View source for Rob Bironas

{{Short description|American football player (1978–2014)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Rob Bironas
| image = Rob-Bironas-TitansvsPackers-Nov-2-08.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Bironas with the Tennessee Titans in 2008
| number = 2
| position = [[Placekicker]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1978|1|29|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2014|9|20|1978|1|29}}
| death_place = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 210
| high_school = [[Trinity High School (Louisville)|Trinity]]<br>([[St. Matthews, Kentucky]])
| college = {{ubl|[[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]] (1997–1999)|[[Georgia Southern Eagles football|Georgia Southern]] (2000)}}
| undraftedyear = 2001
| pastteams =
* [[Green Bay Packers]] ({{NFL Year|2002}})*
* [[Charleston Swamp Foxes]] ({{af2 Year|2003}})
* [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{NFL Year|2003}})*
* [[Carolina Cobras]] ({{AFL Year|2004}})
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ({{NFL Year|2004}})*
* [[New York Dragons]] ({{AFL Year|2005}})
* [[Tennessee Titans]] ({{NFL Year|2005|2013}})
| highlights =
* First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[2007 All-Pro Team|2007]])
* [[Pro Bowl]] ([[2008 Pro Bowl|2007]])
* ''PFW'' [[Golden Toe Award]] (2007)
; NFL records
* Most field goals made in a game: 8
* Most points scored in a game, no touchdowns: 26
| statlabel1 = [[Field goal (American and Canadian football)|Field goals]]
| statvalue1 = 239
| statlabel2 = Field goal attempts
| statvalue2 = 279
| statlabel3 = Field goal %
| statvalue3 = 85.6
| statlabel4 = Longest field goal
| statvalue4 = 60
| pfr = bironrob01 
}}
'''James Robert Douglas Bironas''' (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[placekicker]] who played the majority of his professional career with the [[Tennessee Titans]]. He played [[college football]] for [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn University]] and [[Georgia Southern Eagles football|Georgia Southern University]].

He was originally signed by the [[Green Bay Packers]] as an [[undrafted free agent]] in 2002. Bironas' active professional career began in [[Arena football]] where he was a member of the [[Charleston Swamp Foxes]], [[Carolina Cobras]], and the [[New York Dragons]] and had intermittent offseason stints with the NFL's [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] and the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]. In 2005, he signed with the Titans, with whom he played for nine seasons and was an [[All-Pro]] and [[Pro Bowl]] selection in 2007. Bironas was killed in a car crash on September 20, 2014.

==Early life==
Bironas attended [[Trinity High School (Louisville)|Trinity High School]] in Louisville, Kentucky, and was a four-year varsity letterman in [[Association football|soccer]], a two-year varsity letterman in football and [[swimming (sport)|swimming]], and added a one-year letterman in [[track and field]]. He graduated in 1996.

==College career==
Bironas attended [[Auburn University]], where he played for the [[Auburn Tigers football]] team from 1997 to 1999. He was a semi-finalist for the [[Lou Groza Award]] in 1998 after making 12 of 16 field goal attempts (including two successful {{convert|49|yd|adj=on}} tries with the four misses from 40+) and making all 18 PATs for a team-high 54 points. The following season, new head coach [[Tommy Tuberville]] replaced Bironas, the preseason All-SEC kicker of the [[Auburn Tigers football|football team]], with the punter, [[Damon Duval]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/auburn-suspends-two-players/ |title=Auburn Suspends Two Players |publisher=CBS News |date=February 11, 2009 |access-date=October 7, 2012}}</ref> Bironas later transferred to [[Georgia Southern University]], where his brother was on the soccer team, for his final year of collegiate eligibility, and played for the [[Georgia Southern Eagles football]] team. Bironas won the 2000 [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA National Championship]] while playing with the Eagles, before returning to graduate from Auburn with a bachelor's degree in marketing.

==Professional career==
===Early career and arena football (2001–2004)===
Bironas signed with the [[Green Bay Packers]] in 2002 as an undrafted free agent, before being released before the season began. Bironas then began playing in the [[Arena Football League (1987–2008)|Arena Football League]]'s minor league system ([[af2]]), where he spent the 2003 season with the [[Charleston Swamp Foxes]], making 12 of 27 field goal attempts that season. During the 2003 NFL offseason, he signed with the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], and was again released before the season began. In 2004, he moved up to the [[Arena Football League]] with the [[Carolina Cobras]] converting 17 of 40 field goal attempts and 70 of 89 extra point tries. In 2004, he returned to the NFL and signed with the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], with whom his stint was again no longer than a preseason. He therefore returned to arena football, spending the 2005 season with the [[New York Dragons]] before signing with the Titans, connecting on 7 of 16 field goal attempts and 99 of 117 extra point attempts for the AFL's New York Dragons.

