The Story And Significance Of Jason Taylor - 2006 Defensive Player Of The Year While Compiling 139.5 Career Sacks

Jason Paul Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League, spending the majority of his career with the Miami Dolphins. He is currently the defensive ends coach for the Miami Hurricanes. Over the course of his 15-year NFL career, Taylor played for the Dolphins for 13 years in three separate stints (1997–2007, 2009, 2011), and also played a season each for the Washington Redskins (2008) and the New York Jets (2010).

Taylor was a four-year letterman and three-year starter playing college football for the Akron Zips before being selected by the Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft with the 73rd overall pick.

Taylor won the Dolphins Team Newcomer of the Year award during his rookie season in 1997, and from then on, quickly established himself as one of the league's best performing defensive ends and pass-rushers in NFL history. He is currently ranked first in Dolphins history for the most games played by a defensive player in team history, with 204 games (including a defensive team record 130 consecutive games), and is also the Miami Dolphins all-time sack leader with 131 sacks. Overall, Taylor is currently 7th on the NFL all-time career sacks list with 139.5 sacks. Taylor is tied for 3rd most forced fumbles of all time with 48, and is the all-time leader in fumble return touchdowns with six, and interceptions returned for touchdowns by a defensive end with three, while his 246 fumble return yards are the 4th-highest total in NFL history. With nine career defensive touchdowns scored, he is also the all-time leader in that category for defensive linemen. He officially announced his retirement on December 28, 2011.

Throughout his career with the Dolphins, Taylor won numerous team awards including a team record four Dolphins Team MVP awards (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006), and a team record four Dolphins Team Leadership Awards (2002, 2006–2007, 2009). Along with being a six-time Pro Bowl selection, four-time first (3) or second (1) team All-Pro, a two-time NFL Alumni Defensive Linemen of the Year (2005–2006), and the NFL Alumni Pass-Rusher of the Year in 2000, Taylor was also a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2006), and was also named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. He was named the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2007, selected to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and enshrined into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll in 2012. In 2017, Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Taylor was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round (73rd pick overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. Taylor signed a four-year deal worth approximately $1.3 million in July 1997. From there he established himself as one of the premier defensive ends in the league. He became a starter in his rookie season and recorded five sacks and forced two fumbles.

The following season, 1998, Taylor recorded nine sacks and batted away eight passes. In 1999 Taylor grabbed the first of his eight career NFL interceptions.

On April 15, 2000, Taylor, a restricted free agent, received a one-year tender that earned him $1.027 million in 2000. Taylor responded with 73 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and 6 passes batted for the Dolphins that season. His performance was rewarded with his first selection to the Pro Bowl.

On July 24, 2001, he signed a six-year, $42 million contract to remain with the Dolphins. The new contract replaced the one-year, $5.39 million deal the Dolphins tendered Taylor in February 2001, when he was designated their franchise player. In 2001 Taylor recorded 70 tackles (15 for a loss), 8.5 sacks and swatted away eight passes.

In 2002, Taylor led the NFL and tied the Dolphin team record for sacks with 18.5. He also forced seven fumbles and knocked down eight more passes to go with his 69 tackles. He was a consensus All-Pro selection and returned to the Pro Bowl. The next season (2003) Taylor followed up his All-Pro performances with a 13-sack season.

On March 1, 2004, the Dolphins, in an effort to create more salary cap space, agreed to a three-year contract extension with Taylor. The extension put Taylor under contract through the 2009 season. The new deal (which replaced his 6-year, $42 million contract that was scheduled to expire in 2006) was worth $45 million over the 2004–2009 seasons, including nearly $10 million guaranteed in 2004. In 2004 Taylor had 68 tackles, 9.5 sacks, batted 11 passes and picked off a pass. He followed that up with a 73-tackle, 12-sack showing in 2005. He also knocked down 10 passes and forced four fumbles.

Taylor enjoyed one of the best years of his career in 2006 when he recorded 13.5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and two interceptions (both of which were returned for touchdowns), an effort which resulted in his selection as the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. On January 5, 2007, Taylor received 22 votes from a panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Taylor beat Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who received 16 votes. Shawne Merriman received six votes, and the winner of the award in 2005, Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears, received four votes. Taylor was also named a consensus All-Pro for the second time in his career.

In 2007 Taylor reached double-digits in sacks for the sixth time in his career and picked off another pass (the 7th of his career, and the 3rd returned for a TD). Five of his FRs he has returned for TDs, which is an NFL record shared with former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle. With eight career defensive TDs (three on INT returns, five on FR returns), Taylor became the all-time leader in defensive touchdowns scored by a defensive lineman. He has also registered two career safeties and has two career field goal blocks.

In 2007 Taylor was voted to the All-time Miami Dolphins team in a poll of Dolphins fans. He was a First-team selection at defensive end along with Bill Stanfill.

Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland admitted that there were trade discussions regarding veteran defensive end Taylor. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio acknowledged speaking to the Dolphins about Taylor, "They had a certain price in mind and nobody in the league was interested in that price". On Monday April 28, 2008, The Miami Herald reported that Dolphin President Bill Parcells was displeased that Taylor skipped the Dolphins voluntary off-season workouts to be on Dancing with the Stars and that when "Taylor walked into a room where Parcells was watching tape, and Parcells ignored him". Taylor was reportedly "incensed". Ireland, on Sunday, April 27, 2008, said that the Dolphins want Taylor back for the 2008 season and regard him as a team leader.

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, The St. Petersburg Times reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had agreed to trade at least a second-round pick, and perhaps others, to the Dolphins for Taylor. However, when the second-round pick was traded to Jacksonville, the paper removed the story from its website. Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, when asked about trade talks stated, "There have been some trade rumors and I don’t think we’re any different than anybody else. When you’re talking about high-profile players, we’re going to pick up the phone and see what’s going on. It’s part of our job."

