Matt Stover facts for kids
Stover in 2013
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||
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| Born: | January 27, 1968 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College: | Louisiana Tech (1986–1989) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 12 / Pick: 329 | ||||||||||
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John Matthew Stover, born on January 27, 1968, is a former American football player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Stover mostly played for the Baltimore Ravens.
He started his career with the Cleveland Browns. In 1996, he moved with many Browns players to the new Ravens team. He played 13 seasons with the Ravens. Stover also played for the New York Giants at the start of his career. He finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts.
His best season was in 2000. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl and named a first-team All-Pro player. That year, the Ravens won their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV. Stover was also part of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXV. In 2011, the Ravens honored Stover by adding him to their Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.
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Early Life and High School
Matt Stover grew up in Dallas, Texas. He went to Lake Highlands High School. Another famous NFL kicker, Phil Dawson, also went to this school.
In high school, Stover was good at two positions. He was an wide receiver and a kicker. During the 1985–86 season, he kicked a 53-yard field goal. He finished high school in 1986.
College Career
After high school, Stover went to Louisiana Tech University. He studied marketing there. He was also a member of a college club called Delta Kappa Epsilon.
During his time in college, Stover made 64 out of 88 field goal tries. As a sophomore, he kicked a 57-yard field goal against Texas A&M. This was a school record at the time. He also punted the ball as a senior. He punted 36 times for a total of 1,277 yards. Stover left Louisiana Tech with 262 total points. He also made seven field goals from 50 yards or more.
- In 1989, he was named First Team All-South Independent.
Professional Football Career
New York Giants (1990)
The New York Giants picked Matt Stover in the 1990 NFL draft. He was the 329th player chosen. Stover was on the injured list for his first season. Even though he didn't play, the Giants won Super Bowl XXV that year. They beat the Buffalo Bills.
Cleveland Browns (1991–1995)
Stover joined the Cleveland Browns in 1991. He played for the Browns for five seasons. His first NFL game was in Week 1 of the 1991 season. It was against the Dallas Cowboys. In that game, he made two extra points.
In the 1994 season, Stover was the best in the league. He had the highest field goal percentage. In 1995, he made all five of his field goal attempts in one game. This included the winning kick in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals. For this great game, he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Baltimore Ravens (1996–2008)
In 1996, the Browns team moved to Baltimore. They became the Baltimore Ravens. Stover played most of his career with the Ravens. In 1997, he scored a career-high 18 points in one game. He made five field goals and three extra points. This helped the Ravens win 36–10 against the Tennessee Titans. He was also named Special Teams Player of the Month for September 1997.
In the 2000 season, the Ravens offense struggled to score touchdowns. Stover scored all the team's points in five straight games. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro player that year. He also led the league in field goal attempts and makes. Stover earned a Super Bowl ring when the Ravens beat his old team, the New York Giants, in Super Bowl XXXV. In 2006, he was again named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month. For the second time, Stover led the league in field goal percentage.
Stover continued to play for the Ravens. He set many records and made 18 game-winning field goals. In January 2009, he kicked a 43-yard field goal. This kick won the game against the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs. It was his last field goal as a Raven. The Ravens decided not to sign him again after the 2008 season.
On November 20, 2011, Stover was honored by the Ravens. He was added to the Ravens Ring of Honor. This happened during a ceremony at M&T Bank Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts (2009)
After leaving the Ravens, Stover became a free agent. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2009 NFL season. He joined the team to replace an injured player. While with the Colts, Stover played in two games against the Ravens.
He helped the Colts reach Super Bowl XLIV. At 42 years old, Stover was the oldest player in Super Bowl history at that time. (Later, Tom Brady played in a Super Bowl at 43). In Super Bowl XLIV, Stover made a 38-yard field goal and two extra points. The Colts lost that game to the New Orleans Saints. Stover was not signed again by the Colts.
Retirement
Matt Stover announced he was retiring from professional football on May 25, 2011. He retired as a Baltimore Raven. When he retired, he was the last player still active in the NFL who had played for the original Cleveland Browns. He was also the last Ravens player who had played for the team before it moved from Cleveland. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's fourth all-time leading scorer.
NFL Records
Matt Stover holds several impressive NFL records:
- He is the NFL's sixth all-time leading scorer with 2,004 points.
- He had the most consecutive games with a field goal, with 38 games in a row.
- He scored the most points by a player in his 30s, with 1,113 points.
- He was the oldest player to score in a Super Bowl. He was 42 years and 11 days old.
Personal Life
Matt Stover has a son named Jacob. Jacob went to Loyola University and plays lacrosse. Stover also has a daughter named Jenna. She played lacrosse at Messiah College. Stover has an older brother as well.