===Tennessee Titans (2005–2013)===
[[File:Rob Bironas 2010-09-12.jpg|thumb|Bironas attempts a field goal during the [[2010 Tennessee Titans season|2010 season]] against the [[Oakland Raiders]]]]
In 2005, Bironas signed as an unrestricted free agent with the [[Tennessee Titans]], where he finished his first season with the Titans converting 23 of 29 field goals attempts (79.3%) and 30 of 32 extra points attempts (93.8%). Bironas finished the season with 11 touchbacks, which tied him for fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL.

In 2006, Bironas built on his previous success and kicked four game winning field goals, including one of 60 yards against the [[Indianapolis Colts]], which tied as the eighth-longest in NFL history.

In 2007, Bironas was named the AFC Player of the Month for the month of October. He made 13 of 14 field goals (92.9 percent) and all six PATs as he helped the Titans earn a 3-1 (.750) record for the month. He accounted for 45 of the team's 81 points in October. In the Titans' three wins in October, Bironas connected on 12 of 13 field goals, including an NFL-record eight field goals in one game (52, 25, 21, 30, 28, 43, 29 and 29 yards).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3075383|title=Bironas' record eight FGs another stepping-stone on odd journey|work=ESPN|date=October 26, 2007|access-date=January 25, 2016|first=William|last= Bendetson}}</ref> This record effort also included the game-winning kick against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on October 21. In the same game, he tied the existing record of five field goals made in a single half. Bironas was selected to the NFL's All-Pro Team and the Pro Bowl.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story/09000d5d8053e617/article/titans-haynesworth-vanden-bosch-bironas-picked-for-pro-bowl|title=Titans' Haynesworth, Vanden Bosch, Bironas picked for Pro Bowl|work=NFL.com|date=December 18, 2007|access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>

On February 28, 2008, the Titans tendered Bironas to a one-year, $1.417 million contract as a [[restricted free agent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d806f0028/article/titans-waive-givens-offer-deals-to-bironas-scaife-stewart|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201005425/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d806f0028/article/titans-waive-givens-offer-deals-to-bironas-scaife-stewart|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2016|title=Titans waive Givens, offer deals to Bironas, Scaife, Stewart|work=NFL.com|date=February 28, 2008|access-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> He signed his tender on May 9, 2008.

On February 18, 2009, the Titans re-signed Bironas to a four-year $12 million contract with $5 million guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80ed481b/article/bironas-goes-from-arena-league-to-star-to-fouryear-deal-with-titans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201003814/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80ed481b/article/bironas-goes-from-arena-league-to-star-to-fouryear-deal-with-titans|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2016|title=Bironas goes from Arena League to star to four-year deal with Titans|work=NFL.com|date=February 19, 2009|access-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref>

The Titans and Bironas agreed to a two-year contract extension on March 7, 2013, worth $6.7 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000147688/article/report-rob-bironas-tennessee-titans-reach-contract|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131220305/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000147688/article/report-rob-bironas-tennessee-titans-reach-contract|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2016|title=Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans agree on new contract|work=NFL.com|date=March 7, 2013|access-date=January 25, 2016|first=Dan|last= Hanzus}}</ref>

The Titans released Bironas on March 19, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/10633160/tennessee-titans-release-long-kicker-rob-bironas|title=Titans cut Rob Bironas|work=ESPN|date=March 19, 2014|access-date=January 25, 2016|first=Paul|last=Kuharsky}}</ref>

