View source for Sebastian Janikowski

{{Short description|Polish-born American football player (born 1978)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Sebastian Janikowski
| image       = Sebastian Janikowski.JPG
| image_size  =
| alt         = 
| caption     = Janikowski with the [[Oakland Raiders]] in 2012
| number      = 11
| position    = [[Placekicker]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1978|3|2|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wałbrzych]], Poland
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 1
| weight_lb   = 260
| high_school = [[Seabreeze High School|Seabreeze]] {{nowrap|([[Daytona Beach, Florida]], U.S.)}}
| college     = [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]] (1997–1999)
| draftyear   = 2000
| draftround  = 1
| draftpick   = 17
| pastteams   =
* [[Oakland Raiders]] ({{NFL Year|2000|2017}})
* [[Seattle Seahawks]] ({{NFL Year|2018}})
| highlights  =
* Second-team [[All-Pro]] ([[2011 All-Pro Team|2011]])
* [[Pro Bowl]] ([[2012 Pro Bowl|2011]])
* [[BCS National Championship Game|BCS national champion]] ([[2000 Sugar Bowl|1999]])
* 2× [[Lou Groza Award]] (1998, 1999)
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[1999 College Football All-America Team|1999]])
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1998 College Football All-America Team|1998]])
* 2× First-team [[List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference football teams|All-ACC]] ([[1998 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team|1998]], [[1999 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team|1999]])
* Second-team All-ACC ([[1997 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team|1997]])
| statlabel1  = [[Field goal]]s made
| statvalue1  = 436
| statlabel2  = Field goals attempted
| statvalue2  = 542
| statlabel3  = Field goal percentage
| statvalue3  = 80.4%
| statlabel4  = Longest field goal
| statvalue4  = 63
| statlabel5  = Points scored
| statvalue5  = 1,913
| pfr         = J/janikseb01 
}}

'''Sebastian Paweł Janikowski''' ({{IPA|pl|sɛˈbastjan jaɲiˈkɔfskʲi}}; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former professional player of [[American football]] who was a [[placekicker]] for 18 seasons in the [[National Football League]] (NFL), primarily with the [[Oakland Raiders]]. He played [[college football]] for the [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State Seminoles]] and was selected 17th overall in the [[2000 NFL draft]] by the Raiders.<ref name="si">{{Cite magazine |last=Banks |first=Don |date=June 22, 2016 |title=The winding NFL road of Sebastian Janikowski |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/06/22/sebastian-janikowski-career-profile-oakland-raiders |access-date=July 22, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref> During his final season, Janikowski played for the [[Seattle Seahawks]].

One of only five NFL kickers to be selected in the first round of an NFL draft, Janikowski is the Raiders' all-time leading scorer and appeared in more games with the franchise than any other player. He also tied the then-NFL record for the longest successful field goal at 63 yards, which is the fourth-longest in league history.

==Early life==
Sebastian Janikowski was born on March 2, 1978, as an only child to [[Henryk Janikowski|Henryk]] and Halina Janikowski in [[Wałbrzych]], [[Poland]]. His father was a professional [[Association football|soccer]] player and moved to the [[United States]] in the early 1980s in the hopes of reviving his career. Years after Janikowski's father emigrated from Poland, his parents divorced, and Henryk married an American citizen. Left at home with just his mother, Janikowski began to excel at soccer himself, and when he was 15, Janikowski earned a spot on the [[Poland national under-17 football team|Polish under-17 team]].

