Ben Agajanian
Benjamin James "The Toeless Wonder" Agajanian was an American football player, primarily a placekicker in the National Football League, the All-America Football Conference and American Football League.
Born in Santa Ana, California, he graduated from San Pedro High School in the San Pedro community in Los Angeles. A placekicker, he played college football at Compton Junior College and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a physical training instructor.
Agajanian played professionally in the National Football League from 1945 through 1959, then in the newly formed American Football League for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers in 1960, 1961, and 1964. He also played for the Dallas Texans in 1961 and the Oakland Raiders in 1962. He is one of two players who played in the All-America Football Conference, the American Football League, and the National Football League.
While playing in college, Agajanian had four toes of his kicking foot crushed in a work accident and then amputated in 1939, but overcame the injury to become pro football's third kicking specialist, booting field goals for 10 different professional teams in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, including two NFL champions: the New York Giants in 1956 and the Green Bay Packers in 1961. After retiring from the field at age 45, he was the Dallas Cowboys kicking coach for 20 years. He also coached Chicago Bears kicker Mac Percival for the 1968 season.
Agajanian died in Cathedral City, California on February 8, 2018 at age 98. His older brother was the late Motorsports promoter J.C. Agajanian.
