KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Before Jan Stenerud became one of football\u2019s most accomplished kickers, he was a ski jumper from a small town in Norway.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my little hometown of 2,000 people, we had 20 ski jumps,\u201d Stenerud said.<\/p>\n
Stenerud grew up competing on the hills near his home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had two hills around our house,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019d put the light on and yell at my dad so he could watch my brother and I come by the kitchen window and jump.\u201d<\/p>\n
His skill on the slopes earned him recognition. In 1962, Stenerud recorded the second-longest jump at the Junior Nationals in Norway \u2014 a performance that caught the attention of Montana State University, which offered him a full ski jumping scholarship.<\/p>\n
He excelled at Montana State as both a skier and ski jumper. Then, while running steps inside the football stadium for fun, he tried kicking a football.<\/p>\n
\u201cI lined up in the kickoff, and I topped the first one \u2014 I\u2019d never kicked off a tee before \u2014 but the next one went from the 40-yard line, went through the goalposts and into the seats,\u201d Stenerud said.<\/p>\n
Stenerud continued to ski jump, but found immediate success on the football field as well. Against rival University of Montana, he kicked a 59-yard field goal \u2014 at the time, the longest in college or professional football history.<\/p>\n
That kick convinced the Kansas City Chiefs to draft him, news he said he received by telegram.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, instead of going back to Norway, I chose Kansas City,\u201d Stenerud said.<\/p>\n
Stenerud went on to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer. But ski jumping, he said, still holds a place in his heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss that, I really do,\u201d Stenerud said. \u201cI wake up sometimes at the top of the hill \u2014 my turn to go. I wake up. I don\u2019t get to go. And I\u2019m disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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