View source for Jan Stenerud

{{Short description|Norwegian-American football player (born 1942)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Jan Stenerud
| image         = JanStenerud.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           = 
| caption       = Stenerud in 2005
| number        = 3, 10
| position      = [[Placekicker]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1942|11|26}}
| birth_place   = [[Fetsund]], Norway
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 2
| weight_lb     = 187
| high_school   = 
| college       = [[Montana State Bobcats football|Montana State]] (1964–1966)
| afldraftyear  = 1966
| afldraftround = 3
| afldraftpick  = 24
| pastteams     =
* [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ([[1967 American Football League season|1967]]–{{NFL Year|1979}})
* [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{NFL Year|1980|1983}})
* [[Minnesota Vikings]] ({{NFL Year|1984|1985}})
| highlights    =
* [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl IV|IV]])
* [[American Football League playoffs|AFL champion]] ([[1969 American Football League Championship Game|1969]])
* 4× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1970 All-Pro Team|1970]], [[1971 All-Pro Team|1971]], [[1974 All-Pro Team|1974]], [[1984 All-Pro Team|1984]])
* 2× First-team [[American Football League All-League Team|All-AFL]]  ([[1968 All-AFL Team|1968]], [[1969 All-AFL Team|1969]])
* 2× Second-team All-Pro ([[1975 All-Pro Team|1975]], [[1976 All-Pro Team|1976]])
* Second-team All-AFL ([[1967 All-AFL Team|1967]])
* 4× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1971 Pro Bowl|1970]], [[1972 Pro Bowl|1971]], [[1976 Pro Bowl|1975]], [[1985 Pro Bowl|1984]])
* 2× [[AFL All-Star games|AFL All-Star]] (1968, 1969)
* [[NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team]]
* [[NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team]]
* [[Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame]]
* [[Kansas City Chiefs#Chiefs Hall of Fame|Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame]]
* [[Kansas City Chiefs#Retired numbers|Kansas City Chiefs No. 3]] retired
* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1966 College Football All-America Team|1966]])
* [[Montana State Bobcats football#Retired numbers|Montana State Bobcats No. 78]] retired
| statleague    = AFL/NFL
| statlabel1    = [[Field goal]]s attempted
| statvalue1    = 558
| statlabel2    = Field goals made
| statvalue2    = 373
| statlabel3    = Field goal percentage
| statvalue3    = 66.8%
| statlabel4    = Longest field goal
| statvalue4    = 55
| statlabel5    = [[Conversion (gridiron football)|Extra points]] attempted
| statvalue5    = 601
| statlabel6    = Extra points made
| statvalue6    = 580
| statlabel7    = Extra point percentage
| statvalue7    = 96.5%
| statlabel8    = Points scored
| statvalue8    = 1,699
| pfr           = S/stenejan01
| HOF           = jan-stenerud 
}}

'''Jan Stenerud''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|ɛ|n|ə|r|uː|d}}, {{IPA|no|ˈstèːnərʉːd|lang|No-Stenerud.ogg}}; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former professional [[American football|football]] [[placekicker]] who played in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and [[American Football League]] (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]. The first Norwegian NFL player, he played [[college football]] for the [[Montana State Bobcats football|Montana State Bobcats]] and earned [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] honors. Stenerud began his career in the AFL after being selected by the Chiefs during the [[1966 American Football League draft|1966 draft]] and joined the NFL following the [[AFL–NFL merger]]. Along with his 13 seasons in Kansas City, Stenerud was a member of the [[Green Bay Packers]] for four seasons and the [[Minnesota Vikings]] for two seasons until retiring in 1985.

Stenerud was a six-time [[all-star game|all-star]] (four NFL [[Pro Bowl]]s and two [[AFL All-Star games]]) during his career, as well as a four-time first-team [[All-Pro]] in the NFL and a two-time first-team [[American Football League All-League Team|All-AFL]]. The season prior to the AFL–NFL merger, he also helped the Chiefs win their first [[Super Bowl]] title in [[Super Bowl IV]]. He was inducted to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1991 as the first exclusive placekicker to receive the honor, a distinction he held alone until the induction of [[Morten Andersen]] in 2017.

