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{{Short description|American football player (born 1960)}}
{{NFL player
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
|Image=
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
|DateOfBirth=], ]
{{Infobox NFL biography
|Birthplace=]
| name = Scott Norwood
|Position=]
| number = 4, 11
|College=]
| position = ]
|PFR=norwosco01
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|7|17}}
|DatabaseFootball=NORWOSCO01
| birth_place = ], U.S.
|years=1985-1991
| height_ft = 6
|teams=]
| height_in = 0
|ProBowls=N/A
| weight_lb = 207
| high_school = ] (Alexandria)
| college = ] (1978–1981)
| undraftedyear = 1982
| teams =
* ] (])*
* ] ({{USFL Year|1983}}-{{USFL Year|1984}})
* ] (]–])
| highlights =
* First-team ] (])
* ] (])
* ] ({{nfly|1988}})
* ] (1988)
| statlabel1 = ] attempts
| statvalue1 = 184
| statlabel2 = Field goals made
| statvalue2 = 133
| statlabel3 = Field goal %
| statvalue3 = 72.28
| pfr = N/norwosco01
}} }}
'''Scott Allan Norwood''' (born ], ] in ]) is a former ] ] who played his entire career for the ]. While he is the team's all-time leading scorer and was an integral part of its offense during the late 1980s, he is best remembered for a kick he missed, the one that would have given the Bills a Super Bowl victory.


'''Scott Allan Norwood''' (born July 17, 1960) is an American former professional ] player who was a ] for seven seasons with the ] of the ] (NFL). He also played for the ] in the ] (USFL) for two seasons. As Buffalo's placekicker from 1985 to 1991, Norwood led the league in scoring for the 1988 season and played in their first two ] appearances. Despite his accomplishments, he is best known for ] at the end of ].
==Early career==


==Early life and college==
Norwood grew up in ], ] and attended ]. He had been playing ] when he was approached by the school's football coach, who wondered if he might like to try kicking for him. After talking it over with his father, he decided to do so.
Norwood was born in ] and graduated from ] in Alexandria in 1978.<ref name="SI">*Greenfeld, Karl Taro, '']'', July 12, 2004</ref> He played both football and soccer at ] and graduated with a business degree in 1982.<ref name="SI 2">{{cite magazine|last=Greenfield|first=Karl Taro|title=A Life After Wide Right|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1032492/2/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909202648/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1032492/2/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 9, 2010|magazine=Sports Illustrated|page=2|date=July 12, 2004}}</ref>


==Professional career==
He attended ] in ]. He was ranked as the nation's top Division I-AA placekicker in 1980 when he was successful on 15 of 21 ] attempts, and still holds JMU's records for field goals in a season (15) and in a career (32). In 1992, he was inducted into the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame.
===Birmingham Stallions===
Norwood began his professional career with the ] of the ], playing two seasons before the Stallions signed ] to replace him.


===Buffalo Bills===
Upon ] with a ] in business, he was not drafted. However, the ] invited him to their camp to try out, but cut him. He continued practicing and later played for the ]'s ] for two seasons, but was released after suffering an injury.
Norwood was one of many players the Bills picked up as the USFL contracted and ultimately collapsed; he eventually beat out ] (who would later come back when Norwood went on strike in 1987) for the Bills' starting kicker position. He quickly became an asset to an offense that was going places as the Bills' ], ], assembled talent like ], ], and ]. Within two seasons of Norwood's arrival, the Bills had won the ] for the first time since 1980 and made it to the conference championship game. He soon overtook ] as the team's all-time leading scorer. Following the 1990 season, the Bills advanced to their first-ever ].


