Gary Anderson Football Kicker: Why the 1998 Miss Is the Most Unfair Stat in NFL History

Sports fans are a fickle bunch. We remember the one mistake and ignore the twenty years of absolute perfection that came before it. If you mention the name Gary Anderson football kicker to a Vikings fan, they won't talk about his 2,434 career points. They won't talk about the fact that he was the first kicker in NFL history to go an entire regular season without missing a single field goal or extra point.

Instead, they'll talk about January 17, 1999.

The Metrodome. Two minutes left. A 38-yard chip shot that would have sealed a Super Bowl trip.

He missed.

It was his first miss in 122 attempts. It’s the kind of heartbreak that sticks to a franchise like a curse, and unfortunately, it has become the defining image of one of the greatest specialists to ever put on a pair of cleats. But if we’re being honest, blaming Gary Anderson for the 1998 Vikings' collapse is like blaming a master chef for a bad meal because he dropped a garnish in the final three seconds.

The South African Kid Who Changed the Game

Gary Anderson didn't grow up dreaming of the NFL. Born in Parys, South Africa, he was a soccer player through and through. He didn't even see an American football game until he moved to the United States. Basically, he showed up at Syracuse University with a powerful leg and a soccer-style approach that was still somewhat of a "specialty" in the late 70s.

The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the seventh round in 1982.
Then they cut him.
Big mistake.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers snatched him up, and for the next 13 seasons, he became a fixture at Three Rivers Stadium. He wasn't just "good for a kicker." He was the Steelers' offense for a good chunk of the 80s. He left Pittsburgh as their all-time leading scorer with 1,343 points. Think about that. In a franchise defined by the "Steel Curtain" and Hall of Fame running backs, a kid from South Africa scored more points than anyone.

That "Perfect" Season (And the One That Got Away)

By the time Anderson landed with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, he was 39 years old. Most kickers are long gone by that age. Instead, Anderson had a literal perfect season.

• 35 for 35 on field goals.
• 59 for 59 on extra points.
• 100% accuracy over 16 games.

He was the "Great Dane" of the North (even though he wasn't Danish—people often confused him with Morten Andersen, another kicking legend). The 1998 Vikings were an absolute juggernaut, led by a rookie named Randy Moss and a revitalized Randall Cunningham. They scored 556 points that year, a record at the time.

Then came the NFC Championship against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Vikings were up by seven. A field goal puts them up by ten with two minutes left. It's a 38-yarder. For Anderson, this was basically a layup.

The ball sailed wide left.

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The air left the Metrodome. Atlanta went down, scored, tied it, and won in overtime. The "Perfect Season" was over. People forget that the Vikings' defense still had a chance to stop Atlanta. They forget that the offense had another possession in regulation and two more in overtime. But they remember the kick.

More Than Just a Highlight Reel Failure

If you look at the raw data, Gary Anderson’s career is staggering. He played 23 seasons in the NFL. Only three men—Adam Vinatieri, Morten Andersen, and George Blanda—played more seasons or more games.

When he retired in 2004 with the Tennessee Titans, he was the NFL’s all-time leading scorer. He stayed at the top of that mountain until 2006.

Career Totals (The Real Story)

• Points Scored: 2,434 (Currently 3rd all-time)
• Field Goals Made: 538
• Games Played: 353
• All-Decade Teams: 1980s and 1990s

He wasn't just a kicker; he was a model of longevity. He saw the league transition from the "dirt and grass" era of the 80s to the dome-heavy, high-flying era of the 2000s. He adapted. He stayed accurate. He stayed healthy.

The Hall of Fame Debate (Class of 2026)

Right now, there's a serious conversation happening about his legacy. As of the Class of 2026 nominations, Gary Anderson football kicker is once again a name on the modern-era ballot. The Hall of Fame has historically been allergic to kickers. Only a handful—Jan Stenerud, Morten Andersen, and recently Lou Groza (who was also an offensive tackle)—have made it in.

The argument against him is always "The Miss."
The argument for him is "Everything Else."

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How do you keep a guy out who was a member of two different All-Decade teams? How do you ignore 23 years of top-tier production? If you're a voter, you have to decide if one 38-yard miss in January outweighs 538 successful field goals.

Honestly, it shouldn't even be a debate.

Life After the Goalposts

Gary Anderson didn't stay in the spotlight. He’s a guy who loves his privacy. After he retired, he mostly traded the football field for trout streams in the Canadian Rockies and South Africa. He’s been involved in fly-fishing ventures and has spent a lot of time giving back to his home country, often working with NFL Africa to grow the sport there.

He doesn't sit around rewatching the 1998 NFC Championship.
Neither should we.

If you want to truly understand his impact, stop looking at the YouTube clips of the miss. Look at the consistency. Look at the fact that for two decades, coaches didn't have to worry about the kicking game. That’s a luxury most NFL teams would kill for today.

How to Value a Kicker’s Legacy

If you’re analyzing a kicker's career, look for these three markers:

1. Longevity: Did they play past 40? (Anderson did).
2. Accuracy relative to era: Were they better than their peers? (Anderson was).
3. The "Clutch" Factor: Did they win games? (Anderson won dozens).

Don't let a single snapshot define a twenty-year career. Gary Anderson wasn't a failure in 1998; he was a victim of his own impossibly high standards.

To gain a better perspective on why he belongs in Canton, you should compare his stats directly against Adam Vinatieri and Morten Andersen. You’ll find that while they have the rings or the "walk-off" moments, Gary Anderson has a level of seasonal consistency that arguably surpassed both. Check the All-Decade lists—being named one of the best for twenty years straight isn't an accident. It's greatness.