==Early life and college==
Born in [[Fetsund]], in the county of [[Akershus]], [[Norway]] to parents Johan and Klara (Kjustad) Stenerud, Stenerud came to the [[United States]] as a college student, on a [[ski jumping]] [[Athletic scholarship|scholarship]] to [[Montana State University]] in [[Bozeman, Montana|Bozeman]].<ref name="stenerud2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/sportscenter/news/story?id=3836659 |title=Montana's Mt. Rushmore of Sports |date=February 2, 2009 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="conhh">{{Cite web |url=http://bobcatnation.com/node/299 |title=Hometown Hero: Bobcat legend Jan Stenerud honored by MSU, Pro Football Hall of Fame |last=Nuanez |first=Colter |date=April 25, 2013 |publisher=Bobcat Nation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108235630/http://bobcatnation.com/node/299 |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref> In the fall of 1964, Stenerud was training for the upcoming skiing season by running the stadium steps of [[Bobcat Stadium (Montana State University)#Previous venues|Gatton Field]], the football venue through 1971. That day, he was cooling down from a workout by kicking a football with injured halfback Dale Jackson. Stenerud had played [[Association football|soccer]] as a youth in Norway, and his right leg's prowess was observed by [[Montana State Bobcats men's basketball|basketball]] head coach Roger Craft, while he walked to the nearby [[Worthington Arena|Fieldhouse]].<ref name=conhh/> Craft notified [[Montana State Bobcats football|football]] head coach [[Jim Sweeney (American football, born 1929)|Jim Sweeney]] of the Norwegian ski jumper's kicking abilities, and Sweeney offered him a tryout, which was successful. Though ineligible for football competition that season, Sweeney encouraged Stenerud to suit up with the team for the final home game of 1964, to help him better understand the unfamiliar American game.<ref name="stbhhf">{{Cite web |url=https://msubobcats.com/news/2013/4/19/FB_0419132647.aspx |title=Stenerud to be honored by Hall of Fame in Bozeman Thursday |date=April 19, 2013 |publisher=Montana State University Athletics |access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="blstbeh">{{Cite news |url=http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/bobcat-legend-stenerud-to-be-honored-in-bozeman/article_552141a8-adcc-11e2-a678-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Bobcat legend Stenerud to be honored in Bozeman |date=April 25, 2013 |work=Missoulian |access-date=January 8, 2014 |agency=''Billings Gazette'' news services |location=Montana}}</ref>

Following the skiing season, Stenerud joined the football team for spring drills in 1965 and as a junior that fall he kicked a 59-yard field goal, then a college football record, in a 24–7 home win over [[Montana–Montana State football rivalry|rival]] [[Montana Grizzlies football|Montana]].<ref name=stbhhf/><ref name="ergnvy7">{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t_9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4553%2C1107659 |title=Montana State, 24–7 |date=November 7, 1965 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |access-date=December 18, 2019 |agency=Associated Press |location=Oregon |page=3B}}</ref> In 2013, Stenerud recalled that he had a significant tail-wind aiding him on that kick in Bozeman; the ensuing kick-off went over the end-zone bleachers at Gatton Field,<ref name=blstbeh/> whose [[elevation]] exceeded {{convert|4900|ft|m|round=5}} above [[sea level]].<ref name="59yardFieldGoal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.missoulian.com/specials/UM-MSU100/C1.html |title=The distinctions aren't as easy to make any more, but, God willing, some things will never change |last=Cummings |first=Rial |publisher=Missoulian.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010308151828/http://www.missoulian.com/specials/UM-MSU100/C1.html |archive-date=March 8, 2001 |access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref> He was named an [[1966 College Football All-America Team|All-American]] by ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]'' as a senior in [[1966 NCAA College Division football season|1966]],<ref name=blstbeh/> and was also an All-American in ski jumping and a three-time [[Big Sky Conference|Big Sky]] champion.<ref name=stenerud3>{{cite web | last=Putnam | first=Pat | title=Big kick out of a strange game | website=Sports Illustrated Vault | date=1968-11-04 | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/11/04/big-kick-out-of-a-strange-game | access-date=2024-10-12}}</ref>

==Professional career==
{{blp sources section|date=July 2025}}
[[File:Jan stenerud chiefs signed photo.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Stenerud with the KC Chiefs, c. 1967]]
Stenerud was one of the first professional football players to be used as a dedicated kicker, because of his excellent "sharpshooting" ball-kicking performance.  He was one of the first placekickers to use the "[[soccer style]]", a technique the Hungarian-born [[Pete Gogolak]] had recently introduced in the [[American Football League|AFL]].  
During his first three years as professional, the last seasons for the AFL, Stenerud hit 70% of his field goals, compared with a 53% average for the other kickers in the AFL and NFL.

