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Gary Anderson (born July 16, 1959 in Parys, Orange Free State, South Africa) is currently the NFL's career points scoring leader. He is also the first NFL kicker to have a "perfect season" successfully making every field goal and every PAT during regular season play.
Early life
Anderson was born in Parys, South Africa and grew up in Durban, South Africa. His father was an Irish born Protestant pastor and former professional soccer player. His mother was a white South African. Shortly after Gary graduated from high school, Reverend Anderson left South Africa and moved his family to the United States to protest South Africa's policy of apartheid.
Anderson hoped to follow in his father's footsteps and become a professional soccer player in Europe. While practicing soccer at a high school football field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began practicing kicking field goals with a borrowed football. When the high school coach saw him, he arranged a tryout for four scouts from Syracuse, Georgia, Indiana and South Carolina. After the tryout, all four scouts offered scholarships on the spot. Gary chose Syracuse after they promised him that he would also be able to play on the school's soccer team.
NFL career
After graduating from Syracuse University. He was drafted as a placekicker by the Buffalo Bills in 1982 but was cut before the season began. He then signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers and spent the following 12 seasons in Pittsburgh.
For the 1995 season, Anderson signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. Anderson spent the 1997 season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Then, in 1998, Anderson signed with the Minnesota Vikings and converted all 35 of his attempted field goals and all 59 extra points in regular season play. However after making all of his field goal and points after touchdowns during the entire season, he missed a crucial kick in the 4th quarter against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.
Anderson stayed with the Vikings until the 2003 season, when he joined the Tennessee Titans out of retirement as a replacement for the injured Joe Nedney after the first game of the season. After that season, Anderson again retired and turned down offers from several teams to come kick for them. When Nedney went down with another season-ending injury after the start of the 2004 season, Anderson again agreed to unretire for the Titans.
Anderson currently resides in Canmore, Alberta, Canada and operates a fly fishing charter business called Perfect Season.
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