His father's marriage to an American meant Janikowski could legally emigrate to the [[United States]]. He spoke very little [[English language|English]], but learned quickly by taking a three-week night class and by watching television. Janikowski played in only five games for the Orangewood Christian soccer team, but led them to the Class A State Championship game by scoring 15 goals, where they lost to Lakeland Christian on [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty kicks]] (3–2). Then living in [[Orlando, Florida]] with his father and stepmother, Janikowski joined the [[Orlando Lions]], an under-19 soccer club coached by Angelo Rossi. Rossi was also the soccer coach at [[Seabreeze High School]] in [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], and convinced Henryk that his son would be better off there. Henryk agreed, but was unwilling to move, so Janikowski moved in with Rossi's family.<ref name="Layden">{{cite web|last=Layden|first=Tim|title=Big Foot|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1017978/index.htm|publisher=Sports Illustrated|access-date=September 9, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023024019/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1017978/index.htm|archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>

During his senior year at Seabreeze, Janikowski played both soccer and [[High school football|football]] after being recruited by the school's football coach. As the team's placekicker, he quickly earned a reputation by kicking four field goals of 50+ yards. One of them was for 60 yards, third-best in Florida high school history. During a practice at Seabreeze High, he kicked an 82-yard field goal.<ref name="Layden"/> ''[[USA Today]]'' named Janikowski to its 1996 [[All-American]] team. After being heavily recruited by some of the top [[College football|collegiate football]] programs, Janikowski decided on [[Florida State University]].<ref name="Layden"/>

==College career==
[[File:FSU placekicker Sebastian Janikowski kicking against Miami at Doak Campbell Stadium - Tallahassee, Florida.jpg|thumb|Janikowski lining up for a kick during a game at [[Doak Campbell Stadium]] in 1997|left]]
Janikowski attended [[Florida State University]], where he played for coach [[Bobby Bowden]]'s [[Florida State Seminoles football]] team. Bowden later said, "Boy, have you ever thought about how many national championships we might have won if we had Janikowski every year of my career?"<ref name="bowden20140819">{{cite web | url=https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/2dyxft/im_bobby_bowden_former_fsu_head_coach_dadgummit/cjuigzh?context=3 | title=I'm Bobby Bowden: Former FSU head coach, dadgummit. AMA | publisher=Reddit | date=August 19, 2014 | access-date=August 19, 2014| author=Bowden, Bobby | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922063417/http://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/2dyxft/im_bobby_bowden_former_fsu_head_coach_dadgummit/cjuigzh?context=3 | archive-date=September 22, 2014}}</ref> In three seasons, he amassed a career scoring total of 324 points (3rd all-time for the school).  In 1999, he won the [[Lou Groza Award]] for a second consecutive year, an honor given annually to the nation's top collegiate kicker. Janikowski is currently the only player to win this award two years consecutively. He became popular with fans for being able to placekick a kick-off through the endzone uprights, having done it so often that the stadium monitors would display field goal graphics even though it was a kick-off and not an actual field goal attempt.

Janikowski was first called "Seabass" while playing for FSU.<ref name="si"/>

Janikowski's career at FSU was not without incident. In August 1998, he got into a fight outside of a [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] bar and was charged with failure to leave the premises; he pled [[nolo contendere|no contest]] to the [[misdemeanor]] offense.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} That same year, the night after a season-ending win over rival [[University of Florida|Florida]], Janikowski got into a fight at a local bar and was charged with [[battery (crime)|battery]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

In the 1999 season, FSU was again in contention for a national title. Prior to the team's appearance in the national championship game (the [[2000 Sugar Bowl]] in [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]]), Janikowski declared his intentions to declare himself eligible for the [[2000 NFL draft]], saying his primary reason for foregoing his senior year was to pay for his mother to come to the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Alex |first1=Rachel |last2=er |date=January 1, 2000 |title=Janikowski Gets Kick From U.S. Experience |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/01/01/janikowski-gets-kick-from-us-experience/3495ce59-1872-43cf-8f71-c40722b771b2/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}}</ref> In his final game for FSU, Janikowski converted 5-of-5 PATs and kicked a 32-yard field goal, helping the Seminoles win their second national championship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plaschke |first=Bill |date=January 5, 2000 |title=Florida State Holds Off Vick and Virginia Tech, 46-29, for National Title |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-05-sp-51083-story.html |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