The Chiefs were the final AFL champions in [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|1969]], and they met the NFL Champion [[1969 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] in [[Super Bowl IV]] in [[New Orleans]]. The underdog Chiefs won 23–7, and Stenerud kicked three field goals, scoring the first nine points of the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl IV – Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs – January 11th, 1970 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197001110kan.htm |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>  His first, a 48-yarder, was the longest field goal in a Super Bowl for 24 years, exceeded by [[Steve Christie]] of the [[1993 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] in [[Super Bowl XXVIII]] in January [[1993 NFL season|1994]].

On [[Christmas Day]] [[1971 Kansas City Chiefs season|1971]], the Chiefs hosted the [[1971 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] in an [[1971–72 NFL playoffs#Divisional playoffs|AFC divisional playoff game]]. In perhaps his toughest day as a professional, Stenerud made a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter, but then missed from 29 and 32 yards, the latter with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, and had a 42-yarder blocked three minutes into overtime.<ref name="kcllt">{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SpJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5459%2C2786331 |title=Kicker climaxes longest tussle |date=December 27, 1971 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |access-date=December 18, 2019 |agency=Associated Press |location=Washington |page=16}}</ref> The Dolphins won 27–24 in double overtime, on a 37-yard field goal by [[Garo Yepremian]].<ref name=upup>{{Cite magazine |last=Underwood |first=John |date=January 3, 1972 |title=Up, up, up and away |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1972/01/03/576281/up-up-up-and-away<!--http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085666/index.htm--> |magazine=Sports Illustrated |page=12}}</ref><ref name="yvlongm">{{Cite news |date=December 26, 1971 |title=Yepremian boots FG in long battle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4WVcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vVYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1695%2C3819433 |access-date=December 18, 2019 |work=Youngstown Vindicator|via=Google News |location=Ohio |page=D-1 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The game, also the last the Chiefs played in Kansas City's [[Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)|Municipal Stadium]], remains the longest in NFL history as of {{NFL year|2023}}, <!--through January 2024-->at 82 minutes, 40 seconds of playing time.

[[File:Jan Stenerud.JPG|thumb|200px|Stenerud's name in the Chiefs' ring of honor at [[Arrowhead Stadium]], June 2008]]
Stenerud retired after the [[1985 Minnesota Vikings season|1985]] season, his 19th (3 AFL, 16 NFL).<ref>{{cite web | title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Stenerud to Retire | website=The New York Times | date=1985-12-20 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/20/sports/sports-people-stenerud-to-retire.html | access-date=2025-08-03}}</ref> He converted 373 out of 558 field goals (67 percent) and 580 out of 601 extra points (97%) for a total of 1,699 points scored. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-tenured (19 years) professional football player to have played in the AFL.

Enshrined in 1991, Stenerud, along with [[George Blanda]], [[Lou Groza]], [[Ray Guy]], and 2017 inductee [[Morten Andersen]], is one of only five kicking specialists in the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]], and is one of three who did not play another position (Blanda played [[quarterback]], Groza was a [[Tackle (American and Canadian football)|tackle]]). The Chiefs retired Stenerud's jersey number 3 in his honor. In 1991, he was inducted into the [[Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.packers.com/history/hof/jan-stenerud | title = Jan Stenereud | last = Christl | first = Cliff | author-link = Cliff Christl | website = Packers.com | access-date = September 20, 2023 | archive-date = May 23, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230523021845/https://www.packers.com/history/hof/jan-stenerud | url-status = live }}</ref> He was selected to the [[National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team|NFL's 75th Anniversary Team]] in 1994 and to the [[National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team|NFL's 100th Anniversary Team]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL 100 All Time Team |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/nfl-100-all-time-team.htm |access-date=2025-07-12 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

In recent years, Stenerud has been involved in a Kansas City firm involved in designing stadiums and sports arenas. He also worked as a commentator for Scandinavian TV channel [[TV3 (Viasat)|TV3]]'s Super Bowl Sunday coverage in the 1990s, and still maintains strong ties with his native Norway. The street where he grew up, in the municipality Fetsund, was renamed in his honor.

