Former Saints kicker Tom Dempsey, who once held the NFL record for the longest made field goal, has died at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus. Demspey spent eleven seasons in the NFL and kicked 159 field goals, even though he was born without toes on his right foot.
“He was an admiration for everybody who saw his handicap and he overcame, people said he couldn’t do it and he showed him, that was the kind of guy he was,” said former Saints QB Billy Kilmer.
In 1970 at old Tulane Stadium, Dempsey booted a 63-yard field goal as the Saints beat the Detroit Lions on the record-breaking kick. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says Dempsey told him he never saw the ball go through the up rights.
“He said, I saw out of the corner of my eye I see a guy jump up and throw up his hands, then I heard the crowd roar, but he said that was it, he didn’t see much afterwards, he got mobbed out on the field, said Detillier.
Dempsey’s record stood for more than four decades. Matt Prater broke the record in 2013 with a 64-yard field goal in Denver.
Dempsey only played for two seasons with the Saints. Detillier remembers the two appeared together at a public event in 2011 and fans stood in a long line to get Dempsey’s autograph.
“He couldn’t believe 41 years later, people still remembered,” said Detillier.
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