Randy Bullock (born December 16, 1989) is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, and was recognized as the nation's best college football kicker a ...
for the position. In August, Graham was named the team's kicker after Bullock went on injured reserve. On January 13, 2013, Graham set his career longest field goal after he made a 55-yard field goal against the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Cleveland Browns
On April 15, 2013, 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 ( ...
signed Graham to replace
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...
who left as a free agent. On August 31, 2013, he was surprisingly released, even after making all of his pre-season attempts, leaving the Browns with no kicker on the roster days before the season began.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On September 9, 2013, 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 ...
signed Graham due to a hamstring injury to
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...
. Graham was on the roster for one game, but was inactive due to Suisham's ability to play through his injury. Since he was not needed, Graham was released by the Steelers on September 17.
New Orleans Saints (second stint)
Graham was re-signed by the Saints on December 17, 2013, to replace
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
. Hartley had been cut from the Saints after he had struggled in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and the final straw came when he missed two close range field goals in a game against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
. On January 4, 2014, Graham went 4 for 4 including a 32-yard game winner as time expired to propel the Saints past 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 ...
in the Wild Card round of the 2014 playoffs. However, the following week during the Divisional Round game he missed two field goals versus the
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 ...
. On his first miss, from 45-yards, holder (and backup quarterback)
Luke McCown
Lucas Patrick McCown (born July 12, 1981) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. He was drafte ...
had the laces facing the wrong way.
[Saints inexplicably never got one final chance](_blank)
''The Seattle Times'', Retrieved January 17, 2014 Strong winds also contributed to his poor performance.
On February 14, 2014, the Saints re-signed Graham to a new one-year contract with a base salary of $955,000. In a surprise move, Graham along with kicker
Derek Dimke were released as part of the final roster cuts on August 30, 2014, leaving the Saints with no kickers on their roster after the reduction to 53-players. A few days later on September 2, 2014, it was announced that the Saints had waived quarterback
Ryan Griffin to make room for the re-signing of Graham to their 53-man roster.
Graham was selected as NFC special teams player of the month for October 2014, for making all nine field goals and all nine extra points he tried during the month.
[Perfect month nets Shayne Graham NFC special teams honors]
www.nbcsports.com, Retrieved October 31, 2014. He also scored 14 points during the October 26, 2014 victory over the
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) North division. It is the thi ...
.
[
After Graham missed a 42-yard field goal during the ]Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
' loss to 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 ...
on December 7, 2014, the Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
tried out kickers
Kickers is a youth brand created in 1970 in France that produces a wide range of footwear and clothing. Kickers was bought in 2007 by the Royer group.
Kickers are primarily popular amongst British school children, with Kickers 'Lo' style shoe ...
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
, Derek Dimke and Zach Hocker on December 10, 2014.[After kicker tryouts, New Orleans Saints sticking with Shayne Graham](_blank)
www.nola.com, Retrieved December 10, 2014 However, in the end the Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
decided to stick with Graham as their kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
.
On February 12, 2015, Graham was re-signed to a one-year deal with the Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
. He was released on May 19, 2015.
Atlanta Falcons
On November 26, 2015, Graham signed 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 ...
as a replacement kicker, after Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...
injured his leg. On August 20, 2016, Graham was re-signed by the Falcons. On September 3, 2016, Graham was released by the Falcons.
Retirement
On February 6, 2017, Graham announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 39 to pursue jobs as a special teams coach. Graham signed an unofficial ceremonial contract on February 21, 2017, to retire as a Bengal.
Coaching career
Central Michigan
In March 2017, Graham was hired as a special teams coach at Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...
Michigan State
In June 2018, Graham was hired at Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
as a special teams intern.
Florida
Graham was hired at the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in 2020 as a special teams quality control coach.
NFL career statistics
Bengals franchise records
* Most field goals in a season (31)
* Most field goals in a game (7)
* Highest field goal percentage in a season (91.2)
* Highest field goal percentage in a career (86.8)
References
External links
Atlanta Falcons bio
Cincinnati Bengals bio
Houston Texans bio
New Orleans Saints bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Shayne
1977 births
Living people
People from Blacksburg, Virginia
People from Dublin, Virginia
Players of American football from Virginia
American football placekickers
Virginia Tech Hokies football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Richmond Speed players
New Orleans Saints players
Seattle Seahawks players
Buffalo Bills players
Carolina Panthers players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Baltimore Ravens players
New York Giants players
New England Patriots players
Washington Redskins players
Dallas Cowboys players
Miami Dolphins players
Houston Texans players
Cleveland Browns players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Atlanta Falcons players
People from Radford, Virginia
Michigan State Spartans football coaches