Swedish kicker Ola Kimrin has virtually no chance of making the Denver Broncos' roster, and he knows it. Still, he did pick one helluva way to get noticed, hitting a 65-yard field goal in a preseason game against Seattle yesterday. Denver's incumbent kicker, Pro Bowler Jason Elam, shares the NFL regular season record of 63 yards.
"I thought we were going to take a knee and run the clock out, but then they said 'field goal.' I said, 'OK, I'll go for it,''' said Kimrin, who once made a 70-yarder in practice. "I had nothing to lose. Sixty-five, if you miss, it's still fine. Perfect snap, a good hold and the line was there. I had my best kick ever, probably.''
The crowd stirred as Kimrin lined up for the kick from his own 45-yard line, then roared as the ball sailed through the uprights with a few yards to spare. He was mobbed by teammates as he ran toward the sideline after the kick.
Elam hit a 63-yard field goal in 1998 to tie Tom Dempsey for the longest in NFL history. Kimrin's kick won't be recognized because preseason games do not count in the league record book.
"It was a heck of a kick, wasn't it?'' Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "It looked like it could have been good at 70. I was really happy for him. He's worked hard throughout camp, and hopefully this will give him an opportunity to catch on with another team, if not right away then sometime during the season.''
Expect to see Kimrin on some NFL team's roster this season (are you listening, Mike Tice??)....