====Super Bowl XXV====
Again he was out of football, but continued to rehabilitate and stay in shape. In 1985 the Bills invited him to their camp, and this time he beat out nine other candidates for the starting job.
{{Further|Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)}}
Norwood's ] was unusually short for a professional kicker {{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} and he had difficulties in converting field goals over 40 yards throughout his career, especially on natural grass (the Bills' home stadium used ], which mitigated this issue). ], which was played on January 27, 1991, cemented Norwood's name in football history when he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with 8 seconds left in the game, giving the ] their 2nd Super Bowl victory, and started the Bills' string of four consecutive Super Bowl losses. This kick was made famous by the "wide right" call by ABC announcer ]. Later video analysis revealed the holder mistakenly aligned the laces to the right, thereby positioning the kicked ball to fade right once in the air.


Although the Bills signed ] as Norwood's potential replacement in the 1991 offseason, Norwood remained with the Bills through that season. The Bills returned to the Super Bowl and Norwood was perfect throughout the postseason, including a 44-yard field goal that served as the decisive margin in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.
==Bills career==


Norwood was waived in the first roster move of the off-season after the Bills signed ], formerly of the ].<ref name="SI 4">, p. 4.</ref>
Norwood quickly became an invaluable asset to an offense that was going places as the Bills' ], Bill Polian, assembled talent like ], ] and ]. Within two seasons of Norwood's arrival the Bills had ]. He soon overtook ] as the team's all-time leading scorer. In 1990 the Bills returned to the playoffs and qualified for their first-ever ].


==Post-football career==
===Super Bowl XXV===
After the Bills waived him, Norwood initially returned home to ] and disappeared completely from the public eye for several years, eventually becoming an insurance salesman during the 1990s then moving back to Buffalo as a real estate agent in 2002.<ref name="SI 4"/><ref name="SI 5">, p. 5.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Lewis|title=The Kick Is Up and It's ... A Career Killer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/sports/playmagazine/28lewis.html?pagewanted=all|newspaper=New York Times Magazine|date=October 28, 2007}}</ref>
{{See|Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)}}
That game would cement Norwood's name in football history when he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt at the end of ], giving the ] the victory. ] sportscaster ] had the call: "No good! Wide right!"


==NFL career statistics==
While Norwood will always be blamed by many for "choking" in the clutch, the Bills had many opportunities during the course of the game to put it away on their own. On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Bills defense allowed the Giant offense to chew up 9:29 by converting three third down conversions. One conversion was on a 3rd and 13 play where, after Giant quarterback Jeff Hostetler completed a short pass to receiver Mark Ingram, the Bills missed several easy tackles and allowed Ingram to pick up the first down. This play would eventually lead to a Giant touchdown. The problem that ultimately killed the Bills in the end was the amount of time their defense was on the field. The Giants controlled the ball for a total of 40:33.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Team
!GP
!FGM
!FGA
!FG%
!XPM
!XPA
!XP%
!PTS
|-
|1985
|]
|16
|13
|17
|76.5
|23
|23
|100.0
|62
|-
|1986
|]
|16
|17
|27
|63.0
|32
|34
|94.1
|83
|-
|1987
|]
|12
|10
|15
|66.7
|31
|31
|100.0
|61
|-
|1988
|]
|16
|'''32'''
|'''37'''
|'''86.5'''
|33
|33
|100.0
|style="background:#cfecec;"|'''129'''
|-
|1989
|]
|16
|23
|30
|76.7
|46
|47
|97.9
|115
|-
|1990
|]
|16
|20
|29
|69.0
|50
|52
|96.2
|110
|-
|1991
|]
|16
|18
|29
|62.1
|'''56'''
|'''58'''
|96.6
|110
|-
! colspan="2"| Total
|'''108'''
|'''133'''
|'''184'''
|'''72.3'''
|'''271'''
|'''278'''
|'''97.5'''
|'''670'''
|}