Although Janikowski's skill as a kicker was unquestioned by NFL scouts, his off-the-field behavior was a cause of concern. In January 2000, Janikowski was partying with a group of friends when his high school friend was arrested at a nightclub. Janikowski, who later said he was thinking he could save everyone paperwork and the trouble, approached the arresting officer and asked how much it would take to let his friend go. He was then arrested for attempting to bribe an officer, a charge that carried a $5,000 fine, up to five years in prison, and possible deportation. Janikowski claimed that he thought he could pay a fine to have his friend released, but the officer interpreted the action as an attempted bribe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2000 |title=Janikowski jailed for alleged bribery |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/01/24/janikowski-jailed-for-alleged-bribery/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref>

==Professional career==
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 6
|    height in = 0 7/8
|       weight = 260
|         note = Values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=917&DraftYear=2000 |title=2000 Draft Scout Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |access-date=March 20, 2023 |website=draftscout.com}}</ref>
}}

===Oakland Raiders===
Janikowski was selected by the [[Oakland Raiders]] in the first round with the 17th overall pick in the [[2000 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2000 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2000/draft.htm |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Borden |first=Sam |date=April 21, 2020 |title=A kicker?! At 17?! Inside one of the weirdest NFL draft picks ever |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2020/story/_/id/29071769/that-raiders-took-kicker-first-round-weirdest-nfl-draft-pick-ever |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>

[[Image:Sebastian Janikowski at Falcons at Raiders 11-2-08 1.JPG|thumb|Janikowski in November 2008]]
Shortly after the draft, Janikowski was acquitted of his bribery charge. He had testified on his own behalf, stating that he was simply trying to pay his friend's fine (as opposed to bribing the arresting officer). Just eight days after his acquittal, Janikowski and two friends were arrested in Tallahassee on suspicion of felony possession of the drug [[gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid|GHB]]. Once again, he faced prison time or deportation if convicted, but was acquitted of all charges in April 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 12, 2001 |title=Raider Kicker Janikowski Acquitted on Drug Charges |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-12-sp-50178-story.html |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[Image:Sebastian Janikowski.jpg|thumb|left|Janikowski and punter [[Shane Lechler]] in 2007]]
Janikowski's professional career got off to a rough start: in 2000, only 68.8% of his field goal attempts were successful. Despite the struggles, he converted all 46 extra point tries as a rookie.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebastian Janikowski 2000 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/janikseb01/gamelog/2000/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> His accuracy improved dramatically in 2001, when 82.1% of his attempts were successful.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebastian Janikowski 2001 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/janikseb01/gamelog/2001/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Janikowski reached [[Super Bowl XXXVII]] with the Raiders in 2002, and kicked an early field goal in the first quarter. His kick briefly gave the Raiders a 3–0 lead over the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]. This would be the Raiders' only lead of the game; they lost 48–21.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XXXVII - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders - January 26th, 2003 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200301260rai.htm |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

On October 16, 2003, during the second quarter, Janikowski tied the NFL record by completing 4 field goals in a single quarter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/fieldgoals|title=NFL Records|website=[[NFL.com]] |date=September 11, 2017|access-date=December 25, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911051259/http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/fieldgoals|archive-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref>

After the 2004 season, Janikowski was given a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $10.5 million. This made him (at the time) the highest paid kicker in NFL history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gay |first=Nancy |date=December 16, 2004 |title=Raiders sign Janikowski for 5 years |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Raiders-sign-Janikowski-for-5-years-2629362.php |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref>
In February 2010, Janikowski extended his contract with the Raiders for $16 million over the next four years, including $9 million in guaranteed money, again making him the highest paid placekicker in NFL history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=David |date=February 17, 2010 |title=Raiders make Janikowski highest-paid kicker |url=https://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiders-make-Janikowski-highest-paid-kicker-3199930.php |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref>

