Mark Moseley


Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Oilers, the Washington Redskins, and the Cleveland Browns. He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season. He is the only special teams player to win the NFL MVP award and is one of only three non-offensive MVPs.

Early life and education

Moseley grew up in Livingston, Texas and played football at Livingston High School. After high school, he attended Texas A&M University from 1965 to 1966 and, later, Stephen F. Austin State University from 1967 to 1969. He played quarterback while at both schools until his senior season at SFA when he made the switch to placekicker. In that season, he set Lone Star Conference records for most points in a game and most field goals in a season.

Career

Moseley was selected 346th overall in the 14th round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was dropped by the Eagles in 1971 and signed by the Houston Oilers only to be released again in 1972. He spent two years out of the NFL and moved back to Livingston, Texas where he installed septic systems. During this period, he sent letters to two dozen NFL teams and routinely practiced kicking with his wife. In 1974, the Washington Redskins signed him as a free agent.
With the retirement of the Minnesota Vikings' Rick Danmeier in 1982, Moseley became the sole full-time straight on placekicker in the National Football League; there has only been one other since then. In the 1960s, the "soccer style" of kicking was introduced by the Hungarian brothers Pete and Charlie Gogolak, and it became increasingly popular and is now universal in the NFL and other levels.
In the strike-shortened 1982 season, Moseley made a league-leading 20 of 21 field goals, a then-record 95.2 success rate, and was responsible for 76 points. He became the second placekicker to ever win the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player, the other was Hall of Famer Lou Groza, who also won the award back in 1954 as a placekicker and as an offensive tackle. Moseley had a much rougher time in the postseason, missing four field goals in Washington's two posteason games. But in the Washington Redskins' 27–17 victory in Super Bowl XVII over the Miami Dolphins, Moseley kicked two field goals and was successful on all three of his extra point attempts. During the following season, he led the NFL in scoring with 161 points. He also kicked the game-winning field goal in Washington's 24-21 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game, despite missing four prior attempts in the game.
In 1986, the popular 38-year-old Moseley was released by the Washington Redskins mid-season. He remains their all-time leading scorer with 1,207 points. He signed with the Cleveland Browns and retired at the end of the season, helping them win their divisional playoff game against the New York Jets with a game-winning field goal in double overtime despite missing two field goals in regulation and another in the first overtime period.
In his career, Moseley was successful on 300 out of 457 field goal attempts, successful on 482 out of 512 extra points attempts and scored a total of 1,382 points. He led the NFL in field goals made four times.

Career regular season statistics

Personal life

Moseley is now the Director of Franchising for Five Guys. He has five children and 13 grandchildren. Moseley's younger sister, Pamela Moseley Carpenter, was murdered by Johnny Paul Penry in 1979. Moseley was extremely critical of the criminal justice system after the murder, which had released Penry after he served only 2 years of a 5-year sentence for rape just months before the murder took place. Moseley also said he supported giving Penry the death penalty.