Highlighted Year: Tony Franklin, 1986

Placekicker, New England Patriots

Age: 30 (Nov. 18)

8^th season in pro football, 3^rd with Patriots

College: Texas A & M

Height: 5’8”   Weight: 182

Prelude:

The barefoot-kicking Franklin booted 44 field goals out of 73 attempts (60.3 %) in college and had two of over 60 yards in a game against Baylor in 1976. The Philadelphia Eagles, having endured significant problems with placekicking in 1978, selected him in the third round of the ’79 NFL draft. He had an outstanding rookie season, hitting on 23 of his 31 field goal attempts, including a team-record 59-yard kick at Dallas, and all 36 of his PATs. However, he clashed with Head Coach Dick Vermeil and, following a lesser year in 1980, withstood a challenge in ’81. He bounced back with 20 field goals out of 31 attempts. After two more seasons in Philadelphia, Franklin was traded to the Patriots in 1984. He had his two best years from a field goal percentage standpoint, hitting on 22 of 28 attempts in ’84 (78.6 %) and 24 of 30 in 1985 (80.0 %) when the club won the AFC Championship.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 32 [1]

Most field goals, game – 4 vs. Indianapolis 9/7, vs. Atlanta 11/2

Field goal attempts – 41 [1, tied with Kevin Butler]

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 vs. Indianapolis 9/7, at Buffalo 10/26, vs. Atlanta 11/2

Field goal percentage – 78.0 [5]

PATs – 44 [3, tied with Pat Leahy, Chuck Nelson & Rich Karlis]

PAT attempts – 45 [4, tied with Rich Karlis]

Longest field goal – 49 yards vs. Indianapolis 9/7

Scoring

Field Goals – 32

PATs – 44

Points – 140 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff at Denver)

Field goals – 1

Field goal attempts – 1

PATs – 2

PAT attempts – 2

Longest field goal – 38 yards

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

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

Pro Bowl

Patriots went 11-5 to finish first in the AFC East while ranking second in the NFL in scoring (412 points). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Denver Broncos (22-17).  

Aftermath:

Franklin’s performance dropped off significantly in 1987, as he made good on just 15 of 26 field goal attempts (57.7 %), and his career ended with Miami in ’88. Overall, Franklin kicked 177 field goals out of 264 attempts (67.0%) and added 341 PATs with 14 misses for a total of 872 points. Of those totals, 93 of 125 field goal tries (74.4 %), 163 extra points, and 442 points came with the Patriots, where he had his best seasons. In the postseason, he was 16 of 22 on field goals and made all 27 of his extra point attempts. Franklin received first-team all-conference honors once, second-team recognition after one other season, and was selected to one Pro Bowl.

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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