On November 4, 2007, he attempted to kick a 64-yard record field goal before halftime against the [[2007 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans]] on a windless Oakland afternoon in [[McAfee Coliseum]]. If successful, the kick would have broken the all-time NFL field goal record of 63 yards. However, it bounced off the right upright and came back out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=FitzGerald |first=Tom |date=November 5, 2007 |title=IT HAS THE DISTANCE ... |url=https://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/IT-HAS-THE-DISTANCE-3301858.php |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref>

On September 28, 2008, Janikowski unsuccessfully attempted a 76-yard field goal against the [[2008 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]] into the heavy wind right before halftime. This is presumed to be the longest attempt in NFL history; though the league keeps no such records on attempts, the longest known attempts previous to this were 74 yard attempts by [[Mark Moseley]] and [[Joe Danelo]] in 1979.<ref name="nfl">{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/the-failed-tries-to-break-the-63-yard-field-goal-record-0ap2000000297798|title=The failed tries to break the 63-yard field-goal record|access-date=September 11, 2016|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|date=December 14, 2013|website=NFL|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921183752/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000297798/article/the-failed-tries-to-break-the-63yard-fieldgoal-record|archive-date=September 21, 2016}}</ref>

On October 19, 2008, Janikowski broke his own Raiders team record, making a 57-yard field goal in overtime to defeat the [[2008 New York Jets season|New York Jets]], 16–13, the longest overtime field goal in NFL history. On December 27, 2009, he again broke his own team record by kicking a 61-yard field goal against the [[2009 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] before halftime. On December 26, 2010, Janikowski converted a 59-yard field goal in the second quarter of a home game against the [[2010 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]]<ref>[http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=301226013 Colts vs. Raiders at ESPN] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228190309/http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=301226013 |date=December 28, 2010 }}, December 26, 2010</ref> making him the second player with two 59+ yard field goals ([[Morten Andersen]]). On January 3, 2010, he reached his 1,000th career point with a 39-yard field goal against the [[2009 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]].

On September 12, 2011, as a rainy first half against the Denver Broncos came to a close, Janikowski made a 63-yard field goal and tied the NFL record set by [[Tom Dempsey]] in 1970 and previously tied by [[Jason Elam]] (1998) and afterwards by [[David Akers]] (2012), but which was subsequently broken by [[Matt Prater]] of the Denver Broncos and [[Justin Tucker]] of the [[Baltimore Ravens]].<ref name="sports illustrated">{{Cite magazine |date=September 13, 2011 |title=Janikowski ties NFL record with 63-yard FG |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2011/09/13/janikowski-ties-nfl-record-with-63-yard-field-goal |access-date=July 22, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref> On November 27, 2011, in a game against the [[Chicago Bears]], he made 6 field goals of 40, 47, 42, 19, 37, and 44 yards to break the team record of most field goals in a single game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/11/27/janikowskis-6-field-goals-lift-raiders-over-chicago-bears/|title=Janikowski's 6 Field Goals Lift Raiders Over Chicago Bears « CBS San Francisco|date=December 25, 2017|access-date=December 25, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225012158/http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/11/27/janikowskis-6-field-goals-lift-raiders-over-chicago-bears/|archive-date=December 25, 2017}}</ref> He attempted a record-breaking 65-yard field goal on December 18, 2011, against the [[2011 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]], but [[Ndamukong Suh]] blocked it to end the game.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 19, 2011 |title=Janikowski's ill-fated attempt at history |url=https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/janikowskis-ill-fated-attempt-at-history/1321632/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=NBC Sports Bay Area & California |language=en-US}}</ref>

