Shaun Suisham facts for kids
Suisham prior to Super Bowl XLV in 2011
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | December 29, 1981 Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Wallaceburg District | ||||||||||||
| College: | Bowling Green (2000–2004) | ||||||||||||
| CFL draft: | 2004 / Round: 3 / Pick: 20 | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2005 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Shaun Christopher Suisham (born December 29, 1981) is a former professional American football player from Canada. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). Suisham played mostly for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He started his NFL career in 2005 with the Steelers. He played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons.
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Early Life and High School Football
Shaun Suisham was born in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Rick and Wendy Suisham. He went to Holy Family Catholic School. Later, he attended Wallaceburg District Secondary School. There, he started playing football. His uncle, Rob MacLachlan, was his coach. His uncle also helped him make a video to send to colleges.
In 1998, as a junior, Shaun kicked two field goals. One was from 58 yards, and the other was from 27 yards. He helped his team win the league championship. This was the first time Wallaceburg had won since 1968. In 1999, as a senior, he was named the best offensive player in his conference. He was also ranked the number-one placekicker in Canada. He set new school and Ontario records for field goals.
College Football Career
Shaun Suisham received a football scholarship from Bowling Green State University. He started there in the spring of 2000. He got hurt during practice and had to take a year off (called a medical redshirt). He played under coach Urban Meyer in 2001 and 2002.
As a freshman, he became the main placekicker. He made 44 out of 45 extra points. He also made 3 out of 8 field goal attempts, scoring 53 points.
As a sophomore, he made 12 out of 14 field goals. He set a new record for the Mid-American Conference and his school. He made 57 out of 59 extra point tries. He kicked a career-high 3 field goals in one game against the University of Missouri.
As a junior, he made 16 out of 24 field goals. He also made 56 out of 60 extra point tries. In the first game of the season, he set school records. He made all 9 of his extra point attempts. He kicked a 47-yard field goal, his longest that season.
As a senior, he made 14 out of 20 field goals. He set a Mid-American Conference record by making all 69 of his extra point attempts. He also kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal against Ohio State University. He was a top candidate for the Lou Groza Award. He finished 12th in the country for scoring, averaging 9.3 points per game. He set an NCAA Division I record for most extra points made in a college career (226).
Shaun left Bowling Green as the Falcons' all-time leading scorer with 361 points. He also set records with 45 career field goals and 31 touchbacks. He earned a degree in exercise science in 2005.
Professional Football Journey
First Steps in the NFL
Shaun Suisham was picked by the Ottawa Renegades in the 2004 CFL Draft. But he chose to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL in 2005. He played in one preseason game, making a 46-yard field goal. However, he was released before the regular season started.
He then joined the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He played in two games for the Cowboys, making both of his field goal attempts. He was released and re-signed a few times that year. In 2006, the Cowboys kept two kickers, which helped Shaun make the team. He kicked a 52-yard field goal in his first game as a starter for the Cowboys. He was later released by the Cowboys in October 2006.
After a short time on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, he joined the Washington Redskins in November 2006. He made 8 field goals in a row to finish the year. In 2007, he kicked his first game-winning field goal for the Redskins. It was a 39-yard kick in overtime against the Miami Dolphins. In 2009, he was released by the Redskins after missing a short field goal.
He returned to the Dallas Cowboys for a second time in December 2009. He played in the playoffs but missed two field goals. He was not re-signed after that season. He also had short stints with the Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams in 2010 but did not make their main rosters.
Pittsburgh Steelers (Second Time)
In November 2010, Shaun Suisham signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers again. He had a great start, kicking four field goals over 40 yards in one game against Buffalo. This included the game-winning kick in overtime. He had done this once before with the Redskins.
He finished the 2010 regular season making 14 out of 15 field goal attempts. In the playoffs, he missed a field goal. He also played in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. He made one field goal, but the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers.
Key Moments with the Steelers
- 2011 Season: He kicked a 38-yard game-winning field goal against the Indianapolis Colts. This happened with only 4 seconds left in the game.
- 2012 Season: He made a 34-yard game-winning field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles. This kick came with 3 seconds left. He made 8 field goals in a row to start the season. He also made game-winning kicks against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
- 2013 Season: Shaun had his best season, making 30 out of 32 field goals. This was a Steelers record for accuracy (93.8%). He scored 129 points, which was the fifth-highest in team history for a single season. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for making all four of his field goals against the Baltimore Ravens.
- 2014 Season: The Steelers extended his contract. He scored a career-high 132 points. He also made his ninth career game-winning field goal. He set a club record by making 24 field goals in a row. He became the fourth kicker in Steelers history to score over 500 points.
Injury and Retirement
In August 2015, Shaun Suisham tore a major ligament (ACL) in his left knee. This happened while he was covering a kickoff in a preseason game. He missed the entire 2015 season because of this injury. The Steelers later released him in June 2016 after he failed a physical exam.
Life After Football
While playing for the Redskins, Shaun Suisham held a free football camp for kids. It was in his hometown of Wallaceburg, Ontario. Kids got to learn from him and take part in a "Pass, Punt, and Kick" competition.
Shaun grew up playing ice hockey. When his two daughters started playing hockey, he got involved again. In 2014, he began coaching girls' youth hockey. In 2024, he became the Director of the Girls Hockey Program for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Images for kids
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Suisham in August 2009 with the Washington Redskins.
