Stephen Theodore Hauschka (born June 29, 1985) 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 signed by 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 ...

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 2008. 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 ...

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

and

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

. Hauschka has been a member of 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 ...

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 ...

Las Vegas Locomotives The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League. The team played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the Unive ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

, and 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 ...

. He won

Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...

as a member of the Seahawks.

Early life

Stephen Hauschka grew up in

Needham, Massachusetts Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is home of Olin College. History Early settlement Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a ...

, where he played on the

Needham High School Needham High School is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, educating grades 9 through 12. Aaron Sicotte is the principal of Needham High School. Its three assistant principals are Alison Coubrough-Argentieri, Mary Kay Alessi, and Pie ...

Rockets varsity soccer team, and the varsity lacrosse team. He also played trombone in the NHS concert band and NHS jazz band. He did not play football for the Rockets. He graduated in 2003 and went to

with intent to play

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

soccer for the Panthers.

College career

Middlebury College

In 2003, Hauschka was cut from the

Middlebury Panthers The Middlebury Panthers are the 31 varsity teams of Middlebury College that compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The Panthers lead the NESCAC in total number of national championships, having won 34 team titles since the c ...

men's varsity soccer team and finished the season on junior varsity. Prior to his sophomore soccer season, Hauschka was urged by his friend, Scott Secor, to try out for the football team, where he edged out freshman recruit Jacob Lister for the starting kicker role. In his three seasons with the Panthers, he was a two-time All-

NESCAC The New England Small Collegiate Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising sports teams from eleven highly selective liberal arts institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. Th ...

selection as both a kicker and punter. He owns the school's single-season and career records for field goals. He was named a District I Academic All-American by College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) during his senior year. He was a semi-finalist for the

Lou Groza Award The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...

for the top college football placekicker. Hauschka was also a member of the Middlebury College

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

team. Hauschka graduated from

with a B.A. in

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, development ...

in 2007.

North Carolina State

After graduating with honors from Middlebury College, Hauschka decided to forgo an acceptance to dental school and enrolled as a

graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

in 2007. Since Hauschka was cut from the Middlebury College men's varsity soccer team during his freshman season, he retained one year of eligibility and won the kicking job for the Wolfpack. He then went 25-for-25 on extra points and 16-for-18 on field goals, which included a game-winning kick versus the

Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...

. At North Carolina State, his first name was misspelled as "Steven," a spelling which he continued to use into his professional career.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

Hauschka was signed by the

in 2008 to share kicking duties with

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

in the preseason. He would later be released by the team.

Baltimore Ravens

Hauschka was claimed off waivers by the

after being released by the Vikings. He was signed to the Ravens'

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

on September 15, 2008. He was activated on October 30 to handle the long-range field goals and kickoffs, sharing kicking duties with longtime Ravens kicker

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 ...

. His first professional field goal attempt came on November 9, 2008, against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

, where he successfully hit a 54-yard field goal. An

exclusive-rights 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 the 2009 off-season, Hauschka was re-signed on March 17 as the Ravens chose not to re-sign Stover. On November 17, 2009, the Ravens released Hauschka, after he missed his fourth attempt of the season (he converted 9 of 13 field goals (69.2%) in 2009) and had an extra point blocked. After his release from the Ravens, Hauschka tried out for the

on November 24, 2009, and for 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 ...

on December 21.

Atlanta Falcons

Hauschka was signed by the Atlanta Falcons on December 29, 2009, after an injury to

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 ...

. He was waived by the team on August 15, 2010.

Detroit Lions

Hauschka was claimed off waivers by 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 ...

on August 18, 2010. He played two preseason games for the Lions due to Lions' starter

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 Washi ...

's leg surgery. He was waived by the Lions on September 4, 2010.

Las Vegas Locomotives

Hauschka was signed by the UFL's

on October 4, 2010. On October 8, Hauschka tied the UFL record with three field goals in a single game.

Denver Broncos

On December 12, 2010, the

signed Hauschka after a season-ending groin injury to

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 ...

. He was waived by the team on September 3, 2011.

Seattle Seahawks

Hauschka was claimed off waivers by the

on September 4, 2011. In a Week 10 match-up against the

, Hauschka tied the Seahawks' record for most field goals in a game, by scoring five of them, leading Seattle to a 22–17 upset. In the Wild Card Round against 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 ...