In [[2011 NFL season|2011]] Janikowski received an invite to the [[2012 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]] and earned second-team [[2011 All-Pro Team|All-Pro]] honors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2011 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2011/probowl.htm |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2011 NFL All-Pros |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2011/allpro.htm |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2013, Janikowski signed a four-year contract extension with the Raiders for $19 million over five years, including $8 million guaranteed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22989536/raiders-ink-kicker-sebastian-janikowski-to-fouryear-extension |title=Raiders ink kicker Sebastian Janikowski to four-year extension |last=Breech |first=John |date=August 2, 2013|website=CBSSports.com |access-date=August 5, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803102711/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22989536/raiders-ink-kicker-sebastian-janikowski-to-fouryear-extension |archive-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref>

Prior to the 2017 season, he took a pay cut from his $4.05 million base salary to $3 million but it became fully guaranteed. On September 9, 2017, he was placed on injured reserve due to back issues and [[Giorgio Tavecchio]] was signed on from the practice squad to temporarily take his place as kicker.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/raiders-place-sebastian-janikowski-injured-reserve|title=Raiders place Sebastian Janikowski on injured reserve |last=Blair |first=Scott |date=September 9, 2017|website=NBCSports.com |access-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Raiders Sign Giorgio Tavecchio; Place Sebastian Janikowski On IR|url=http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-Giorgio-Tavecchio-Place-Sebastian-Janikowski-On-IR/c42f6675-5d9d-4583-9b0e-85a9992849f1|website=Raiders.com|date=September 10, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910041725/http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-Giorgio-Tavecchio-Place-Sebastian-Janikowski-On-IR/c42f6675-5d9d-4583-9b0e-85a9992849f1|archive-date=September 10, 2017}}</ref> On February 14, 2018, it was reported that Janikowski would not be re-signed by the Raiders.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2018 |title=Raiders Statement On Sebastian Janikowski |url=http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Statement-On-Sebastian-Janikowski/d71634da-a4c8-432d-a104-88ec3c6da344 |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Raiders.com}}</ref>

===Seattle Seahawks===
On April 13, 2018, Janikowski signed a one-year contract with the [[Seattle Seahawks]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sessler |first=Marc |date=April 13, 2018 |title=Seattle Seabass: Seahawks sign Sebastian Janikowski |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/seattle-seabass-seahawks-sign-sebastian-janikowski-0ap3000000926444 |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> He won the Seahawks starting kicking job after the team released [[Jason Myers]] on August 20, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boyle |first=John |date=August 20, 2018 |title=Seahawks Waive Kicker Jason Myers, Sign CB Elijah Battle And WR Marvin Bracy |url=https://www.seahawks.com/news/seahawks-waive-kicker-jason-myers-sign-cb-elijah-battle-and-wr-marvin-bracy |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Seahawks.com}}</ref> In Week 12 against the [[2018 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]], Janikowski made all three extra points and three field goals, including a 31-yard game winner as the Seahawks won 30–27. He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2018 |title=Philip Rivers, Amari Cooper among Players of the Week |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/philip-rivers-amari-cooper-among-players-of-the-week-0ap3000000993457 |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> Janikowski finished the 2018 season converting 48 of 51 extra point attempts and 22 of 27 field goal attempts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebastian Janikowski 2018 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/janikseb01/gamelog/2018/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

