Ben Agajanian facts for kids
1955 Bowman football card
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||
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| Born: | August 28, 1919 Santa Ana, California |
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| Died: | February 8, 2018 (aged 98) Cathedral City, California |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||
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| High school: | San Pedro (CA) | ||||||
| College: | New Mexico | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 1941 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Benjamin James "The Toeless Wonder" Agajanian (born August 28, 1919 – died February 8, 2018) was an Armenian-American football player. He was famous as a kicker in the National Football League (NFL), the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), and the American Football League (AFL). He earned his nickname "The Toeless Wonder" because of an injury he had early in his career.
Early Life
Ben Agajanian was born in Santa Ana, California. He went to San Pedro High School in San Pedro. He played college football at Compton Junior College and the University of New Mexico. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He worked as a physical training instructor.
A big moment in his early life happened in 1939. While playing in college, he had a work accident. Four toes on his kicking foot were crushed and later removed. This injury led to his famous nickname, "The Toeless Wonder."
A Pro Football Kicker
Agajanian started his professional football career in 1945. He played in the National Football League (NFL) until 1959. Then, he joined the new American Football League (AFL). He played for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers in 1960, 1961, and 1964. He also played for the Dallas Texans in 1961 and the Oakland Raiders in 1962.
He is one of only two players who played in all three major leagues of his time: the All-America Football Conference, the American Football League, and the National Football League. Ben was known as a "kicking specialist." This means his main job was to kick field goals and extra points. He played for 10 different professional teams!
Agajanian helped his teams win two NFL championships. He won with the New York Giants in 1956. He also won with the Green Bay Packers in 1961. In the 1956 championship game, he made 5 out of 6 extra points and 2 out of 3 field goals. In the 1961 championship game, he was perfect. He made his one extra point and all three of his field goals.
He was a top kicker in the league. In 1947, he tried 24 field goals, which was the most that year. He also made 15 field goals, leading the league. In 1954, he again led the league in field goal attempts with 25.
Coaching and Later Years
After he stopped playing football at age 45, Ben Agajanian became a coach. He worked as the kicking coach for the Dallas Cowboys for 20 years. He also coached Chicago Bears kicker Mac Percival for the 1968 season.
Ben Agajanian passed away in Cathedral City, California, on February 8, 2018. He was 98 years old. His older brother was J. C. Agajanian, a famous motorsports promoter.
See also
- History of the New York Giants (1925–78)
- List of American Football League players
- History of the Armenian Americans in Los Angeles
