Lou Groza

Louis Roy Groza (January 25, 1924 – November 29, 2000), nicknamed "the Toe," was an American professional football offensive tackle and placekicker who spent his entire career with the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL). Groza grew up in an athletic family in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He enrolled at The Ohio State University on a scholarship in 1942, but after a single year of college he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in World War II as an army surgical technician in the Pacific theater. He returned in 1946 to play for the Browns.

Over 21 seasons in Cleveland, Groza helped the team win eight league championships. His accuracy and strength as a kicker influenced the development of place-kicking as a specialty: he could convert field goals from beyond 50 yards at a time when attempts from that distance were a rarity, and he set numerous records for both the distance and the number of field goals he kicked. When he retired after the 1967 season, Groza stood as professional football's career leader in both kicking and total points scored.