Rob Bironas facts for kids
Bironas with the Titans in November 2008
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||
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| Born: | January 29, 1978 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Died: | September 20, 2014 (aged 36) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Trinity (St. Matthews, Kentucky) |
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| College: | Georgia Southern | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2001 | ||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker. He played most of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. Rob played college football for Auburn University and Georgia Southern University.
He first joined the Green Bay Packers in 2002. Rob then played in Arena football for teams like the Charleston Swamp Foxes and New York Dragons. He also had short times with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2005, he signed with the Titans. He played for them for nine seasons. In 2007, he was chosen for the All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl. Rob Bironas sadly died in a car crash on September 20, 2014.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Rob Bironas grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He went to Trinity High School. There, he was a great athlete.
He played soccer for four years. He also played football and was on the swimming team for two years. In his final year, he joined the track and field team. Rob finished high school in 1996.
College Football Journey
Rob Bironas started his college career at Auburn University. He played for the Auburn Tigers football team from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he was a top kicker. He made 12 out of 16 field goals. He also made all 18 extra points. This gave him 54 points for the team.
Later, Rob moved to Georgia Southern University. His brother was on the soccer team there. Rob played for the Georgia Southern Eagles football team for his last year. In 2000, he helped the Eagles win the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. After that, he went back to Auburn to get his degree in marketing.
Professional Football Career
Starting Out in Arena Football (2001–2004)
In 2002, Rob Bironas signed with the Green Bay Packers. He was an undrafted player, meaning no team picked him in the draft. But he was released before the season started.
Rob then played in a league called Arena Football. In 2003, he played for the Charleston Swamp Foxes. He also had short tryouts with NFL teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2004, he moved to the Carolina Cobras in the Arena Football League. He then played for the New York Dragons in 2005.
Becoming a Star with the Tennessee Titans (2005–2013)
In 2005, Rob Bironas joined the Tennessee Titans. This is where he spent most of his career. In his first year, he made 23 out of 29 field goals. He also made 30 out of 32 extra points. He was a strong kicker right away.
In 2006, Rob continued to play well. He kicked four game-winning field goals. One of these was an amazing 60-yard kick against the Indianapolis Colts. This was one of the longest field goals in NFL history!
The year 2007 was a huge one for Rob. He was named the AFC Player of the Month in October. He made 13 out of 14 field goals that month. He also made all his extra points. In one game against the Houston Texans, he set an NFL record. He kicked eight field goals in that single game! This included the game-winning kick. Rob was chosen for the NFL's All-Pro Team and the Pro Bowl that year.
The Titans signed Rob to new contracts in 2008, 2009, and 2013. He was a very important player for them. He was released by the Titans on March 19, 2014.
Amazing Achievements and Records
Rob Bironas set many records and earned honors during his career:
- He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice.
- He was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in October 2007.
- He tied the record for most NFL game-winning field goals in a season (4) in 2005.
- On October 21, 2007, he set the record for most field goals in a game (8).
- In that same game, he scored 26 points. This was the most points by a kicker in one game.
- He also tied the record for most field goals in a single half (5).
- Rob was selected for the 2008 Pro Bowl.
- He led the Tennessee Titans in scoring in 2005 and 2006.
- He is second on the Titans' all-time scoring list.
- He is also second on the Titans' all-time field goal list.
- He was chosen for the All-Pro Team in 2007 and 2008.
- He holds the NFL record for most consecutive games with a 40+ yard field goal (10 games).
Helping Others: Charitable Work
Rob Bironas cared about helping young people. In 2008, he started The Rob Bironas Fund. This group helped kids in Nashville learn about music. The fund provided tools, education, and leadership. It worked with the Nashville Symphony and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Rob was also on the board of the Nashville Symphony. He helped children in need through a program called Kicks for Kids. He was also part of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, where he helped with charity work.
Personal Life
In June 2014, Rob Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw. Rachel is the daughter of famous NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Rob was of Lithuanian background.
Tragic Passing
On September 20, 2014, Rob Bironas was in a car crash. He lost control of his vehicle. The car went off the road, flipped over, and hit several trees. He was taken to the hospital but sadly passed away. Witnesses said he was driving very fast before the crash.
