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ESPN Daily

Sole and Valor: The Mystery of the NFL’s Last Barefoot Kicker

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.63.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the 1980s NFL, barefoot kickers were a fleeting and rare phenomenon, with little to no evidence to back up any claims of a strategic advantage. The last known barefoot kick in the league was recorded in 2002, and executed by St. Louis Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins…or so we thought. Sam Borden kicks off an investigation into a football mystery… and embarks on a quest for truth…and justice…and a heel turn for the ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Sam Borden, we are talking to you today on the 20th anniversary of what turns out to be

0:05.5

a very specific moment in sports.

0:09.2

And this is a moment that you are apparently obsessed with.

0:12.1

And so on October 20th, 2002, when the St. Louis Rams were hosting the Seattle Seahawks,

0:18.5

what exactly caught your eye?

0:21.1

That game was week seven of the 2002 NFL season.

0:25.2

And there was, you know, a lot of offense going on, Marshall Falk scored four touchdowns.

0:31.5

The Rams beat the Seahawks 37 to 20.

0:34.2

But the thing that stuck out to me wasn't one of Falk's four touchdowns.

0:39.1

It was what happened after his last touchdown.

0:43.0

On third down, back to the ground.

0:46.1

Yes sir.

0:50.1

That came with about six minutes to go in the game.

0:58.0

The kicking team runs out onto the field and the Rams kick an extra point.

1:04.2

Obviously, to the vast majority of people watching that game and certainly to the vast

1:09.2

majority of people who have ever thought about that game ever since, that extra point

1:14.1

wouldn't have any significance.

1:16.2

No, in fact, it was so insignificant that it wasn't even mentioned by anyone on the

1:20.9

game broadcast.

1:22.6

Here's the thing, Jeff Wilkins, the kicker who comes out and kicks that extra point,

1:28.3

there was something going on with his foot.

1:31.5

He wasn't wearing one of his shoes.

...

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