On July 20, 2008, Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in 2009 (Pat White was selected with the pick) and a sixth-round pick in 2010. The trade came after the Redskins lost two defensive ends - Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee - to season-ending injuries on the first day of training camp.

On March 2, 2009, Taylor was released by the Washington Redskins for refusing to participate in off-season conditioning programs after claiming he wanted to be closer to his family in Florida.

On May 13, 2009, Taylor signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins for $1.1 million with $400,000 in incentives. On November 1, Taylor set the NFL record for most fumble returns for a touchdown with a 48-yard return against the Dolphins' rivals, the New York Jets, and extended his NFL record of most defensive touchdowns scored by a defensive lineman with 9 (6 on fumble returns, 3 on interception returns). In a game against Tampa Bay, Taylor also recorded his 8th and final career interception, which is second all-time for a defensive lineman.

Taylor signed with the New York Jets on April 20, 2010, to a two-year contract worth up to $13 million with $2.5 million guaranteed. On September 19, 2010, he sacked New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, giving him 128.5 sacks in his career, the 10th-most in NFL history. With 132.5 sacks at the end of the regular season, he was tied for 8th most sacks in a career with Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor and defensive end Leslie O'Neal. On January 23, 2011, Taylor played in his first Conference Championship game in his 14-year career and recorded 2 tackles while the Jets lost, 24–19, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, falling one game short of the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

After one season with the Jets, Taylor was released on February 28, 2011.

On August 1, 2011, Taylor signed with the Miami Dolphins for a third stint. During a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Taylor sacked Michael Vick twice giving him seven sacks on the year, and also giving him the sixth-most sacks in NFL history with 139.5, just ahead of Hall of Famers John Randle and Richard Dent.

On December 28, 2011, Taylor announced that he would retire at the end of the 2011 season. He played his final game on January 1, 2012, in a 19–17 win against his former team, the New York Jets. In the game Taylor nearly returned a fumble for a touchdown, before the score was overruled. After the game ended, Taylor was ceremoniously carried off the field by his teammates. Jason retired 6th on the NFL's all-time sack list with 139.5 sacks, along with 47 career forced fumbles, 29 fumble recoveries with an NFL Record six returned for TDs, and eight career interceptions with three returned for TDs. With nine career defensive touchdowns, he is the NFL's all-time leader in that category for defensive linemen.

Taylor appeared as a guest analyst for NFL Live on June 6, 2011. On June 6, 2012, it was announced that he would join ESPN as an analyst to contribute to NFL Live, SportsCenter, NFL32 and Sunday and Monday NFL Countdown. Taylor is a board member of NFL Foundation.

On October 14, 2012, Taylor along with his teammate Zach Thomas, together became the 23rd and 24th members to be inducted into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll.

On February 4, 2017, Taylor was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, becoming the 10th "long time" Miami Dolphin to enter Canton, and the fifth Miami Dolphin (joining Jim Langer, Paul Warfield, Don Shula and Dan Marino) to do it his first year of eligibility.

Taylor has won numerous awards throughout his career, including the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, two AFC Defensive Player of the Year awards (2002, 2006), and the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the only league honor that recognizes both on-field achievements and off-the-field contributions. Taylor is also a six-time Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2002, 2004–2007), a four-time First or Second-team All-Pro (2000–2002, 2006), a two-time NFL Alumni Association Defensive Lineman of the Year (2005, 2006), and the NFL Alumni Association Pass Rusher of the Year (2000).

In 2004, Taylor and his first wife Katina founded the Jason Taylor Foundation with the goal of improving the lives of children in South Florida. The foundation has launched the Jason Taylor Reading Room, an after-school program aimed at increasing literacy among inner city children; renamed the Holtz Children's Hospital's learning center as "The Jason Taylor Children's Learning Center"; provided 11 sixth-grade students with college scholarships through the Take Stock in Children organization; created the "Big Screens-Big Dreams" program to screen inspirational films for hundreds of student-athletes; and furnished 60 children with $300 back-to-school shopping certificates as part of the "Cool Gear for the School Year" program.

Taylor has also partnered with the Invicta Watch Group and its CEO, Eyal Lalo, on a number of charitable ventures and was given the opportunity to create a collection of limited edition of watches. He said, "As a watch enthusiast and collector, I am excited to be partnering with Invicta on the development and launch of my collection of watches."

Taylor and his ex-wife Katina, who is the sister of Taylor's former teammate Zach Thomas, have three children: sons Isaiah and Mason, and daughter Zoe. Katina filed for divorce twice in 2006, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for custody of the children, but withdrew the petitions both times. The couple quietly divorced in Key West, Florida in 2015.

Taylor became engaged to Monica Taylor on July 2, 2019. They married on August 18, 2020. They were expecting their first child together, a baby boy, in August 2021.

Taylor lives in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Plantation. Taylor's sister Joy Taylor is the former news anchor on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports 1. His son Mason played college football at LSU and was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, while his son Isaiah plays for the University of Miami after previously playing at Arizona.

Taylor coached at St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) for five years from 2017 to 2021, his first three as the team's defensive line coach, and his last two as the team's defensive coordinator. During Taylor's tenure, St. Thomas Aquinas High School won three consecutive state championships from 2019 to 2021.

In 2022, Taylor made the jump to collegiate coaching, joining Mario Cristobal's staff at the University of Miami (FL) as a defensive analyst. The following year in 2023, Taylor was promoted to being the team's defensive ends coach.

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The Story And Significance Of Jerry Jones - Three Time Super Bowl Champion Owner and NFL Business Leader

Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. is an American billionaire businessman who is the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He bought the team from Bum Bright in 1989.

Jones was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas, as a child. His parents owned an independent grocery store. Jones was a running back at North Little Rock High School, graduating in 1960. Afterward, his family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where his father led a successful insurance company. Jones attended the University of Arkansas, co-captaining the 1964 national championship football team. Following graduation, he became an executive vice president at his family's insurance company. After selling it, the Joneses established Buena Vista Animal Paradise.