On January 5, 2019, Janikowski missed a 57-yard field goal against the [[2018 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] in the [[2018–19 NFL playoffs#NFC: Dallas Cowboys 24, Seattle Seahawks 22|Wild Card Round]] of the NFL Playoffs and suffered a hamstring injury on the same missed field goal kick.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Condotta |first=Bob |date=January 5, 2019 |title=Losing Sebastian Janikowski to injury in first half vs. Cowboys affected Seahawks' game plan in second |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sebastian-janikowski-hurt-on-field-goal-attempt-seahawks-could-turn-to-michael-dickson-in-second-half/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Carroll |first=Charlotte |date=January 5, 2019 |title=Seahawks K Sebastian Janikowski injured vs Cowboys |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/06/sebastian-janikowski-injury-updates-seahawks-cowboys |access-date=July 22, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 5, 2019 |title=Sebastian Janikowski injures leg on long FG attempt |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/sebastian-janikowski-injures-leg-on-long-fg-attempt-0ap3000001008088 |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The kicker position was left in the hands of rookie Seahawks punter, [[Michael Dickson (American football)|Michael Dickson]], who missed an onside kick that would have potentially put the Seahawks back in position to score and win the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wild Card - Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys - January 5th, 2019 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201901050dal.htm |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Retirement===
On April 28, 2019, Janikowski announced his retirement after 19 years in the NFL. He ended his career as the Raiders' all-time leading scorer, with 1,799 points.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Brady |date=April 29, 2019 |title=Ex-Raiders K Janikowski retiring after 19 seasons |url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26628603/ex-raiders-k-janikowski-retiring-19-seasons |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Las Vegas/LA/Oakland Raiders Career Scoring Summary Leaders |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/career-scoring.htm |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2" |Legend
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |
|Led the league
|-
|'''Bold'''
|Career high
|}

=== Regular season ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" 
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year 
! rowspan="2"| Team 
! rowspan="2"| GP
! colspan="4"| Field Goals
! colspan="3"| Extra Points{{efn|The line of scrimmage for extra point tries moved to the 15-yard line from the two-yard line in 2015.}}
! rowspan="2"| Points
|-
! FGA !! FGM !! Lng !! Pct !! XPA !! XPM !! Pct
|-
! [[2000 NFL season|2000]] !! [[2000 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 14 || 32 || 22 || 54 || 68.8 || 46 || 46 || '''100.0''' || 112
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 15 || 28 || 23 || 52 || 82.1 || 42 || 42 || '''100.0'''
|111
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 33 || 26 || 51 || 78.8 || '''50'''|| '''50''' || 100.0 || 128
|-
! [[2003 NFL season|2003]] !! [[2003 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 25 || 22 || 55 || 88.0 || 29 || 28 || 96.6 || 94
|-
! [[2004 NFL season|2004]] !! [[2004 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 28 || 25 || 52 || 89.3 || 32 || 31 || 96.9 || 106
|-
! [[2005 NFL season|2005]] !! [[2005 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 30 || 20 || 49 || 66.7 || 30 || 30 || 100.0 || 90
|-
! [[2006 NFL season|2006]] !! [[2006 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 25 || 18 || 55 || 72.0 || 16 || 16 || 100.0 || 70
|-
! [[2007 NFL season|2007]] !! [[2007 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 32 || 23 || 54 || 71.9 || 28 || 28 || 100.0 || 97
|-
! [[2008 NFL season|2008]] !! [[2008 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16''' || 30 || 24 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |57 || 80.0 || 26 || 25 || 96.2 || 97
|-
! [[2009 NFL season|2009]] !! [[2009 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16''' || 29 || 26 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |61 || 89.7 || 17 || 17 || '''100.0''' || 95
|-
! [[2010 NFL season|2010]] !! [[2010 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16''' || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |'''41''' || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |'''33''' || 59 || 80.5 || 43 || 43 || '''100.0''' || '''142'''
|-
! [[2011 NFL season|2011]] !![[2011 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 15 || 35 || 31 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |'''63''' || 88.6 || 36 || 36 || '''100.0''' || 129
|-
! [[2012 NFL season|2012]] !! [[2012 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 34 || 31 || 57 || '''91.2''' || 25 || 25 || 100.0 || 118
|-
! [[2013 NFL season|2013]] !! [[2013 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 30 || 21 || 53 || 70.0 || 37 || 37 || 100.0 || 100
|-
! [[2014 NFL season|2014]] !! [[2014 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 22 || 19 || 57 || 86.4 || 28 || 28 || 100.0 || 85
|-
! [[2015 NFL season|2015]] !! [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 26 || 21 || 56 || 80.8 || 39 || 38 || 97.4 || 101
|-
! [[2016 NFL season|2016]] !! [[2016 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''16'''|| 35 || 29 || 56 || 82.9 || 39 || 37 || 94.9 || 124
|-
! [[2017 NFL season|2017]] !! [[2017 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 0 || colspan="8"| ''Did not play due to injury''
|-
! [[2018 NFL season|2018]] !! [[2018 Seattle Seahawks season|SEA]]
| '''16'''|| 27 || 22 || 56 || 81.5 || '''51''' || 48 || 94.1 || 114
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/janikseb01.htm Career] !! 284 !! 542 !! 436 !! 63 !! 80.4 !! 614 !! 605 !! 98.5 !! 1,913
|}