==NFL career statistics==
=== Field goals ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|{{tooltip|GP|Games played}} !! colspan="8"|Field goals !! colspan="3"|Extra points !! rowspan="2"|Total points
|-
! {{tooltip|FGM|Field goals made}} !! {{tooltip|FGA|Field goals attempted}} !! {{tooltip|FG%|Field goals percentage}} !! {{tooltip|20−29|Field goals between 20 and 29 yards}} !! {{tooltip|30−39|Field goals between 30 and 39 yards}} !! {{tooltip|40−49|Field goals between 40 and 49 yards}} !! {{tooltip|50+|Field goals 50 yards or over}} !! {{tooltip|Lng|Longest successful field goal}} !! {{tooltip|XPM|Extra points made}} !! {{tooltip|XPA|Extra points attempted}} !! {{tooltip|XP%|Extra point percentage}}
|-
! [[2005 NFL season|2005]] !! [[2005 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 23 || 29 || 79.3 || 10−10 || 6−7 || 5−7 || 2−5 || 53 || 30 || 32 || 93.8 || 99
|-
! [[2006 NFL season|2006]] !! [[2006 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 22 || 28 || 78.6 || 10−11 || 7−7 || 4−8 || 1−2 || 60 || 32 || 32 || 100.0 || 98
|-
! [[2007 NFL season|2007]] !! [[2007 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 35 || 39 || 89.7 || 10−12 || 12−12 || 9−10 || 4−5 || 56 || 28 || 28 || 100.0 || 133
|-
! [[2008 NFL season|2008]] !! [[2008 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 29 || 33 || 87.9 || 6−6 || 7−7 || 15−19 || 1−1 || 51 || 40 || 40 || 100.0 || 127
|-
! [[2009 NFL season|2009]] !! [[2009 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 27 || 32 || 84.4 || 8−8 || 4−6 || 10−12 || 5−6 || 53 || 37 || 37 || 100.0 || 118
|-
! [[2010 NFL season|2010]] !! [[2010 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 24 || 26 || 92.3 || 6−6 || 8−9 || 8−8 || 2−3 || 55 || 38 || 38 || 100.0 || 110
|-
! [[2011 NFL season|2011]] !! [[2011 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 29 || 32 || 90.6 || 5−5 || 9−10 || 9−10 || 6−7 || 53 || 34 || 34 || 100.0 || 121
|-
! [[2012 NFL season|2012]] !! [[2012 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 25 || 31 || 80.6 || 6−6 || 13−13 || 5−10 || 1−2 || 53 || 35 || 35 || 100.0 || 110
|-
! [[2013 NFL season|2013]] !! [[2013 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 25 || 29 || 86.2 || 10−10 || 8−9 || 5−7 || 2−3 || 55 || 41 || 41 || 100.0 || 116
|-
! colspan="2"|Career !! 144 !! 239 !! 279 !! 85.7 !! 71−74 !! 74−80 !! 70−91 !! 24−34 !! 60 !! 315 !! 317 !! 99.4 !! 1,032
|}

=== Kickoffs ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|{{tooltip|GP|Games played}} !! colspan="9"|Kickoffs
|-
! {{tooltip|KO|Kickoffs}} !! {{tooltip|Yds|Kickoff yardage}} !! {{tooltip|Avg|Average kickoff yardage}} !! {{tooltip|TB|Touchbacks}} !! {{tooltip|Ret|Kick returns}} !! {{tooltip|Avg|Average kick return yardage}} !! {{tooltip|TD|Touchdowns}} !! {{tooltip|OSK|Onside kicks}} !! {{tooltip|OSKR|Onside kicks recovered}}
|-
! [[2005 NFL season|2005]] !! [[2005 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 71 || 4,557 || 64.2 || 11 || 57 || 22.6 || 0 || 2 || 0
|-
! [[2006 NFL season|2006]] !! [[2006 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 70 || 4,356 || 62.2 || 10 || 57 || 22.1 || 0 || 1 || 0
|-
! [[2007 NFL season|2007]] !! [[2007 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 75 || 5,071 || 67.6 || 16 || 58 || 24.2 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2008 NFL season|2008]] !! [[2008 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 85 || 5,708 || 67.2 || 22 || 61 || 25.0 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[2009 NFL season|2009]] !! [[2009 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 81 || 5,199 || 64.2 || 7 || 71 || 24.1 || 1 || 2 || 1
|-
! [[2010 NFL season|2010]] !! [[2010 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 76 || 5,071 || 66.7 || 17 || 56 || 24.8 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
! [[2011 NFL season|2011]] !! [[2011 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 78 || 4,991 || 64.0 || 44 || 30 || 22.7 || 0 || 2 || 1
|-
! [[2012 NFL season|2012]] !! [[2012 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 74 || 4,725 || 63.9 || 37 || 33 || 26.1 || 1 || 3 || 0
|-
! [[2013 NFL season|2013]] !! [[2013 Tennessee Titans season|TEN]]
| 16 || 80 || 4,891 || 61.1 || 32 || 42 || 24.8 || 0 || 5 || 1
|-
! colspan="2"|Career !! 144 !! 690 !! 44,569 !! 64.6 !! 196 !! 465 !! 24.0 !! 3 !! 17 !! 5
|}

