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Vince Abbott

Date of birth:	May 31, 1958 (1958-05-31) (age 51)
Place of birth:	London, England
Career information
Position(s):	Kicker
College:	Cal State Fullerton
Organizations
As player:
1987-1988	San Diego Chargers
Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Vincent Steven Abbott (born May 31, 1958) was an American football player. Born in London, Abott graduated the University of Washington, and was undrafted free agent. He played for a time in the USFL for the Los Angeles Express. After being cut in five previous attempts, he managed to win an NFL job with the San Diego Chargers, during the 1987 pre-season, beating out veteran kicker Rolf Benirschke.

In his first NFL game, the 1987 season opener in Kansas City against the Kansas City Chiefs, Abbott successfully made two out of three field goals, a thirty-two yarder and a thirty-three yarder, the second tying the game at 13 with just over three minutes to play. He would not make an appearance again until the season's seventh game, when he missed two early field goals in a key game against the Cleveland Browns. Nevertheless, he successfully converted a twenty-yard kick with 1:46 remaining in the game, tying the score at 24 apiece, and he was able to convert a 33-yard overtime kick to secure victory for the Chargers, 27-24. That kick lifted the Chargers to 6-1, their best start since their first season in 1961, and put them in first place in their division. Three field goals each against the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams made the difference in narrow victories, and helped keep the Chargers momentum going as they ran their record to 8-1.

Although the Chargers would fade, losing their final six games to miss the playoffs, Abbott retained his kicking duties into 1988, having finished the 1987 with a 13 for 22 field goal, with seven of his misses coming from beyond forty yards. Abbott played in 12 games during 1988, for a Chargers team that went 6-10, and converted 8 out of 12 field goals. This was his last season in the NFL; he ended his career with exactly 100 total points, and a 61% field goal percentage.

[edit] External links

• Vince Abbott