In 1989, Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million, and swiftly replaced Tom Landry with Jimmy Johnson as the head coach. Under Jones, the team achieved success, winning Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. Jones stands out as an NFL owner with a successful football player background. Despite initial criticism for firing beloved personnel, Jones' leadership elevated the franchise's value to an estimated $10 billion, and his ownership of the Cowboys gives him an estimated net worth of $17 billion. He played a pivotal role in securing lucrative television deals, contributing to the NFL's financial prosperity. Criticized for his high visibility and controversial decisions as both owner and general manager, Jones remains a polarizing figure among fans. Notably, he mended relations with Johnson in 2023, inducting him into the Cowboys Ring of Honor. Jones also influenced team relocations and faced fines from the NFL for public comments on officiating and labor issues. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, Jones has been a recipient of various honors.

Jones was born on October 13, 1942, in Los Angeles, California, to John "Pat" and Arminta Jones. The family moved back to North Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1945. His parents owned two branches of Pat's Super Market in the Rose City neighborhood of North Little Rock. Jones was a running back at North Little Rock High School, graduating in 1960.

After his graduation, Jones' parents moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Pat was president and chairman of Modern Security Life Insurance Co. The company, which an advertisement billed as a "one in a million" company, saw its assets increase from $440,299.76 in its first statement in 1961 to $6,230,607 in 1965 ($4,643,041.96 to $62,365,606.91 in 2024). After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Jerral W. Jones was listed as an executive vice president. With the success of the company, the Joneses assembled the 5,500-acre (2,200 ha) Buena Vista Ranch east of Springfield in Rogersville, Missouri, in the Ozark Mountains. In 1971, after selling the insurance company, the couple carved out 400 acres (160 ha) of their ranch to start Buena Vista Animal Paradise, where tourists could visit exotic animals (now Wild Animal Safari in Strafford, Missouri).

Jones attended the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He was co-captain of Arkansas' 1964 national championship football team. He was an offensive lineman for College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles and a teammate of college football and NFL coach Jimmy Johnson, whom Jones hired as his first head coach after purchasing the Cowboys.

Other notable teammates were Glen Ray Hines, a consensus All-American offensive tackle; Ken Hatfield, who went on to coach several major programs including Arkansas; Jim Lindsey; future Outland Trophy winner Loyd Phillips; and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ronnie Caveness. Several future head coaches were assistant coaches for Broyles on the Razorbacks' staff during Jones' college career in Fayetteville, including three more members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Hayden Fry (Southern Methodist University, North Texas State University, and the University of Iowa); Johnny Majors (Iowa State University, University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Tennessee), and Barry Switzer (University of Oklahoma, and later head coach of the Cowboys under Jones).

According to an interview with Jones on HBO, after graduating from college in 1965, he borrowed a million dollars from Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters union to open up a string of Shakey's Pizza Parlor restaurants in Missouri. When that venture failed, Jones was given a job at his father's insurance company, Modern Security Life of Springfield, Missouri. He received his master's degree in business in 1970. After several other unsuccessful business ventures (including an attempt, again using Teamsters money, to purchase the American Football League's San Diego Chargers in 1966), he began an oil and gas exploration business in Arkansas, Jones Oil and Land Lease, which became successful. His privately held company currently does natural resource prospecting.

In 2008, Jones formed a partnership with Yankee Global Enterprises to create Legends Hospitality, a food, beverage, merchandise, retail, and stadium operations corporation serving entertainment venues.

On February 25, 1989, Jones purchased the Cowboys from H. R. "Bum" Bright for $140 million (equivalent to $310 million in 2024). Soon after the purchase, he fired longtime coach Tom Landry, to that point the only coach in the team's history, in favor of his old teammate at Arkansas, Jimmy Johnson. At the time Johnson was the head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes, whom he had led to a national championship in 1987. A few months later, Jones fired longtime general manager Tex Schramm and assumed complete control over football matters.

After a slow start under Jones and Johnson (the first season under Jones, a 1–15 finish, remains second only to the team's winless inaugural season in terms of futility), they quickly built a team often considered one of the best NFL franchises of the 1990s. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII in the 1992 season, as well as Super Bowl XXVIII the following year. Johnson then departed and was replaced by Barry Switzer, who won Super Bowl XXX in the 1995 season.

At the time of the sale, the financially troubled Bright claimed to be losing $1 million per month on the franchise. During Jones' tenure, the Cowboys have appreciated in value to an estimated $12.5 billion, turning its owner into a billionaire in the process. Much of the league's financial success since 1989 has been credited to Jones himself. In particular, he was decisive in securing Fox as the NFC's primary broadcaster at a time when the traditional "Big Three" networks were trying to convince the league into accepting a rollback in television rights fees.

Increased television revenues have played a decisive role in securing the NFL's place as the world's richest sports league, with revenues of well over $1.2 billion per season.

Despite success in the early years of his ownership of the Cowboys, the decades of mediocrity that have followed, as well as his hands-on approach including disputes with African-American players over money and social issues, have made him one of the most disliked NFL owners. In an online poll from October 8, 2003, Jones was named the least-favorite sports personality by Sports Illustrated, in three states (Virginia, Delaware, and Texas).

Jones is often vilified by fans who remain bitter at his unceremonious firings of longtime Cowboys personnel who were fan favorites, most notably head coach Tom Landry and personnel chief Gil Brandt, even though the Cowboys had done poorly the last few seasons before Jones became owner. Jones stated he did not give consideration to retaining Landry for even a season, as he said he would not have purchased the team unless he could hire Johnson as coach. Jones did not discuss the matter with Landry before announcing the decision. This was denounced by football fans and media as lacking class and respect. The Cowboys had long emphasized pride and tradition, and great performance and loyal service were expected to be rewarded. Since the dismissal, Jones indicated that he regrets the process of Landry's firing and his role in it. It later emerged that Jones' predecessor, Bright, had been dissatisfied with Landry for years and offered to relieve Jones of the inevitable criticism by dismissing the longtime coach himself prior to selling the team. Bright had wanted to fire Landry as early as 1987, only to have general manager Tex Schramm tell him that there wasn't a suitable replacement available.

