San Francisco 49ers placekicker Jake Moody achieved a historic moment in the Super Bowl by successfully making a record-breaking 55-yard field goal. This impressive feat occurred during the second quarter of the game, giving his team a 3-0 lead against the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Moody surpassed the previous record set by Steve Christie, a former kicker for the Buffalo Bills, who kicked a 54-yard field goal to tie the Dallas Cowboys at 3-3 in the first quarter of Super Bowl XVII.
Moody, a rookie who was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft from the University of Michigan, has already showcased his exceptional kicking abilities. While playing for the Wolverines, he even achieved a school record by successfully kicking a 59-yard field goal. In the postseason, Moody had a 3-for-5 success rate on field goal attempts. Notably, he made a 52-yarder against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round, and also converted kicks from 43 and 33 yards against the Detroit Lions in the Conference Championship Game.
Throughout the regular season, Moody demonstrated his consistent performance by converting 21 of 25 field goal attempts. His longest successful kick of the season was from a remarkable distance of 57 yards. However, it is worth mentioning that he did miss a potential game-winning kick during Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
Moody’s outstanding skills as a kicker were recognized during his college career. In 2021, he was honored with the prestigious Lou Groza Award, which is presented to the top kicker in college football. Additionally, Moody was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and received the Bakken-Andersen Award twice consecutively in 2021 and 2022, acknowledging him as the conference’s top kicker. He also holds several records at the University of Michigan, including the most points scored, the most field goals made, and the most 40-yard field goals accomplished.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed his confidence in Moody’s abilities, stating that historically, most kickers are selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. However, due to the team not having a fourth-round pick, they made the decision to draft Moody in the third round to secure his talent. It is worth noting that since the year 2000, only 49 kickers, including Moody, have been drafted. The last time a kicker was selected in the third round was in 2016, when Roberto Aguayo was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to that, in 2003, Nate Kaeding was drafted by the Chargers in the third round. Both Aguayo and Kaeding were also recipients of the Lou Groza Award.
According to the Source deadspin.com