Honoring Tom Dempsey, the kicker who defied the odds with a toeless foot and set a field goal record that stood for 43 years in the NFL.

On April 4, 2020, NFL legend Tom Dempsey, who set an iconic field goal record with the New Orleans Saints almost 50 years ago, passed away in New Orleans at age 73. Dempsey had been battling Alzheimer's disease and dementia since 2012, and it was reported that complications from COVID-19, which he contracted in March, led to his death. Read on to discover more about his extraordinary life.

As the New Orleans Saints faced a grim situation on the night of November 8, 1970, during a televised game against the Detroit Lions at Tulane Stadium, things seemed hopeless. With just two seconds left, and down 17-16, they were positioned on their own 37-yard line, leaving them needing a 63-yard field goal to win.

With no other viable options left, Saints head coach J.D. Roberts, who had just joined the team the week before, consulted with offensive coordinator Don Heinrich. Then, unexpectedly, Tom Dempsey, the kicker who had joined the team the previous year, stepped forward and confidently stated, 'I can kick it.'

Dempsey would later admit that he had no idea how far the ball needed to travel or that his kick would set an NFL record. Had he known, he confessed, he might have become too nervous and missed the shot. But kicking was his thing, even though he was born with only half of a right foot.

Heinrich let out a sigh, recognizing there were no other options. 'Tell Stumpy to get ready,' he instructed.

Dempsey was born on January 12, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before moving with his family to California. At San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, California, Dempsey was unfazed by his congenital condition, which left him with a partial right foot and four missing fingers. He participated in wrestling and track, and on the football field, his imposing size—standing 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 255 pounds—allowed him to dominate opponents as an offensive lineman. Coaches turned to him when they wanted to send opponents flying.

After high school, Dempsey attended Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, California, where he played defensive end. During a time when the team needed a kicker, the coach had the players line up to see who could kick the farthest. Dempsey out-kicked them all, and he soon became the team's kicker, performing barefoot with his foot wrapped in athletic tape.

Dempsey's time at Palomar prepared him for a dual role as both a lineman and a kicker. His strength, which made him a formidable force on the field, occasionally led to trouble off it, eventually getting him kicked off the team for punching one of his coaches. Afterward, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers but found the physicality of professional football too intense. Rather than continue as an offensive lineman, he focused on his kicking talent. In 1968, he joined the San Diego Chargers practice squad, where head coach Sid Gillman supported his new position with some adjustments.

Gillman enlisted an orthopedist to create a custom leather boot for Dempsey. The shoe featured a 1.75-inch thick block of leather at one end, designed to be mostly flat. Instead of kicking the ball in a traditional soccer style, Dempsey was able to swing his leg like a mallet, using the flat surface to hammer the ball.

The shoe, costing $200 to create, proved crucial when Dempsey joined the New Orleans Saints in 1969. That season, he made 22 out of 41 field goals as a rookie, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, the 1970 season was rough, and the Saints found themselves with a 1-5-1 record when they faced off against the Detroit Lions that November evening.

With just two seconds left, 'Stumpy' (a nickname Dempsey always found endearing) jogged onto the field. To break the record, he needed to kick a 63-yard field goal, surpassing the previous record of 56 yards set by Bert Rechichar of the Baltimore Colts in 1953 by seven yards.

No one seemed to think this was even remotely possible—CBS commentator Don Criqui's voice practically carried a chuckle as he announced Dempsey's attempt. Even the Lions appeared indifferent, showing little concern about attempting to block the play.

The ball was snapped by Jackie Burkett and received by Joe Scarpati, who gave it a quarter-turn. Dempsey recalled the advice of kicking legend Lou 'The Toe' Groza: Keep your head down and follow through. He stepped toward the ball, swinging his leg like a croquet mallet, striking the football with such force that those nearby described it as a loud bang or the sound of a cannon. The ball soared 63 yards to the goal post, which was positioned directly on the goal line, barely clearing the crossbar.

Below, the referee raised his hands to signal that the kick was good, adding a little hop of excitement. Dempsey was quickly surrounded by his teammates and coaches. Don Criqui's tone in the booth shifted from amusement to pure disbelief. The Saints had won, 19-17.

'I don’t believe this,' Criqui exclaimed.

Neither could the fans. In an era before instant replay, ESPN, or YouTube, you either witnessed Dempsey's game-winning kick firsthand or heard about it from others the next week at work or school. Its fleeting nature gave rise to stories in schoolyards and offices, where people speculated that Dempsey's kick may have been enhanced by a steel plate or some other modification to improve his kicking power.

Despite there being no proof, criticism still arose. Tex Schramm, an executive with the Dallas Cowboys and the chairman of the NFL's competition committee, argued that Dempsey's shoe gave him an unfair edge, allowing him to hit the ball like a golf club striking a dimpled target. In 1977, the NFL enacted the 'Tom Dempsey Rule,' which required players to wear shoes shaped like a full foot, eliminating any allowances for specially designed orthopedic footwear.

Dempsey seemed to handle the situation with ease. After his iconic kick, he received a congratulatory letter from President Richard Nixon, praising him for his inspiring display. Immediately following the game, police officers celebrated with him, handing him cases of Dixie beer. Dempsey's girlfriend, Carlene (who would later become his wife), recalled that he didn't return home for days due to the non-stop partying. When things finally calmed down, they got married.

Dempsey spent 11 years in the NFL, playing for the Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Rams, the Houston Oilers, and finally the Buffalo Bills. Over his career, he successfully made 159 field goals out of 258 attempts. After retiring in 2008, he worked in the oil industry and managed a car dealership before settling back near New Orleans. Dempsey frequently appeared at autograph events, where he was often asked about the one kick that defined his legendary career.

Equally impressive as the kick itself was how long it remained in the record books. Several players tied Dempsey's record, but it wasn't until Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos kicked a 64-yard field goal on December 8, 2013—nearly 43 years to the day—that the record was finally broken. Some commentators argue that many of these notable field goals were kicked in Denver, where the thinner air is thought to be more conducive to long-distance kicks. Dempsey, however, set his record in New Orleans—without toes.

Interestingly, Dempsey's remarkable field goal had a precursor one year earlier. On October 5, 1969, he kicked a 55-yard field goal in Los Angeles, just one yard shy of the record he would shatter the following year.