===Records and honors===
* AFC Special Teams Player of the Week – 2006 (Week 13), 2007 (Week 7)
* AFC Special Teams Player of the Month – October 2007
* Most NFL game-winning field goals in a season – 2005 (4; tied, most recently, [[Josh Brown (American football)|Josh Brown]])
* Most field goals in a game – October 21, 2007 at Houston Texans (8)
* Most points by a kicker in a game – October 21, 2007 at Houston Texans (26)
* Second-most points scored in a game in franchise history – October 21, 2007 at Houston Texans (26; first place – Billy Cannon (30))
* Most points scored by any player in a game played in Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio) – 26
* Most field goals in a half – October 21, 2007 at Houston Texans (5; tied with [[Morten Andersen]], [[Chris Boniol]], [[Mike Nugent]])
* [[2008 Pro Bowl]] selection
* Led Tennessee Titans in scoring in both 2005 and 2006
* Second place on franchise's all-time scoring list
* Second place on franchise's all-time field goal list
* Selected to All-Pro Team in 2007 and 2008
* Most consecutive games with a 40+ yard field goal in NFL history – 10

==Charitable work==
{{unreferenced section|date=February 2024}}
Bironas founded The Rob Bironas Fund in 2008. The Nashville-based nonprofit is part of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and works to give Nashville youth ways to engage with and be educated by area musicians. The fund finances tools, education and leadership to help Nashville youth achieve scholastic excellence through music education. The fund has partnered with both the [[Nashville Symphony]] and [[Country Music Hall of Fame]].

Bironas was a board member of the Nashville Symphony, and worked to provide help to needy children through the Kicks for Kids program. He was also a member of [[Phi Kappa Tau]] fraternity, where he contributed to charity and philanthropy.

==Personal life==
In June 2014, Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of former NFL and [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] quarterback [[Terry Bradshaw]].<ref>[http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81437515/ "Former NFL kicker Rob Bironas killed in car crash in Tennessee,"] ''Chicago Tribune'', September 21, 2014</ref> Bironas was of [[Lithuanians|Lithuanian]] descent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indianapolis Colts Still Perfect: 12-0|url=http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.culture.baltics/2005-12/msg00142.html|website=newsgroups.derkeiler.com|access-date=October 18, 2016|date=December 5, 2005}}</ref>

==Death==
On September 20, 2014, at approximately 11 p.m., Bironas was killed in a car crash. He lost control of his 2009 [[GMC Denali#2009|Yukon Denali]] and swerved off the road, flipped several times, hit several trees, and finally landed upside down in a ditch. He was transported to [[Vanderbilt University Medical Center]] but was pronounced dead on arrival.<ref>Jim Wyatt, [http://www.tennessean.com/story/titansinsider/2014/09/21/titans-rob-bironas-nfl-metro-police/16001413/ "Rob Bironas, Former Titans Kicker, Killed in Car Crash,"] ''The Tennessean'', September 21, 2014.</ref> Witnesses said that Bironas had been driving aggressively prior to the crash.<ref>Jim Wyatt, [http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/22/woman-says-rob-bironas-tried-run-road/16077271/ "Woman: Rob Bironas Tried to Run Me Off the Road,"] ''The Tennessean'', September 23, 2014.</ref> [[Toxicology]] reports released 11 days later revealed that Bironas' [[blood alcohol content|blood alcohol level]] had been 0.218 percent, almost three times the legal limit of 0.08 in the state of Tennessee. Autopsy reports showed Bironas died from [[blunt force trauma]] as a result of crashing the car.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wyatt |first1=Jim |title=Toxicology report: Rob Bironas had 0.218 blood alcohol |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2014/10/03/rob-bironas-toxicology-report-death-tennessee-titans/16671419/ |website=USA Today |access-date=February 9, 2024 |date=October 3, 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080211193803/http://robbironas.com/ Official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926220631/http://www.titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=295%2F Tennessee Titans bio]
* {{Find a Grave|136199680}}

{{2000 Georgia Southern Eagles football navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bironas, Rob}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American football placekickers]]
[[Category:American people of Lithuanian descent]]
[[Category:Auburn Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Carolina Cobras players]]
[[Category:Charleston Swamp Foxes players]]
[[Category:Georgia Southern Eagles football players]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:New York Dragons players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players]]
[[Category:Tennessee Titans players]]
[[Category:Trinity High School (Louisville) alumni]]
[[Category:Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Nashville, Tennessee)]]