=== Playoffs ===
Before the game had started, Norwood was kicking balls at the right upright, and seeing them hook left and through. With the 4th quarter kick, Norwood played it just like in warm-ups, only this time the ball did not hook. It kept going straight. Not that a 47 yard kick is considered a "gimmie".
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
Also, it must be noted that Norwood has successfully kicked a field goal in the first quarter of the game. Without that, Buffalo would not have even been able to attempt a last second field goal on their final drive, as they would have been down by 4 points at the time instead of 1
!Team
!GP
!FGM
!FGA
!FG%
!XPM
!XPA
!XP%
!PTS
|-
|1988
|]
|2
|2
|5
|40.0
|3
|3
|100.0
|9
|-
|1989
|]
|1
|1
|1
|'''100.0'''
|3
|4
|75.0
|6
|-
|1990
|]
|3
|5
|'''7'''
|71.4
|13
|14
|92.9
|'''28'''
|-
|1991
|]
|3
|5
|5
|100.0
|8
|8
|100.0
|23
|-
! colspan="2"| Total
|'''9'''
|'''13'''
|'''18'''
|'''72.2'''
|'''27'''
|'''29'''
|'''93.1'''
|'''66'''
|}


==Personal life==
==Later career and retirement==
Norwood lives with his wife Kimberly in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Centreville, Virginia. They have three children: twins Carly and Connor (born 1995) and Corey (born 1996).


==In popular culture==
Norwood lasted one more season with the Bills. He kicked 3 field goals in the Bills 37-14 win over the ] in the divisional playoffs, and made a crucial field goal in the Bills 10-7 victory over the ] in the AFC title game. He also kicked 1 field goal in Buffalo's 37-24 loss to the ] in ]. However, his kicking became erratic, and before ] he was cut, again, and replaced by the younger ]. The stigma of having been the kicker who lost a Super Bowl, however undeserved it was, kept other teams from showing any interest, and he left football for good.
In the 1994 film '']'', a key plot point involves a kicker for the ] named Ray Finkle; in the story, Finkle misses a field goal attempt in the closing moments of Super Bowl XVII, causing the Dolphins to lose the game by a single point–an obvious reference to Norwood's infamous kick in Super Bowl XXV.<ref>{{cite news |title=30 years ago today: An unforgettable moment in Buffalo Bills history |url=https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2021/01/30-years-ago-today-buffalo-bills-lose-super-bowl-to-ny-giants-on-wide-right-kick.html |website=www.syracuse.com |publisher=] |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501140725/https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2021/01/30-years-ago-today-buffalo-bills-lose-super-bowl-to-ny-giants-on-wide-right-kick.html |archive-date=May 1, 2023 |language=en |date=27 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Untold Truth Of Ace Ventura |url=https://www.looper.com/889613/the-untold-truth-of-ace-ventura/ |website=looper.com |publisher=] |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504030144/https://www.looper.com/889613/the-untold-truth-of-ace-ventura/ |archive-date=May 4, 2023 |language=en |date=8 June 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> (In reality, ] was contested between the Dolphins and the ]; the Redskins won 27–17.)


The 1998 film '']'' features a subplot where main character Billy Brown, played by ], attempts to murder a former Buffalo kicker named "Scott Wood", whose missed field goal led to Brown losing a large bet and serving a prison term when he took the fall for his bookie.
Norwood finished his 7 NFL seasons with 133 of 184 field goals (72%) and 271 of 278 extra point attempts, giving him a career total of 670 points.


==References==
He returned to ], where he still lives today, and became a ]. He is married, has three children and coaches his daughter's soccer team.
{{reflist}}
*Paul Jannace, www.wellsvilledaily.com, March 29, 2010


{{NFL scoring leaders}}
While it took him some time to get over having missed the kick, today he has no regrets about how his life has turned out since.


