Rookie of the Year: Chester Marcol, 1972

Placekicker, Green Bay Packers

Age:  23 (Oct. 24)

College: Hillsdale

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

Having suffered through several years of mediocre placekicking, the Packers used a second round draft pick to take the Polish-born Marcol. While he had been a NAIA All-American, there was some concern with his coming from a small-college program. Nevertheless, he became Green Bay’s first soccer-style placekicker.

1972 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 33 [1]

Most field goals, game - 4 at Cleveland 9/17, vs. Detroit 12/3

Field goal attempts – 48 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 at Cleveland 9/17, vs. Dallas 10/1, vs. Detroit 12/3

Field goal percentage – 68.8 [5]

PATs – 29 [16, tied with John Leypoldt]

PAT attempts – 29 [17, tied with Don Cockroft]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Chicago 11/12, at Washington 11/26

Scoring

Field Goals – 33

PATs – 29

Points – 128 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (at Washington, NFC Divisional playoff)

Field goals – 1

Field goal attempts – 2

PATs – 0

PAT attempts – 0

Longest field goal – 17 yards

Awards & Honors:

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

1^st team All-NFC: AP, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Packers went 10-4 to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the league in field goals (33). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to Washington Redskins (16-3).

Aftermath:

Marcol booted 21 field goals in 1973 and was again a consensus All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection in ’74 as he led the league in field goals (25), field goal attempts (39), and scoring (94 points). However, an injury in the opening game of the 1975 season cost him the rest of the year. He came back and lasted another four full seasons for the Packers, although with lesser numbers, until he was let go during the 1980 season. Marcol had a brief stint with the Oilers in what was his final year. Overall, he kicked 121 field goals in 196 attempts (61.7 %) as well as 156 extra points. Combined with a touchdown scored in 1980 when he recovered a blocked field goal attempt, Marcol scored a total of 525 points.

[Updated 8/4/13]

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).