Some of the fan criticism is due to Jones' high visibility and involvement as the "face of the team", a contrast to both Bright and the Cowboys' original owner Clint Murchison Jr. Jones's prominent role has led to fans expressing displeasure with Jones and the lack of success of the franchise, with particular criticism of Jones serving as his own general manager. There was particular criticism of Jones over his conflict with head coach Jimmy Johnson, as Jones "wanted Cowboys fans to know he had helped build those Super Bowl-winning teams", while "Johnson insisted that he made all of the personnel moves" because he had the final say in football matters and refused to relinquish this power. Consequently, Jones fired Johnson after the 1993 season despite coming off of two consecutive Super Bowl wins, and refused to induct Johnson into the Cowboys Ring of Honor for 30 years until December 30, 2023, after Johnson was inducted the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Jones also initially promised Bill Parcells, the Cowboys' head coach from 2003 through 2006, complete control over football matters; however, their relationship broke down after Jones signed controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens. Parcells' successor, Wade Phillips, complained to friends about being "undermined and second-guessed, repeatedly" by Jones.

Jones and Mike Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals are the only two active NFL owners who have the title or powers of general manager. Jones stated that working as his own general manager helps streamline decision-making and communication lines with the coaching staff. Over Jones' tenure, Cowboys fans have organized a number of grassroots efforts to displace Jones from his position.

Jones is the subject of the 2008 book Playing to Win by David Magee. In the book, Jones admitted he handled the firing of Landry poorly and accepted some blame for the disintegration of his relationship with Landry's successor, Jimmy Johnson.

Jones became involved in the St. Louis Rams move back to Los Angeles with Rams owner Stan Kroenke in 2016. He was instrumental in brokering a deal between Kroenke, San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos, and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis to ensure that Kroenke's SoFi Stadium plan passed, which it did via a 30–2 owners' vote in favor. Jones' support and role in the negotiations were criticized by some fans and sports media in St. Louis. Jones was also a key proponent of the Oakland Raiders' move to Las Vegas to play at Allegiant Stadium.

In February 2021, the Great Texas Freeze caused the Texas power grid to fail and energy prices to surge due to deregulation. Official sources place the death toll at 246, while estimates range to over 700 that people may have died due to the weather and grid issues. Jones and his company Comstock Resources Inc. received criticism for raising prices over 70x the normal rates for natural gas and celebrating huge profits from the storm.

Jones was fined $25,000 by the NFL for publicly criticizing referee Ed Hochuli after Hochuli made a call in a game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos on September 14, 2008. Jones made comments both to the press and on his radio show, saying Hochuli was one of the most criticized officials in the NFL. This was Jones' first fine by the NFL.

In 2009, Jones was fined $100,000 for violating a gag order on labor issues, commenting that revenue sharing was "on its way out". Commissioner Roger Goodell had issued a gag order for all owners and team executives from discussing any aspect of the pending labor issues. Jones "crossed the line", drawing a "six-figure" fine, sources said, as the commissioner distributed a memo to all 32 owners, along with a reminder that the gag order remains in effect. Goodell did not disclose the specific amount of Jones's fine in the memo.

In 2025, Jones was fined $250,000 for flipping his middle finger at fans during the Cowboys' game against the Jets. Although Jones claimed that the obscene gesture was "inadvertent", he did not appeal the fine.

Jones was the inspiration for the character Baxter Cain (Robert Vaughn), owner of the Dallas Felons, in the 1998 film BASEketball. He had a brief cameo appearance as himself in the 1998 made-for-television reunion movie Dallas: War of the Ewings.

Jones and Deion Sanders appeared together in several television commercials during Sanders' time with the Cowboys.

Jones also appeared as himself in a 1996 episode of the television show Coach and in a 2007 television commercial for Diet Pepsi MAX, which also featured then Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and quarterback Tony Romo.

He appeared as himself in the seventh season of the HBO series Entourage in 2010, in an episode of the TNT incarnation of Dallas titled "Truth and Consequences", which aired on July 4, 2012, in a series of commercials for the 2012 season of ESPN's Monday Night Football, and in the season 4 premiere of The League. In 2013, Jones narrated a documentary film on former teammate and business partner Jim Lindsey.

Jones also appeared in a 2013 Pepsi commercial, walking into an elevator filled with three men wearing New York Giants apparel, who look at him with discontent.

He was parodied on the first episode, "Go Fund Yourself", of the eighteenth season of South Park, along with several other NFL team owners. In one scene, Jones is depicted as having huge, bulging chameleon-like eyes, as a young woman's head pops up from his lap. He reappears in the season 21 episode "Moss Piglets."

He appeared as himself in the ninth episode of Landman, titled "Wolf Camp", alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm.

He is depicted in season 14, episode 7 of King of the Hill "Any Given Hill-Day".

Jones married Eugenia Chambers in 1963, whom he met while both were college undergraduates. They have three children. Stephen is the Cowboys' chief operating officer, executive vice president, and director of player personnel. Charlotte is the Cowboys' executive vice president and chief brand officer. Jerry Jones Jr. is the Cowboys' chief sales and marketing officer/vice president. Jones splits his time between a home in Highland Park, Texas and a home in Destin, Florida.

Jones was close friends and neighbors with Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt. The two lived in an upscale neighborhood in Dallas. Since 1998, their teams have played for the Preston Road Trophy, which was commissioned by Hunt to add a competitive nature to their friendship. When the trophy changed hands, Hunt and Jones usually played pranks on the other.