{{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood, Scott}}
=="You Can't Blame Scott Norwood!"==
]
On ], ], as part of its ongoing series, ] aired ''] Scott Norwood for the Bills losing ]''. Their reasons:
]

]
* 5. ]. The Giant running back had a spectacular game, earning him the game's Most Valuable Player award.
]

]
* 4. ]. Called upon to substitute for an injured ] late in the season, the Giant quarterback had the game of his career.
]

]
* 3. The Bills' defense. They consistently allowed the Giants to put together sustained drives, allowing them to convert more than half of their third-down plays.
]

]
* 2. Coaching. Giant coach ] had a defensive game plan that mixed up his formations and shut down the Bills' passing game, and his offensive plan kept the Giant offense on the field for over 40 minutes, leading to the joke that the ] spent more time on the field during the halftime show than the Bills' offense spent on the field during the third quarter. The Giants' coaching staff also included future NFL head coaches ], ], ] and ]. The Bills' staff, led by head coach ], never adjusted to the Giants' changes.
]

* 1. The kick was 47 yards, and on real grass. The Bills, then as now, played their home games on ], and not only was the longest field goal of Norwood's career 48 yards, but he had never attempted one as long as 47 yards on grass, which is often uneven and therefore more difficult.

The program did not, however, blame Bills quarterback ], who continually sent plays up the middle, rather than toward the sideline and out of bounds, which would have stopped the clock and given the Bills more time to get closer. The Bills' final drive began with 2:16 left, and consisted of the following plays:

* 1. 1st and 10 on the Bills' 10: Kelly running up the middle for five yards.
* 2. 2nd and 5 on the Bills' 15: Kelly running up the middle for four yards.
* 3. 3rd and 1 on the Bills' 19: ] running up the middle for 21 yards and a first down.
* 4. 1st and 10 on the Bills' 40: Kelly passing to ] up the middle for five yards.
* 5. 2nd and 5 on the Bills' 45: Kelly again running up the middle for nine yards and a first down.
* 6. 1st and 10 on the Giants' 46: Kelly passing to ] up the middle for six yards.
* 7. 2nd and 4 on the Giants' 40: Thomas running to the right, but not making it out of bounds, for 10 yards and a first down.
* 8. 1st and 10 on the Giants' 30: Kelly throwing the ball into the ground, "spiking" it, in order to stop the clock with 10 seconds left.
* 9. 2nd and 10 on the Giants' 30: Norwood's 47-yard field goal attempt.

It should be noted that the Giants were running a "prevent" defense that focused heavily on keeping the Bills from running sideline routes. Kelly took advantage of what was available, and it should be noted that his playcalling did gain 60 yards in 7 plays and put the Bills in a realistic position to win the game.

To their credit, however, Bills fans cheered Norwood on his return home with the team.

==Reference==
*Greenberg, Fred Tato, "A Life After Wide Right," '']'', July 12, 2004

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
Source: http://www.superbowl.com/history/recaps/game/sbxxv

Latest revision as of 12:58, 12 September 2024

American football player (born 1960)

American football player
Scott Norwood
No. 4, 11
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1960-07-17) July 17, 1960 (age 64)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:Jefferson (Alexandria)
College:James Madison (1978–1981)
Undrafted:1982
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Field goal attempts:184
Field goals made:133
Field goal %:72.28
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Scott Allan Norwood (born July 17, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He also played for the Birmingham Stallions in the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons. As Buffalo's placekicker from 1985 to 1991, Norwood led the league in scoring for the 1988 season and played in their first two Super Bowl appearances. Despite his accomplishments, he is best known for missing a game-winning field goal attempt at the end of Super Bowl XXV.

Early life and college

Norwood was born in Alexandria, Virginia and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria in 1978. He played both football and soccer at James Madison University and graduated with a business degree in 1982.

Professional career

Birmingham Stallions

Norwood began his professional career with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League, playing two seasons before the Stallions signed Danny Miller to replace him.

