Rich Karlis University of Cincinnati, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions
Rich is a former American Football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990. He played college football at the University of Cincinnati and is known as the last of the field goal kickers who kicked barefoot full time in the NFL.
Karlis is best known for kicking the game winning field goal in overtime for the Broncos against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship game to reach Super Bowl XXI. He had a rather ironic performance in Super Bowl XXI, tying a Super Bowl record with a 48-yard field goal, but also missing a 23-yard attempt, the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history at that time.
In 1989, he tied a then NFL record by kicking seven field goals in a game against the Los Angeles Rams, a record held until 2007.
Karlis made 172 field goals and 283 extra point attempts for 799 points in his career. He also holds Super Bowl records for the most field goal attempts (6), making three of them, and also the most consecutive field goals made as a rookie (13) in 1982.