Jones revealed in July 2015 at a press conference before Cowboys training camp that he had undergone hip replacement surgery, joking that he would not start the season on the PUP list.

As of November 2024, Jones' net worth is reported by Forbes to be $16.1 billion, the majority of which can be accounted for as being his ownership stake in the Cowboys who are currently valued by the same publication to be the world's most valuable sports team at $10.1 billion.

In March 2022, Jones was served with legal action by a 25-year-old woman who claimed that he is her biological father. The woman is the daughter of a former airline employee that Jones met in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jones has paid nearly $3 million to the woman and her mother, which included the woman's full tuition at Southern Methodist University and a $70,000 Range Rover on her 16th birthday. Requests for money and other expenses exceeded the amount that Jones agreed to pay in the trust agreement between the parties by nearly $1 million over the years, including $33,000 for a "Sweet 16" birthday party, which was featured on the reality TV show Big Rich Texas. On February 29, 2024, a court decision required Jones to undergo a paternity test concerning the woman's claim. Concurrently, Jones filed a counter lawsuit for a breach of the original settlement agreement executed nearly two years after woman was born which included "If Mother or Child, or any person on behalf of Child, brings or commences any kind of legal proceeding seeking to establish the paternity of Child... , Putative Father may, in his sole discretion, elect to terminate the Agreement and the Funding Trust and the Distribution Trust, or either of them, and enforce any and all remedies available to him at law or in equity. A breach of this provision shall be considered a breach of the entire Agreement." During the trial in the countersuit, the trial abruptly ended as "Jones agreed to drop the countersuit if the women dismissed pending lawsuits against him, including one where the billionaire was ordered to take a DNA test".

In November 2022, a 1957 photo surfaced depicting a 14-year-old Jones witnessing White students attempting to prevent six African-American students from entering North Little Rock High School in Arkansas. North Little Rock was beginning to integrate in 1957. Despite the school's head football coach ordering the team (which Jones was a part of) to stay away from such scenes, Jones said he was there as a curious bystander. Jones also stated: "I don't know that I or anybody anticipated or had a background of knowing what was involved. It was more a curious thing." Jones has expressed regret in not doing more to help the Black students feel more accepted at Little Rock.

In 2025, Jones donated $1 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC that supports Donald Trump.

In August 2025, Jones revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2010.

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The Story And Significance Of Kenny Easley - 1984 Defensive Player Of The Year

Kenneth Mason Easley Jr. was an American professional football player who spent his entire seven-year career as a safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League from 1981 to 1987. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was a three-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the Seahawks in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft. Nicknamed "the Enforcer", Easley has been considered among the greatest defensive backs of his era and as one of the Seahawks' greatest players.

Easley was a leader of the Seahawks' defense and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984. He was a four-time All-Pro selection and was elected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career. Easley's career ended after the 1987 season when he was diagnosed with severe kidney disease.

After retirement, Easley owned a Cadillac dealership and, later, the Norfolk Nighthawks team from 1999 to 2003. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Easley was the fourth overall pick of the 1981 NFL draft, selected by the Seattle Seahawks. He became an immediate starter as a rookie in 1981, recording three interceptions for 155 yards and one touchdown, earning him AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In 1983, the Seahawks hired former Buffalo Bills coach Chuck Knox as their head coach and Easley immediately became the "backbone" of Knox's defense. In his first season playing for Knox, Easley won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award and recorded seven interceptions. In 1984, Easley led the NFL in interceptions with ten, which tied a club record. He returned two of them for touchdowns and was named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first safety awarded since Dick Anderson in 1973. In 1984, during a 45–0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Kingdome on November 4, the Seahawks returned four interceptions for touchdowns, including one caught by Easley, breaking the record for most touchdowns scored from an interception in a game. He took over the role of the team's main punt returner when Paul Johns got injured earlier in the season.

After the season, Easley signed a five-year contract to stay with the Seahawks, averaging $650,000 a year plus incentives. The contract made him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league. In 1985, he was selected for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, a team record until defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy was selected for his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 1995. He was injured for most of the 1986 season; he hurt his knee against the San Diego Chargers on October 11, and the next month, missed the remainder of the season due to ankle surgery. In December, Easley was rumored to be in the trading block as the Seahawks were attempting to get the first overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in order to draft quarterback Vinny Testaverde.

In 1987, Easley was the Seahawks' player representative and a leading figure in the 1987 NFL strike. Seeking a new collective-bargaining agreement with free agency a major factor, the head of the National Football League Players Association, Gene Upshaw managed to convince him and hundreds of his fellow NFL players to go on strike. As a response, the league decided to use replacement players to fill up their rosters, along with a few veterans who crossed the "picket line". When former teammate Jim Zorn offered his services to the Seahawks, Easley said:

He obviously is either desperate to play in the NFL or desperate for money. Here's a guy who played in the NFL for a long time and who was adored and was admired by his fans and teammates. Now, he turns his back on us.

Easley warned his fellow players that he was against the idea of using violence against the replacement players to prove a point. Once the strike ended, he had an off-year as the Seahawks passing defense fell to 25th in the league. His last game was a 23–20 overtime loss to the Houston Oilers in the wild card game of the 1987 NFL playoffs.

Prior to the 1988 season, the Seahawks offered Easley to several clubs in an attempt to get a quarterback in return. His declining play, which was partially blamed on his work during the strike and the blossoming of Easley's backup Paul Moyer, had made Easley expendable. On April 22, 1988, the Seahawks traded him to the Phoenix Cardinals for quarterback Kelly Stouffer. During the mandatory team physical, Easley was diagnosed with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, a severe kidney disease which voided the trade. He had told Moyer that he thought his days with the Seahawks were numbered because of his involvement in the player's strike. He was not surprised when the trade happened but the kidney diagnosis had "shocked" him. The Seahawks offered several draft picks as compensation to the Cardinals to complete the trade and Easley announced his retirement a few months later.

