Since 1909, it has been as ironclad a law of American football as tackling and autumn: three points for a field goal. Wherever iconic games are played, iconic field goals—and missed field goals—are sure to follow. Just ask immortal kickers like Oklahoma's Uwe von Schamann, or Michigan State's Michael Geiger, or Missouri's Harrison Mevis.
However, from a distance standpoint, some field goals have stood above the rest. Cracking the 60-yard barrier is quite rare in college football—especially since the 1989 ban on placekicking from tees—but it has been done.
Here are, without further ado, the 10 longest field goals at the FBS level as recognized by the NCAA record book.
Record-Breaking Field Goals
T-1. 67 Yards, Russell Erxleben, Texas, 1977
Context: In less than a month, Texas rocketed from being unranked in the preseason to No. 8. The Longhorns had little trouble with Rice in their Southwest Conference opener, dispatching the Owls 72–15 as Erxleben unleashed a kick coach Fred Akers compared to a gunshot.
Impact: The New Orleans Saints drafted Erxleben 11th in the 1979 draft (no, seriously!). He spent six years in the NFL, primarily as a punter, and later served a pair of prison terms for white-collar crimes.
T-1. 67 Yards, Steve Little, Arkansas, 1977
Context: Two weeks after beating Rice, Texas—now No. 2—headed up to Fayetteville, Ark. to meet No. 8 Arkansas. The Longhorns could only watch in horror as Little dropped in a 67-yard field goal during a 13–9 Texas victory.
Impact: Like Erxleben, Little was a first-round draft pick, going 15th in 1978. His career was cut tragically short, however; a car accident rendered him a quadripalegic in 1980 and he died in 1999.
T-1. 67 Yards, Joe Williams, Wichita State, 1978
Context: An otherwise ordinary Missouri Valley Conference game became extraordinary when Williams booted a 67-yard field goal in Wichita State's 33-7 win over Southern Illinois; this is the most recent 67-yard field goal at the FBS level to date.
Impact: The Shockers abandoned football after the 1986 season, but Williams returned to campus to attempt another 67-yard field goal in 2008 (he was unsuccessful).
T-4. 65 Yards, Tony Franklin, Texas A&M, 1976
Context: Was there something in the water in that era's SWC? Texas A&M shut out Baylor 24–0 for its first conference win of the season thanks to Franklin's heroics. We'll here from him again momentarily.
Impact: A 10-year NFL career awaited Franklin, including a Pro Bowl appearance after a 1986 season where he led the league in scoring with the New England Patriots.
T-4. 65 Yards, Martin Gramatica, Kansas State, 1998
Context: For the No. 5 team in the country, Gramatica drained the longest recognized kick without a tee and the longest recognized kick with the goal posts at their current width (18 feet and six inches). Kansas State smashed Northern Illinois 73–7, and only an upset loss to Texas A&M in the Big 12 championship ended the Wildcats' drive for a national title.
Impact: The Buenos Aires native walked away from football with a Super Bowl ring and a Pro Bowl selection, both with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
T-6. 64 Yards, Russell Erxleben, Texas, 1977
Context: Remember him? Erxleben eagerly proved his kick against Rice was no fluke just a week later, helping No. 5 Texas down No. 2 Oklahoma 13–6 in the Red River Showdown.
Impact: See above.
T-6. 64 Yards, Tony Franklin, Texas A&M, 1976
Context: It's not just that Franklin hit a second 60-yard field goal over the course of his career. It's not just that he hit a second one in the 1976 season. Nope—Franklin hit a 65-yard field goal and a 64-yard field goal over the course of one glorious afternoon.
Impact: See above.
T-6. 64 Yards, Jose Martinez, UTEP, 2008
Context: Why not take advantage of a day where everything's going right? That's what UTEP did against UCF in Conference USA action, lining up the longest field goal of the 21st century for Martinez to extend their lead from 24–7 to 27–7 at the intermission of an eventual 58–13 win.
Impact: Martinez, a San Jose native, apparently returned to the Bay Area to spend time with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the old United Football League.
T-9. 63 Yards, Morten Andersen, Michigan State, 1981
Context: You may have heard of this guy, but few had when the Copenhagen native started at Michigan State in 1978. From a 7-for-16 showing his freshman year, Andersen gradually became one of college football's best kickers and nailed this conference-record bomb in a 27–13 loss to No. 8 Ohio State.
Impact: Andersen is one of two kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having spent 25 years with five teams and played his final game at the age of 47.
T-9. 63 Yards, Clark Kemble, Colorado State, 1975
Context: Fort Collins, Colo. is 5,000 feet above sea level. There's your context (Just kidding! Colorado State lost its second-to-last game of the 1975 season 31–9 to No. 12 Arizona, but Kemble did find time for a then-record boot).
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Longest Field Goals in Major College Football History.