, Hauschka strained his calf, and was placed on injured reserve. On April 18, 2013, the Seahawks re-signed Hauschka. In Week 4 of the 2013 season, Hauschka kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a come-from-behind overtime victory against the

Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...

. The final score was 23–20, after trailing the Texans, 20–3, in the first half. Thanks to Hauschka's game-winning kick, the Seahawks went 4–0 for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks finished 13–3 and reached

, where they defeated the

, 43–8. On March 17, 2014, the Seahawks re-signed Hauschka to a three-year contract worth $9.15 million, of which $3.35 million was guaranteed. He began the 2015 season by hitting his first 16 field-goal attempts, including four from 50 yards or more. Hauschka was named an alternate for the

2016 Pro Bowl The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 20 ...

Buffalo Bills

On March 9, 2017, Hauschka signed a three-year contract with the

. Competing against rookie

Austin Rehkow Austin Rehkow (born March 17, 1995) is an American football punter who is a free agent. He played college football for the Idaho Vandals football team at the University of Idaho. Early years Rehkow was raised in Veradale, Washington and attend ...

for a roster spot, Hauschka won the competition on August 20. His kicking style, involving low line-drive kicks (which was one of the reasons the Seahawks, who preferred someone with a higher kick trajectory, did not re-sign him), was considered one of his strengths for Buffalo, as the greater power of a line-drive kick can counteract windy conditions. On September 10, 2017, in the season-opening 21–12 victory over 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 ...

, Hauschka made his debut as a Bill. He converted three extra points in the win. In Week 3, Hauschka went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 55-yarder, and converted all extra-point attempts, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The following week, he was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals including a tie-breaking 56-yarder in a 23–17 win over the Falcons, earning him his second straight AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Hauschka broke the NFL record for most consecutive field goals made from 50 yards or beyond after he made a 50-yard field goal against the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

on November 19, 2017. In Week 10 of the 2018 season, Hauschka made all seven of his kicks, five extra points and two field goals, including a season-long 54-yarder, in a 41–10 win over the

, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. During the rematch against the Jets in week 14, Hauschka was hit in the back by Jets defensive end Henry Anderson following a blocked field goal attempt, suffering an injured hip on the play. On August 28, 2019, Hauschka signed a two-year, $8 million contract extension with the Bills. On August 27, 2020, Hauschka was released by the Bills after the team selected

Tyler Bass Tyler Bass (born February 14, 1997) is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Southern and was drafted by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2020 N ...

in the 2020 draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On September 28, 2020, Hauschka was signed by the

. In his first game with the team, he missed both of his field goal attempts, from 24 yards and 49 yards, and was subsequently released on October 12. Hauschka announced his retirement from football on December 4, 2020.

NFL career statistics

NFL records

*Most consecutive field goals made from 50 yards or further: 13

Bills franchise records

*Most 50-yard field goals made in a season: 7

Seahawks franchise records

*Most field goals made in franchise history: 175 *Most 50+ yard field goals made: 15 *Most consecutive games scoring: 94 *Most consecutive games with a field goal: 19 *Most field goals made in a game: 5 (tied with

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 ...

Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse. Mare, who was se ...

and

Todd Peterson Joseph Todd Peterson (born February 4, 1970) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the New York Giants from the University of Georgia with the ninth pick of the seventh round (177th overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft. Peter ...

) *Highest field goal percentage in a career: 88.8

Personal life

Hauschka married fellow Middlebury alumnus Lindsey Jones in June 2011 shortly after her graduation from

Boston College Law School Boston College Law School (BC Law) is the law school of Boston College. It is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts, about 1.5 miles from the university's main campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. With approximately 800 studen ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hauschka, Stephen 1985 births Living people American football placekickers American football punters American people of Slavic descent Atlanta Falcons players Baltimore Ravens players Buffalo Bills players Denver Broncos players Detroit Lions players Jacksonville Jaguars players Las Vegas Locomotives players Middlebury Panthers football players Minnesota Vikings players NC State Wolfpack football players Sportspeople from Needham, Massachusetts Players of American football from Massachusetts Seattle Seahawks players