Easley filed a lawsuit against the Seahawks, and the team doctors saying that an overdose of Advil (ibuprofen) for an ankle injury a few years before was the cause of his kidney failure. He knew as early as 1986 that there were issues with his kidney but finally realized the severity of it when he did not pass the Cardinals physical. He said that he took 15 to 20 Advils daily for three months to reduce the swelling in his ankle, before a doctor intervened and told him to stop. A former teammate said that Advil and other medications were easily obtainable in the Seahawks locker room in "large dispensers" without proper medical supervision. Easley's physicians said that they never told him to take the quantity of Advils that Easley said he took. His case made national headlines and formed discussion involving the safe use of over the counter medication like Advil. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1990.

Easley received a new kidney at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, in June 1990.

In 1991, Easley bought into a car dealership (along with his partner Rick Johnson), Alderwood Oldsmobile & Cadillac in Lynnwood, Washington, (it later moved to Shoreline, Washington in 1996), taking advantage of a General Motors program that made it easier for African-Americans and other minorities to own an auto dealership. The dealership became successful and Easley was named president of the African American Dealers Association.

In 1999, Easley, along with Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, were named as the new owners of the Norfolk Nighthawks of the AF2, a semi-professional arena football league branched out from the Arena Football League. The day after the city announced Easley and Smith as owners, a controversy arose with Mark Garcea and Page Johnson, the owners of the Hampton Roads Admirals minor league hockey team, and the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Garcea and Johnson stated that they participated in the original AF2 meetings and asked the city for exclusive rights to own the franchise, providing a $5,000 down payment. Instead, the city allowed Easley and Smith to pay the league's $75,000 franchise fee. The AF2 started playing their first games in the summer of 2000. In his first season as owner, the Nighthawks averaged 6,500 fans at their home field per game, and sold 3,200 season tickets. The team made the AF2 playoffs, but lost money in their first season, which Easley blamed as "rookie mistakes" and startup costs. The team disbanded prior to the 2004 season.

After his retirement, Easley cut most of his ties with the Seahawks organization, citing the lawsuit, how his "dignity" was affected by the Stouffer trade and how no one from the organization offered condolences after his kidney transplant. In 2002, he received a phone call from Gary Wright, the Seahawks publicity director, saying that Paul Allen, the new owner, wanted to induct Easley into the Ring of Honor, and that no other players would receive the honor again until he accepted. With the team under a different owner than that for whom Easley had played, Easley viewed the invitation as an opportunity to reconcile and reconnect with the Seahawks organization. He accepted the honor and became the seventh Seahawk to be inducted into the team Ring of Honor in 2002. For the remainder of his life, he enjoyed cordial relations with the organization.

Easley was named an honorary captain during Super Bowl XLIX, flipping the coin while Vince Wilfork called the toss on behalf of the captains. The Seahawks officially retired Easley's number 45 in 2017.

In his seven-year NFL career, Easley recorded 32 interceptions for 538 yards and three touchdowns, while also returning 27 punts for 302 yards. In 2002, he was elected to the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor after several attempts by the Seahawks to nominate him, but he was previously not interested. Easley was also named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. In 2012, the Professional Football Researchers Association named him to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2012.

In 2016, Easley was named the senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2017 class, he was elected in February 2017, and his bust was sculpted by Scott Myers.

Easley's No. 5 jersey was retired by UCLA in 1981, the year after his final season with the Bruins. He was elected to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Easley and his wife, Gail, had three children: Kendrick, Gabrielle, and Giordanna.

Easley died on November 14, 2025, at the age of 66.

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The Story And Significance Of Terrell Davis - Only player In NFL History With 2,000 Plus Rushing Yards And 20 Plus Rushing Touchdowns In A Single Season

Terrell Lamar Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Despite his short seven-year career (with four full seasons), Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Davis was selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL draft. He is the Denver Broncos' all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing yards. Davis still holds the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason, scoring eight in the 1997 playoffs, culminating in him winning the Super Bowl MVP award. In 1998, he became only the fourth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. As a player, he was given the nickname "T. D." by players, fans and the media; this denoted both the initials of his first and last name as well as being an abbreviation for touchdown. Davis is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

In 1995, newly appointed Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan drafted Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis entered training camp as the sixth string tailback and was a longshot to make the team. He managed to impress the Broncos coaching staff after his second pre-season game, most notably with a crushing hit as a member of special teams. Davis kept improving with each pre-season game and was promoted to starting running back for the season's opening game. With Davis at running back, the Broncos possessed the potent running attack that they had previously lacked. Davis started 14 games during the 1995 season, carrying the ball 237 times, averaging 4.7 yards per run, and scoring eight touchdowns. Davis finished his season with a total of 1,117 rushing yards, becoming the lowest drafted player to ever gain over 1,000 yards rushing in his rookie season.

In 1996, Davis signed, what was at that time a lucrative new five-year contract with the Broncos that was worth $6.8 million. That season, he rushed for a total of 1,538 yards and set a Denver Broncos record for rushing touchdowns with 13. The Broncos ended that season with a 13–3 record, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFL that year. In the postseason, Davis ran for 6.5 yards per attempt in a loss to Jacksonville. Davis was selected as a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl for the first of three consecutive seasons.

In 1997, Davis broke his own records with 1,750 yards and a league-leading 15 rushing touchdowns. The 12–4 Broncos again faced Jacksonville in their first playoff game; this time Davis had 184 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the 42–17 blowout. By rushing for over 100 yards rushing in all four of Denver's postseason games, Davis joined John Riggins as the only player to rush for over 100 yards a game four times in a single postseason. Additionally, Davis was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII against the then-world champion Green Bay Packers, with 157 rushing yards and a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns despite having to sit out the second quarter due to a migraine. Prior to this 31–24 victory, the Broncos had lost each of their four previous Super Bowl appearances, and the AFC had a 13-year losing streak.

