NFL Drop Kick - first in 60 years

[BuffaloRules]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/nfl/20060101-1601-fbn-flutie-dropkick.html

The 43-year-old Patriots backup converted the NFL's first successful drop kick since 1941, making an extra point in the fourth quarter of the Miami Dolphins' mostly meaningless 28-26 victory Sunday over New England

I must admit that I didn't know until today that this was within the rules... obviously a throw back to the games early days...

 

[CanadianSteve]

Yes, it's still a leftover from the game's rugby roots. It's in Canadian football too; the last drop kick in the CFL was 1988, I heard on TV today, much more recent than the last NFL one.

When I played in high school many years ago, we knew it was allowed under the rules, and a few used to practise it. Particularly rugby players. The idea was that it would be useful if a snap was botched and the kicker was running around - he could still try a drop kick.

But Flutie seems to have lined up intentionally to try it, just for fun. The NFL usually isn't a place for frivolity, but Bill Belichik was laughing about it after the game, saying how Flutie had been practising it that week. I was surprised to see such a serious coach taking it lightly, especially in a game they lost.

 

[CanadianSteve]

The 1984 Heisman winner went into the USFL and the NFL, but only achieved stardom in the Canadian Football League, where he was a three-time Grey Cup champion and six-time Most Outstanding Player. He returned to the NFL in 1998 and played three years with Buffalo and four with San Diego before returning to New England for a second stint with the Patriots.

The sad thing is Flutie played so little this year behind Brady. There had been some talk of him returning to the CFL, where he might've played a lot, but unfortunately the money for an NFL backup is much greater than a CFL starter.

I saw him play in Toronto a few times - a great athlete whose skills were well-suited to the CFL game. If he'd grown up in England or Aus he no doubt would've been a great rugby player.