Tom Dempsey recalls 63-yard kick 40 years later

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METAIRIE, La. – Tom Dempsey resigned himself long ago to the idea that he would one day see his NFL record-long field goal surpassed.

Four decades since his 63-yard boot lifted the New Orleans Saints to a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in old Tulane Stadium, Dempsey and his famously clubbed right foot still have yet to be outdone.

"I'm proud of the record and I realize someday it's going to be broken, because kickers are better now than when I played," Dempsey said Thursday during a visit to the Saints' suburban training center. "I really am surprised because you have to look at the NFL. There are so many great players. Kickers have gotten better through the years. To kick one that long, everything has to be right."

Only one kicker has tied the mark Dempsey set on Nov. 8, 1970. Jason Elam did it for the Broncos in Denver's Mile High Stadium in 1998.

The 63-year-old Dempsey sounds as if he's at least half-joking when he says of Elam's kick: "I respect the effort, but I tell him I'm still better below sea level."

Dempsey said he intends to be gracious to whoever eclipses the mark and that he'll promptly call to offer congratulations.

"When Jason Elam tied my record, I must have had 30 sportswriters around the country wanting to badmouth him because he kicked it in Denver," where the air is thinner, Dempsey recalled. "I said, 'Guys, don't worry where it is. You respect the effort that it took.' I do feel that way."

Dempsey said he didn't even know how long his famous kick was when he lined up for it.

"Don Heinrich, our offensive coordinator, got on the headset and said, 'Tell stumpy we're going to kick a long one,'" Dempsey said. "If I had known it was 63 yards, I probably would have missed it, but I just knew it was a long way."

Normally, Dempsey kicked from 7 yards, two feet behind the line of scrimmage. Holder Joe Scarpati told him he was moving the spot a yard back to help the longer kick, with its relatively low trajectory, clear defenders reaching up to block it. Dempsey said he purposely tried not to notice what yard-line they were on.

"I knew the second I hit it was going to go a long way," Dempsey said. "The only thing I was worried about was would it stay straight that long."
 
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