In 1998, Davis rushed for 2,008 yards becoming a member of the 2000 rushing yards club, the fourth-highest rushing total in history at the time. This performance earned him league MVP honors, his third straight AFC rushing title, his first NFL rushing title, and his second time being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. At the end of the season, the Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, with Davis recording 102 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.

Super Bowl XXXIII was the last postseason game in which Davis would play. In his 8 postseason games from 1996 to 1998, his numbers were staggering: 204 carries for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 19 receptions for 131 yards. This included a streak of 7 consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, all of which the Broncos won, breaking the previous record for consecutive 100 rushing yard postseason games held by John Riggins (6). Even in the sole playoff game in which Davis didn't gain 100 rushing yards, he still had an impressive performance, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown and catching 7 passes for 27 yards.

Davis was sent to the Pro Bowl in the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Nicknamed "TD", Davis popularized the "Mile High Salute", a military-style salute given to fans and teammates in celebration of a touchdown; Davis explained in 2017 that he felt the "mentality" needed to play running back was similar to that for soldiers, and the gesture was a "sign of respect" for service members.

After the 1998 season, Davis was plagued with injuries and saw action infrequently. In 1999, Davis tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament of his right knee while trying to make a tackle on an interception thrown against the New York Jets, during the fourth game of the season. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.

In the 2000 season, Davis was sidelined for all but five games because of a stress reaction injury in his lower leg. In 2001, he only played in eight games because of arthroscopic surgery on both knees.

Davis retired during the preseason of 2002. He walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time during a preseason Denver–San Francisco 49ers matchup held at Invesco Field at Mile High. To a standing ovation, he gave a mile-high salute to the fans and was hugged by his teammates. After walking to midfield as the lone Broncos player at the coin toss, Davis retreated to the sideline. He spent the second half in street clothes. The following week, upon his request, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season and effectively ending his career.

Through his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 56 touchdowns. Among the 24 modern-era Hall of Fame halfbacks and fullbacks, only Earl Campbell (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) and Eric Dickerson (6,968, 4.8 yards per carry) had more rushing yards during their first four seasons; no member of the Hall of Fame matched Davis's first-four-season 56 rushing touchdowns. Davis was selected for ESPN's All-Time 40-Man Super Bowl roster as a running back for his performances in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.

Overall, Davis finished his seven NFL seasons with 7,607 rushing yards, 169 receptions for 1,280 yards, and 65 touchdowns (60 rushing and 5 receiving). He, John Elway, and Peyton Manning are the only three Broncos to be named league MVP. Davis is one of only six players ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the postseason (1,140), and out of the six he is the only one to do so in a career that lasted less than 12 seasons. Davis finished his career with 12 playoff rushing touchdowns, good for fourth all-time tied with Marshawn Lynch and John Riggins.

Davis was named The Sporting News NFL Player of the Year in 1998. In 2004, Davis was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Davis was one of the semifinalists for the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

On July 27, 2007, it was announced that Davis would be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. His induction ceremony took place at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 23, 2007, in a Broncos home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2006, Davis was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame. On February 7, 2016, Davis and John Elway served as the Broncos' honorary captains at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California. They also appeared at the pre-game ceremony honoring the past 50 Super Bowl MVPs. Davis was also one of the players who did the Trophy Presentation when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. On August 4, 2017, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his eleventh year of eligibility.

After playing in the NFL, Davis worked for NFL Network as a correspondent and studio host for NFL Total Access. He also served as a color commentator for some NFL Europe games covered by NFL Network.

Davis appeared on Sesame Street in a skit with Elmo, Telly Monster, and a talking football. Elmo called Davis "the man" and Davis responded, "Thank you, thank you. I try!" The episode was filmed in December 1998 in New York, and Davis said on the episode of America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions profiling the 1998 Broncos that he was originally supposed to film the episode the day after Denver's week 15 matchup with the New York Giants which was played in Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The plan was for Davis to stay behind in New York for the day while the rest of the team flew home, assuming that the Broncos would win. However, because the Giants defeated the Broncos, Davis had to return to Denver for a Monday practice/film session with the team and then fly back to New York the next day to film his parts.

Davis guest-starred on Disney Channel's The Jersey, in an episode called "They Say It's Your Birthday" along with other sports stars Shannon Sharpe, Tim Brown, Hardy Nickerson, and Tony Siragusa. The episode originally aired on October 21, 2000.

Davis appeared on the season 5 finale of the sitcom Sister, Sister at the twins' graduation to give a speech.

Davis appeared on the August 29, 2008 episode of The Colbert Report to analyze the acceptance speech given by U.S. Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama at Invesco Field at Mile High a day earlier.

In 2023, Davis made a special guest appearance on an episode of Paramount Network's Bar Rescue, hosted by Jon Taffer, along with current NFL players Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and Bradley Chubb.

Davis resides in Temecula, California, with his wife Tamiko Nash. They have three children: sons Jackson and Myles, and daughter Dylan. He wrote an autobiography, TD: Dreams in Motion, after his first Super Bowl victory. A chapter was later added to the book covering his NFL MVP season and second championship win.

Davis was on the cover of the video game NFL GameDay 99 by 989 Sports. He made an appearance in Madden NFL 2006, serving as the player's mentor in the new NFL Superstar Mode and adds his voice to the game.

In 2001, Davis was named in the Atlanta's Gold Club federal prostitution, fraud and racketeering trial. The owner, Steve Kaplan, initially denied accusations of arranging dancers for athletes, claiming that he was unaware of any sexual encounters. Employee Jana Pelnis testified that she had sex with Davis in the club. Kaplan later pleaded guilty and was fined $5 million. A sentence of three years in jail was put on the table, but Kaplan instead received a sentence of 16 months and 400 hours of community service. Davis was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing. However, Campbell Soups dropped him from their advertising shortly thereafter.

