Highlighted Year: Dean Biasucci, 1987

Placekicker, Indianapolis Colts

Age: 25

3^rd season in pro football & with Colts

College: Western Carolina

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 191

Prelude:

An undrafted free agent out of college, Biasucci beat out four other placekickers to be signed by the Colts in 1984 after Raul Allegre was injured in the opening game. While Allegre returned, Biasucci was retained for kickoffs. He was cut during the ’85 preseason and sat out the year, but came back to beat out Allegre in 1986 and was successful on 13 of 25 field goal attempts and 26 of 27 extra points.

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 12 of 15 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 24 [2, tied with Jim Breech, 1^st in AFC]

Most field goals, game – 4 at NY Jets 11/1, at Miami 11/15

Field goal attempts – 27 [6, tied with Gary Anderson & Raul Allegre]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 at NY Jets 11/1

Field goal percentage – 88.9 [1]

PATs – 24

PAT attempts – 24

Longest field goal – 50 yards vs. Miami 9/20

Scoring

Field Goals – 24

PATs – 24

Points – 96 [4]

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff at Cleveland)

Field goals – 0

Field goal attempts – 0

PATs – 3

PAT attempts – 3

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, NEA

1^st team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Colts went 9-6 in the strike-shortened season (three games were played with replacement players) to finish first in the AFC East and reach the postseason for the first time since moving to Indianapolis. Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Cleveland Browns (38-21).

Aftermath:

Effective in clutch situations and with a strong leg, Biasucci went on to play seven more seasons with the Colts and was a first-team All-NFL selection by The Sporting News after scoring a career-high 114 points in 1988. Having kicked 176 field goals and scored 783 points with the Colts, which were franchise records at the time, Biasucci signed with Pittsburgh in 1995, was released, and finished his career with the St. Louis Rams. Overall, he was successful on 185 of 262 field goal attempts (70.6 %) and added 268 PATs for a total of 823 points.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970