=== Postseason ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" 
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year 
! rowspan="2"| Team 
! rowspan="2"| GP
! colspan="4"| Field Goals
! colspan="3"| Extra Points{{efn|The line of scrimmage for extra point tries moved to the 15-yard line from the two-yard line in 2015.}}
! rowspan="2"| Points
|-
! FGA !! FGM !! Lng !! Pct !! XPA !! XPM !! Pct
|-
! [[2000 NFL season|2000]] !! [[2000 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 2 || 4 || 3 || 36 || 75.0 || 3 || 3 || '''100.0''' || 12
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 2 || 5 || 5 || '''45''' || '''100.0''' || 4 || 4 || '''100.0''' || 19
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| '''3''' || '''7''' || '''6''' || 43 || 85.7 || '''8''' || '''8''' || '''100.0''' || '''26'''
|-
! [[2016 NFL season|2016]] !! [[2016 Oakland Raiders season|OAK]]
| 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || – || 2 || 2 || '''100.0''' || 2
|-
! [[2018 NFL season|2018]] !! [[2018 Seattle Seahawks season|SEA]]
| 1 || 3 || 2 || 42 || 66.7 || 0 || 0 || - || 6
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/janikseb01.htm Career] !! 9 !! 19 !! 16 !! 45 !! 84.2 !! 17 !! 17 !! 100.0 !! 65
|}
==Records==
===NFL records===
* Longest field goal in overtime: 57 yards against the New York Jets on October 19, 2008<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2008 |title=Longest FG in OT history |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2008/10/news-longest-fg-in-ot-history |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Pro Football Hall of Fame |language=en}}</ref>
* Most field goals in one quarter: 4 (tied)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/fieldgoals|title=Record and Fact Book|publisher=NFL|access-date=September 10, 2017}}</ref>
* Most field goals attempted of 60+ yards in a career: 8
*
* Most extra points in a Pro Bowl: 8<ref name="extra points">{{cite web|url=http://www.papatomski.com/2012/02/nfl-rekordzista-janikowski.html|title=NFL: Rekordzista Janikowski|last=Moczerniuk|first=Tomek|date=February 2, 2012|website=papatomski.com|language=pl|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209075426/http://www.papatomski.com/2012/02/nfl-rekordzista-janikowski.html|archive-date=February 9, 2012}}</ref>
*Longest field goal attempt: 76 yards against the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2008<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farmer |first=Sam |date=October 5, 2008 |title=It was a reach, but it wasn't out of his range |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-05-sp-nfllines5-story.html |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://janikowskisebastian.com Official website]
{{Footballstats |nfl=janikowski-Sebastian|pfr=J/janikseb01|espn=2148}}

{{Lou Groza Award}}
{{1998 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1999 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1999 Florida State Seminoles football navbox}}
{{2000 NFL Draft}}
{{RaidersFirstPick}}
{{Raiders2000DraftPicks}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janikowski, Sebastian}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wałbrzych]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:Polish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Polish players of American football]]
[[Category:American football placekickers]]
[[Category:Seabreeze High School alumni]]
[[Category:Florida State Seminoles football players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:Oakland Raiders players]]
[[Category:Seattle Seahawks players]]
[[Category:Footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Polish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position]]
[[Category:Orlando Lions players]]
[[Category:Poland men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Volusia County, Florida]]