In September 2006, Davis filed a lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. for breach of contract over its refusal to defend him in a lawsuit related to a tussle at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. In the lawsuit against the hotel, Davis claimed he was assaulted by two bouncers during a party at the hotel's Tropicana Bar in October 2005. Davis said he suffered a bruised neck and damage to a surgically repaired hip. Davis and the insurance company reached a settlement, so the case was dismissed in January 2007.

In July 2024, Davis was accused of hitting a United Airlines flight attendant while traveling with his wife and children from Denver. When the plane arrived at John Wayne Airport in California, an FBI agent placed him in handcuffs and removed him from the plane. After interviewing Davis and other passengers, the FBI released him from custody when it was determined the flight attendant had made an inaccurate accusation. United apologized for the incident and claimed it took the flight attendant "out of rotation" while the matter was investigated. On July 23, Davis's legal team released a video of their client being removed from the plane and said it would be filing a lawsuit against United. By July 30, United said the flight attendant was no longer employed with the company and Davis had been removed from its no-fly list.

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The Story And Significance Of Morten Anderson - Played In 382 NFL Games, The Most In NFL History

Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-American former professional football kicker who played in the National Football League for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud and Adam Vinatieri, he is one of only three exclusive kickers to receive the honor.

Andersen's NFL career got off to a rocky start. On his first NFL kickoff to start the strike-shortened 1982 season, Andersen twisted his ankle and missed eight weeks of the season. Despite the early setback, he soon emerged as one of the strongest and most reliable placekickers in the NFL. In his years with the Saints, he was named to six Pro Bowls, kicked 302 field goals, and scored 1318 points. In 1991, against Chicago, Andersen kicked a 60-yard field goal, tying him with Steve Cox for the second-longest field goal in league history at the time, behind 63-yard record-holder kicked by Tom Dempsey. Andersen's kick has since been matched by Rob Bironas, Dan Carpenter and Greg Zuerlein, and surpassed by Sebastian Janikowski (twice), Jason Elam, Justin Tucker, Jay Feely, Matt Bryant, David Akers, Matt Prater, Jake Elliott, Graham Gano, Brett Maher, Brandon Aubrey and Stephen Gostkowski. Andersen's proficiency with field goal kicking earned him the nickname "Mr. Automatic." Following the 1994 season, he was released by the Saints for salary cap purposes and because his accuracy had started to decline.

Following his release by the Saints, Andersen signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He silenced those who felt him to be washed up and was once again named a Pro Bowler during his time in Atlanta. In December 1995 against the Saints, he became the first player in NFL history to kick three field goals of over 50 yards in a single game.

In week 17 of the 1996 season, Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal that enabled the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs. Two years later, he kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game to beat the Minnesota Vikings and send the Falcons to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

There are a number of interesting coincidences between Andersen and former NFL placekicker Gary Anderson. Anderson and Andersen have nearly identical last names, were born within a year of one another outside the United States (Anderson was born in South Africa), came to the United States as teenagers, were both drafted in 1982, had long and successful NFL careers throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and both retiring in the 2000s decade), and hold first or second place in a number of NFL records for scoring, field goals, and longevity. Their overall accuracy is also nearly identical; their career percentage being within .5% of each other on both FGs and PATs. Also, Anderson missed a field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game for the Minnesota Vikings before Andersen kicked his winning kick, both from the same distance as well (38 yards).

Andersen went on to play with the New York Giants for the 2001 season, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs the following two seasons. In the 2004 offseason, Andersen was beaten out for the kicking job by rookie Lawrence Tynes. He was released by the Chiefs for the final roster cut, and was subsequently signed by the Vikings. Although his leg strength had declined greatly with age, he continued to prove himself accurate for field goals. Having not been signed by a team following the 2004 season, he became a free agent and did not play in 2005. He announced NFL Europe games in the 2005 season.

In January 2006, Andersen was inducted as the first member of the Danish American Football Federation Hall of Fame. Later that year, Andersen returned to the NFL, re-signing with the Atlanta Falcons; Andersen was brought in to help Michael Koenen, who was at the time performing double duty as punter and kicker (an extremely rare occurrence in the NFL) missing several field goals in that capacity, and Koenen reverted to strictly punting after Andersen's signing. His first game back was against his former team, the Saints, on Monday Night Football. The game was the first game in the Louisiana Superdome since Hurricane Katrina prevented its use for the entire 2005 regular season. Andersen scored the only Falcon points with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter. In his second game back, Andersen made 5 of 5 field goals (matching his career-best for the ninth time), as well as both extra-point attempts. He was named NFC special teams player of the week, becoming the oldest player to earn the honor since the award was first introduced in 1984. He is the team record holder in points for the New Orleans Saints.

On 16 December 2006, Andersen passed Gary Anderson to become the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. The following weekend, 24 December 2006, Andersen again passed Anderson to become the NFL's career leader in field goals made. On 17 September 2007, he again signed with the Falcons in an attempt to secure their unreliable kicking game. By the end of the regular season, he had made 25 of 28 field goals (89.3%), the most accurate season of his career.

In the 2008 season, Andersen did not receive a contract offer from any team, but waited until 8 December to officially retire. Andersen had stated that his goal was to be the first NFL player to play until he turned 50 in 2010. However, he retired just two days after he would have become the oldest player ever to appear in an NFL game, had he played on or after 6 December he would have been the oldest NFL player to play. The record held by George Blanda still stands – Blanda played in his last NFL game on 4 January 1976 (the 1975 AFC Championship) at the age of 48 years, 109 days.

On 6 November 2009, Andersen was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. On 25 June 2011, Andersen was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. On 10 August 2013, Andersen was inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. On 21 December 2015, he was inducted as the fourth member of the team's Ring of Honor. On 4 February 2017, it was announced that Andersen would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On 10 September 2020, he launched a new weekly football podcast with the VegasInsider Podcast Network titled "Great Dane Nation" with co-host Tom "FreezePops" Carroll.

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