Blair Walsh

Blair Richard Walsh (born January 8, 1990) is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Walsh played college football at Georgia. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Walsh at the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Walsh attended Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and played football for coach Michael Morill as their punter and placekicker. While a senior, he made 14 of 20 field goal attempts and 30 of 31 extra point attempts. Twice he hit field goals from 59 yards. Walsh also averaged 41 yards per punt and 69 yards per kickoff. For his efforts, he was named to USA Today's All-USA First Team Offense and noted as a top-5 kicker in the nation by ESPN.com. He also played in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Walsh attended the University of Georgia, where he was a placekicker for coach Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs football team from 2008 to 2011. He was a standout player who amassed a number of significant kicking stats. During his time at Georgia, he made 4 field goals in a game three times. Twice he attempted a field goal from his long, 56 yards, and converted it once in a game against Coastal Carolina in his senior year. In all, Walsh made 184 of 185 PATs and 76 of 103 field goals. However, in his senior year he made just 21 of 35 field goal attempts. He also had two tackles and one fumble recovery to his credit.

Minnesota Vikings

2012 season

Walsh prepares for a kickoff

Walsh was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the fifth pick of the sixth round. A priority acquisition for the Vikings, Walsh would take over kicking duties for the released Ryan Longwell. Through the first 11 weeks of the season, Walsh missed only one field goal and had another blocked. He was 6-for-6 with kicks over 50 yards and 21-for-21 on extra point attempts. On December 16, Walsh passed Randy Moss for the Vikings' franchise record in points scored by a rookie (119). In his best week of his rookie season, in a game against the St. Louis Rams in week 15, Walsh equalled the NFL record for field goals made from 50 yards or more with his eighth kick (a new team record); his three 50-yarders in the game was also a team record. His 5 kicks also tied an NFL record for most field goals of 37 yards or more in a single game, 5, which only Chris Boniol equaled for the Cowboys in 1996 and Scott Norwood in 1988. The next week in a game against the Houston Texans on December 23, 2012, Walsh completed a 56-yard attempt, setting the NFL record for field goals over 50 yards in a season with his 9th 50+ yarder. The 56 yarder also tied the Vikings record of longest field goal set by Paul Edinger in 2005.

Walsh speaks with the media after game-winner against the Packers

In the final game of the 2012 season, Walsh completed a 54-yard field goal to make himself 10/10 over 50 yards on the season. He was 3 points short of tying an NFL record for most points in a season by a rookie at 144, Walsh ended 2012 with 141 points for the Vikings; which is the team record. His final regular season field goal allowed the Vikings to beat the Green Bay Packers 37-34 and earn a playoff berth. The field goal also tied the NFL record for most field goals by a rookie kicker at 35 with Ali Haji-Sheikh from 1983.

As reward for his standout rookie season, Walsh was selected for the NFC team in the 2013 Pro Bowl. Walsh was also selected to the All-Pro 1st Team.

2013 season

In 2013's season opener against the Detroit Lions, Walsh tied the record for most consecutive 50 yard or more field goals with eleven, tying with Robbie Gould and Tony Zendejas. Walsh broke the record three weeks later against the Pittsburgh Steelers in London, England with his twelfth straight 50+ yard field goal. On November 24 againist the Green Bay Packers Walsh hit four of four field goals and had five touchbacks off kickoffs; he was named NFC special teams player of the week.

2015 season

In July, Walsh signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $14 million, including $5.25 million guaranteed, making him one of the top-five highest-paid kickers in the NFL. He struggled in the preseason, making only five of eleven field goal attempts. Walsh missed a 36-yard field goal attempt in a 20–23 loss to the Denver Broncos in week 4. He picked himself up by converting seventeen consecutive field goals from week 4 in Denver through week 10 in Oakland, where he missed a 53-yarder that ended his streak. During this span, Walsh kicked back-to-back game-winning field goals: a 36-yarder against the Chicago Bears in week 8 and a 40-yarder in week 9 against the St. Louis Rams in overtime. Walsh has made five out of five field goal attempts on two separate occasions: week 7 against the Detroit Lions and week 16 against the New York Giants, including two 50+ yard field goals in each. For his efforts after scoring 19 points in Minnesota's 49–17 win over the Giants, Walsh was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In the Vikings' 20–13 win over the Green Bay Packers in week 17, Walsh converted both of his field goal attempts, giving him a total of 34 made field goals, the most among kickers in the 2015 NFL season.

In the Vikings' first playoff game since 2012 against the Seattle Seahawks on January 10, 2016, in a game played in Arctic conditions, Walsh was 3-for-3 on field goals before missing a potentially game-winning 27-yard attempt in the 4th quarter with 26 seconds remaining. Walsh kicked the laces of the football and hooked the attempt wide left, and the Vikings lost the game 10–9.

2016 season

Walsh struggled through the first ten weeks of the 2016 season, missing four extra points along with four field goal attempts. He missed an extra point in a 26-20 Week 10 loss against the Washington Redskins which led to his release by the Vikings on November 15, 2016.

Awards

NFL honors

• 2012 AP All-Pro First Team: Only rookie selected
• 2014 PFF All-NFC North Kicker of the Year

NFL records

• Most field goals of 50 yards or more made in a season – 10 (2012)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more made in a season without missing – 10 (2012)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more in a game – 3 (12/26/2012) (tied with Morten Anderson, Neil Rackers, and Kris Brown)
• Most consecutive field goals of 50 yards or more made - 12 (2012–2013)
• Highest field goal percentage in a season by a rookie – 92.1% (2012)
• Most field goals made in a season by a rookie – 35 (2012) (tied with Ali Haji-Sheikh)

Vikings franchise records

• Longest field goal – 56 yards (2012) (tied with Paul Edinger)
• Longest field goal attempt – 68 yards (2014)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more in a season – 10 (2012)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more without missing in a season – 10 (2012)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more in a game – 3 (12/26/2012)
• Most field goals of 50 yards or more – 24
• Most consecutive field goals made of 50+ yards – 12 (2012-2013)
• Highest FG% by a rookie kicker – 92.1% (2012)
• Straight games making a 50+ yard field goal – 3 (2012)
• Most points by a rookie in a single season – 141 (2012)
• Most touchbacks – 187
• Most touchbacks in a season – 53 (2012)

Career statistics

Regular season

Post season