Buffalo Bills

Norwood was one of many players the Bills picked up as the USFL contracted and ultimately collapsed; he eventually beat out Todd Schlopy (who would later come back when Norwood went on strike in 1987) for the Bills' starting kicker position. He quickly became an asset to an offense that was going places as the Bills' general manager, Bill Polian, assembled talent like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. Within two seasons of Norwood's arrival, the Bills had won the AFC East for the first time since 1980 and made it to the conference championship game. He soon overtook O. J. Simpson as the team's all-time leading scorer. Following the 1990 season, the Bills advanced to their first-ever Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XXV

Further information: Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)

Norwood's field goal range was unusually short for a professional kicker and he had difficulties in converting field goals over 40 yards throughout his career, especially on natural grass (the Bills' home stadium used AstroTurf, which mitigated this issue). Super Bowl XXV, which was played on January 27, 1991, cemented Norwood's name in football history when he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with 8 seconds left in the game, giving the New York Giants their 2nd Super Bowl victory, and started the Bills' string of four consecutive Super Bowl losses. This kick was made famous by the "wide right" call by ABC announcer Al Michaels. Later video analysis revealed the holder mistakenly aligned the laces to the right, thereby positioning the kicked ball to fade right once in the air.

Although the Bills signed Björn Nittmo as Norwood's potential replacement in the 1991 offseason, Norwood remained with the Bills through that season. The Bills returned to the Super Bowl and Norwood was perfect throughout the postseason, including a 44-yard field goal that served as the decisive margin in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.

Norwood was waived in the first roster move of the off-season after the Bills signed Steve Christie, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Post-football career

After the Bills waived him, Norwood initially returned home to Northern Virginia and disappeared completely from the public eye for several years, eventually becoming an insurance salesman during the 1990s then moving back to Buffalo as a real estate agent in 2002.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Year Team GP FGM FGA FG% XPM XPA XP% PTS
1985 BUF 16 13 17 76.5 23 23 100.0 62
1986 BUF 16 17 27 63.0 32 34 94.1 83
1987 BUF 12 10 15 66.7 31 31 100.0 61
1988 BUF 16 32 37 86.5 33 33 100.0 129
1989 BUF 16 23 30 76.7 46 47 97.9 115
1990 BUF 16 20 29 69.0 50 52 96.2 110
1991 BUF 16 18 29 62.1 56 58 96.6 110
Total 108 133 184 72.3 271 278 97.5 670

Playoffs

Year Team GP FGM FGA FG% XPM XPA XP% PTS
1988 BUF 2 2 5 40.0 3 3 100.0 9
1989 BUF 1 1 1 100.0 3 4 75.0 6
1990 BUF 3 5 7 71.4 13 14 92.9 28
1991 BUF 3 5 5 100.0 8 8 100.0 23
Total 9 13 18 72.2 27 29 93.1 66

Personal life

Norwood lives with his wife Kimberly in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Centreville, Virginia. They have three children: twins Carly and Connor (born 1995) and Corey (born 1996).

In popular culture

In the 1994 film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a key plot point involves a kicker for the Miami Dolphins named Ray Finkle; in the story, Finkle misses a field goal attempt in the closing moments of Super Bowl XVII, causing the Dolphins to lose the game by a single point–an obvious reference to Norwood's infamous kick in Super Bowl XXV. (In reality, Super Bowl XVII was contested between the Dolphins and the Washington Redskins; the Redskins won 27–17.)

The 1998 film Buffalo '66 features a subplot where main character Billy Brown, played by Vincent Gallo, attempts to murder a former Buffalo kicker named "Scott Wood", whose missed field goal led to Brown losing a large bet and serving a prison term when he took the fall for his bookie.

References

  1. *Greenfeld, Karl Taro, "A Life After Wide Right," Sports Illustrated, July 12, 2004
  2. Greenfield, Karl Taro (July 12, 2004). "A Life After Wide Right". Sports Illustrated. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 9, 2010.
  3. ^ A Life After Wide Right, p. 4.
  4. A Life After Wide Right, p. 5.
  5. Lewis, Michael (October 28, 2007). "The Kick Is Up and It's ... A Career Killer". New York Times Magazine.
  6. "30 years ago today: An unforgettable moment in Buffalo Bills history". www.syracuse.com. The Post-Standard. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  7. "The Untold Truth Of Ace Ventura". looper.com. Static Media. June 8, 2022. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
NFL annual scoring leaders
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