Tom Dempsey facts for kids

Thomas John Dempsey (born January 12, 1947 – died April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for teams like the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Buffalo Bills.

Tom Dempsey used a special "straight-toe" kicking style. This was different from the "soccer style" that many players started using. In 1970, playing for the Saints, he kicked a 63-yard field goal. This set an NFL record that lasted for over 40 years!

Early Life and Unique Kicking Style

Tom Dempsey was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went to high school and college in Southern California. He attended San Dieguito High School and played college football at Palomar College.

What made Tom special was that he was born without toes on his right foot. He also did not have fingers on his right hand. Because of this, he wore a special, flat-front kicking shoe. This shoe had no space for toes.

NFL Career Highlights

Tom Dempsey is most famous for a huge kick he made on November 8, 1970. Playing for the New Orleans Saints, he kicked a 63-yard field goal as time ran out. This amazing kick gave the Saints a 19–17 win over the Detroit Lions.

Back then, the goal posts in the NFL were on the goal lines. This was different from today, where they are at the back of the end zone. The ball was snapped from the Saints' own 37-yard line. The snap was good, and Dempsey made the field goal. The ball just barely went over the bar! This win was one of only two for the Saints that season.

The Longest Field Goal Record

With his 63-yard kick, Dempsey broke the NFL record for the longest field goal. He beat the old record by seven yards! His record was tied three times over the years. Jason Elam tied it in 1998, Sebastian Janikowski in 2011, and David Akers in 2012.

The record was finally broken on December 8, 2013, by Matt Prater. He kicked a 64-yard field goal. Then, on September 26, 2021, Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens kicked an incredible 66-yard field goal. This kick happened as time expired to win the game. It became the longest field goal ever to win a game on its final play.

Dempsey's special kicking shoe

The "Tom Dempsey Rule"

Because Tom Dempsey was born without toes on his right foot, he used a special shoe. This shoe had a flattened and larger surface for kicking. Some people wondered if this custom shoe gave him an unfair advantage.

When reporters asked him about it, he would say, "Unfair, eh? How 'bout you try kickin' a 63 yard field goal to win it with 2 seconds left an' yer wearin' a square shoe, oh yeah, and no toes either."

Later, a TV show called Sport Science studied his kick. They found that his special shoe did not give him an advantage. In fact, the smaller contact area might have made it harder, not easier, to kick accurately.

After Dempsey's record-breaking kick, the NFL made some rule changes. In 1974, they moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone. This added ten yards to the kick distance. Then, in 1977, the NFL added a rule. It became known as the "Tom Dempsey Rule." This rule says that any shoe worn by a player with an artificial limb must have a kicking surface like a normal shoe.

Tom Dempsey is still the only player in NFL history to kick a field goal from beyond his own team's 40-yard line. This happened before the goal posts were moved.

Later Life and Health

After he stopped playing football, Tom Dempsey lived with his wife, Carlene. She was a history teacher. Their house was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Tom once said about the hurricane, "The hurricane flooded me out of a lot of memorabilia, but it can't flood out the memories."

Tom and Carlene had three children. In 2013, Tom shared that he was dealing with dementia.

Sadly, on March 30, 2020, Tom Dempsey tested positive for COVID-19. He was living in a senior residence in New Orleans. Tom Dempsey passed away on April 4, 2020, due to problems from COVID-19.

Images for kids

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  Dempsey's special kicking shoe

See also

In Spanish: Tom Dempsey para niños