Groza, Louis R.
Football
b. Jan. 25, 1924, Martins Ferry, OH
d. Nov. 29, 2000
Groza was a rarity, an outstanding offensive tackle who was also the finest kicker of his era and the first true kicking specialist. A starting tackle at Ohio State for two years, he joined the Cleveland Browns of the new All-America Football Conference in 1946 after military service in World War II.
Used primarily as a kicker in his rookie year, Groza led the league in scoring with 45 extra points and 13 field goals for a total of 84 points. He became Cleveland's starting tackle during the 1947 season and held the position until 1959.
The AAFC folded in 1950 and the Browns entered the NFL. They won the league championship that season when Groza kicked a field goal with 28 seconds remaining to beat the Los Angeles Rams 30-28 in the title game.
Groza was an All-Pro tackle from 1951 through 1955 and in 1957. He led the NFL in field goals with 13 in 1950, 19 in 1952, 23 in 1953, 16 in 1954, and 15 in 1957. He was the league's leading scorer with 77 points in 1955.
A back injury forced Groza to miss the entire 1960 season, but he came back in 1961 as a kicker and played through 1967. In 21 seasons, all with the Browns, he converted 810 of 834 extra point attempts and 264 of 481 field goal attempts for a total of 1,608 points, a record at the time.