==Career regular season statistics==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|
| Won the [[Super Bowl]]
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| style="width:3em;"|'''Bold'''
| Career high
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Season||Team||{{abbr|G|Games}}||{{abbr|FGM|Field goals made}}||{{abbr|FGA|Field goals attempted}}||{{abbr|%|Field goal percentage}} ||{{abbr|LNG|Longest field goal}}||{{abbr|XPM|Extra points made}}||{{abbr|XPA|Extra points attempted}}||{{abbr|%|Extra point percentage}}||{{abbr|PTS|Points}}
|-
| [[1967 American Football League season|1967]] || [[1967 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || style="background:#cfecec;"|21 || style="background:#cfecec;"|36 || 58.3 || style="background:#cfecec;"|54 || 45 || 45 || '''100.0''' || 108
|-
| [[1968 American Football League season|1968]] || [[1968 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || '''30''' || 40 || style="background:#cfecec;"|75.0 || style="background:#cfecec;"|52 || 39 || 40 || 97.5 || '''129'''
|-
| [[1969 American Football League season|1969]] || style="background:#afe6ba;"|[[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 27 || 35 || style="background:#cfecec;"|77.1 || style="background:#cfecec;"|54 || 38 || 38 || '''100.0''' || 119
|-
| [[1970 NFL season|1970]] || [[1970 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''30''' || 42 || 71.4 || '''55''' || 26 || 26 || '''100.0''' || 116
|-
| [[1971 NFL season|1971]] || [[1971 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 26 || '''44''' || 59.1 || style="background:#cfecec;"|54 || 32 || 32 || '''100.0''' || 110
|-
| [[1972 NFL season|1972]] || [[1972 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 21 || 36 || 58.3 || 50 || 32 || 32 ||'''100.0''' || 95
|-
| [[1973 NFL season|1973]] || [[1973 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 24 || 38 || 63.2 || 47 || 21 || 23 || 91.3 || 93
|-
| [[1974 NFL season|1974]] || [[1974 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 17 || 24 || 70.8 || 50 || 24 || 26 || 92.3 || 75
|-
| [[1975 NFL season|1975]] || [[1975 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || style="background:#cfecec;"|22 || 32 || 68.8 || 51 || 30 || 31 || 96.8 || 96
|-
| [[1976 NFL season|1976]] || [[1976 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 21 || style="background:#cfecec;"|38 || 55.3 || 52 || 27 || 33 || 81.8 || 90
|-
| [[1977 NFL season|1977]] || [[1977 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 14 || 8 || 18 || 44.4 || 37 || 27 || 28 || 96.4 || 51
|-
| [[1978 NFL season|1978]] || [[1978 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 20 || 30 || 66.7 || 47 || 25 || 26 || 96.2 || 85
|-
| [[1979 NFL season|1979]] || [[1979 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 12 || 23 || 52.2 || 46 || 28 || 29 || 96.6 || 64
|-
| [[1980 NFL season|1980]] || [[1980 Green Bay Packers season|GB]]
| 4 || 3 || 5 || 60.0 || 40 || 3 || 3 || '''100.0''' || 12
|-
| [[1981 NFL season|1981]] || [[1981 Green Bay Packers season|GB]]
| 16 || 22 || 24 || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''91.7''' || 53 || 35 || 36 || 97.2 || 101
|-
| [[1982 NFL season|1982]] || [[1982 Green Bay Packers season|GB]]
| 9 || 13 || 18 || 72.2 || 48 || 25 || 27 || 92.6 || 64
|-
| [[1983 NFL season|1983]] || [[1983 Green Bay Packers season|GB]]
| 16 || 21 || 26 || 80.8 || 48 || '''52''' || '''52''' || '''100.0''' || 115
|-
| [[1984 NFL season|1984]] || [[1984 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 20 || 23 || style="background:#cfecec;"|87.0 || 54 || 30 || 31 || 96.8 || 90
|-
| [[1985 NFL season|1985]] || [[1985 Minnesota Vikings season|MIN]]
| 16 || 15 || 26 || 57.7 || 49 || 41 || 43 || 95.3 || 86
|-
!colspan="2"|[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/stenejan01.htm Career] || 263 || 373 || 558 || 66.8 || 55 || 580 || 601 || 96.5 || 1,699
|}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Profootballhof|id=203}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=Jan-Stenerud
|cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=stenejan01 |dbf=STENEJAN01 |rotoworld=}}

{{Navboxes
| title = 
| list1 =
{{Super Bowl IV}}
{{NFL75}}
{{NFL100}}
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{{Chiefs Retired Numbers}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame}}
{{Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame}}
{{1991 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stenerud, Jan}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]
[[Category:American football placekickers]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Vikings players]]
[[Category:Montana State Bobcats football players]]
[[Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:NFL players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Norwegian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Norwegian players of American football]]
[[Category:People from Lillestrøm]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Akershus]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame]]