Sebastian Janikowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sebastian Janikowski

Janikowski with the Oakland Raiders in 2012
No. 11
Position:	Placekicker
Personal information
Born:	(1978-03-02) March 2, 1978 (age 47) Wałbrzych, Poland
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school:	Seabreeze (Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.)
College:	Florida State (1997–1999)
NFL Draft:	2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17
Career history
Oakland Raiders (2000) Seattle Seahawks (2018)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pro (2011) Pro Bowl (2011) BCS national champion (1999) 2× Lou Groza Award (1998, 1999) Unanimous All-American (1999) Consensus All-American (1998) 2× First-team All-ACC (1998, 1999) Second-team All-ACC (1997)
Career NFL statistics
Field goals made: 436 Field goals attempted: 542 Field goal percentage: 80.4% Longest field goal: 63 Points scored: 1,913
Player stats at PFR

Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (born March 2, 1978) is a former professional American football player from Poland. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Oakland Raiders. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks in his final season.

Sebastian Janikowski is one of only five kickers ever picked in the first round of an NFL draft. He holds the record as the Raiders' all-time leading scorer. He also played in more games for the Raiders than any other player. Janikowski once tied the NFL record for the longest successful field goal at 63 yards. This kick is still one of the longest in league history.

Early Life and Soccer Skills

Sebastian Janikowski was born on March 2, 1978, in Wałbrzych, Poland. His father, Henryk, was a professional soccer player. Henryk moved to the United States in the early 1980s to continue his soccer career.

Sebastian stayed in Poland with his mother. He became very good at soccer himself. When he was 15, he even earned a spot on the Polish under-17 team.

Moving to the United States

Because his father married an American citizen, Sebastian could legally move to the United States. He knew very little English at first. However, he quickly learned by taking a short night class and watching television.

He played soccer for the Orangewood Christian team, scoring 15 goals. He helped them reach the state championship game. Later, he joined the Orlando Lions, an under-19 soccer club.

Discovering Football in High School

Sebastian then moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, to live with his soccer coach's family. During his last year at Seabreeze High School, he started playing football as a placekicker.

He quickly became known for his powerful kicks. He made four field goals from over 50 yards away. One of these was an amazing 60-yard kick, which was one of the longest in Florida high school history. During a practice, he even kicked an 82-yard field goal! USA Today named him an All-American in 1996. After high school, he chose to play for Florida State University.

College Football Career

Sebastian Janikowski attended Florida State University and played for the Florida State Seminoles football team. Their coach, Bobby Bowden, once wondered how many championships his team might have won if they had Sebastian every year.

Achievements at Florida State

In his three seasons, Sebastian scored a total of 324 points. This is the third-highest score in the school's history. He won the Lou Groza Award two years in a row (1998 and 1999). This award goes to the best college kicker in the country. He is the only player to win it twice in a row.

Fans loved him because he could often kick a kickoff through the goalposts in the endzone. This happened so often that the stadium screens would show field goal graphics, even though it was just a kickoff! While playing for Florida State, he earned the nickname "Seabass."

National Championship and NFL Draft

In 1999, Florida State was competing for a national title. Before the championship game, Sebastian decided to enter the 2000 NFL draft early. He wanted to help his mother move to the United States.

In his last game for Florida State, he helped the Seminoles win their second national championship. He made all 5 extra points and kicked a 32-yard field goal. Even though his kicking skills were amazing, some NFL scouts had concerns about his behavior off the field. However, he was able to resolve these issues and focus on his professional career.

Professional Career in the NFL

Oakland Raiders Years

The Oakland Raiders chose Sebastian Janikowski in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was the 17th player picked overall.

Janikowski in November 2008

His first year in the NFL was a bit challenging. In 2000, he made 68.8% of his field goal attempts. However, he made all 46 of his extra point tries. His accuracy greatly improved in 2001, when he made 82.1% of his field goals.

In 2002, Janikowski and the Raiders reached Super Bowl XXXVII. He kicked an early field goal, giving the Raiders a brief 3–0 lead. However, they lost the game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48–21.

Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler in 2007

On October 16, 2003, Sebastian tied an NFL record by making four field goals in just one quarter. After the 2004 season, he signed a contract extension that made him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history at the time. In 2010, he signed another contract, again becoming the highest-paid placekicker.

Record-Breaking Kicks

Sebastian Janikowski was known for his powerful leg and long field goal attempts.

• On November 4, 2007, he tried to kick a 64-yard field goal, which would have been a new NFL record. It hit the upright and bounced out.
• On September 28, 2008, he attempted an incredible 76-yard field goal. This is believed to be the longest field goal attempt in NFL history.
• On October 19, 2008, he broke his own Raiders team record. He made a 57-yard field goal in overtime to win the game against the New York Jets. This was the longest overtime field goal in NFL history.
• On December 27, 2009, he broke his team record again with a 61-yard field goal.
• On September 12, 2011, Sebastian made a 63-yard field goal. This tied the NFL record for the longest field goal at the time.
• On November 27, 2011, he made six field goals in one game against the Chicago Bears. This set a new team record for most field goals in a single game.

In 2011, Janikowski was invited to the 2012 Pro Bowl and was named to the second-team 2011 All-Pro Team. He continued to play for the Raiders until 2017. In September 2017, he was placed on injured reserve due to back issues.

Seattle Seahawks and Retirement

On April 13, 2018, Sebastian Janikowski signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He became their starting kicker. In Week 12, he helped the Seahawks win a close game against the Carolina Panthers. He made all three extra points and three field goals, including a 31-yard game-winner. For this great performance, he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Sebastian finished the 2018 season having made 48 of 51 extra point attempts and 22 of 27 field goal attempts. On January 5, 2019, during a playoff game, he missed a 57-yard field goal and hurt his hamstring.

On April 28, 2019, Sebastian Janikowski announced his retirement from the NFL after 19 years. He ended his career as the Oakland Raiders' all-time leading scorer, with 1,799 points.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

NFL Records and Achievements

Sebastian Janikowski holds several impressive NFL records:

• He kicked the longest field goal in overtime: 57 yards. This happened against the New York Jets on October 19, 2008.
• He tied the record for most field goals in one quarter, with 4.
• He has attempted the most field goals from 60+ yards in a career, with 8.
• He holds the record for most extra points in a Pro Bowl, with 8.
• He made the longest field goal attempt in NFL history, a 76-yard try against the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2008.