Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Dan Fouts, Greg Olsen, Charles Davis, Trent Green, Tiki Barber, and Mark Sanchez. Some of these names are of former NFL stars, and some aren’t, but none of them are kickers.
Quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, and defensive backs — these are the types of positions from which we generally see future NFL color commentators. But like longtime NFL analyst Pat Summerall before him, Jay Feely broke the mold. The 14-year NFL kicker has been a mainstay as a color commentator since 2015.
But before Feely was a steady presence on CBS’s NFL broadcasts, he was a journeyman NFL kicker.
Jay Feely’s Career: From the AFL to National TV
Feely’s path to pro football began in earnest at the University of Michigan, where he made the football team’s roster as a kicker. His first field goal attempt resulted in the longest make of his collegiate career, a 51-yard boot in 1997 against Baylor University. Feely attempted just three more field goals that season, making two of them and converting both of his extra point attempts.
1998 was his lone season as the full-time kicker. Feely converted 17 of 22 attempts, including a long of 51 yards, and knocked down 40 of his 41 extra point attempts. Following the ’98 season, he declared for the 1999 NFL Draft.
After going unselected, Feely took his talents to the Arena Football League, where he saw limited success with the Florida Bobcats and Tampa Bay Storm (yes, those were real teams). It wasn’t until 2001 that Feely got his first NFL shot, signing a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
From there, Feely thrived, charting the path to a 14-year career in the NFL, a career that saw him play for nearly a quarter of the league’s teams.
After winning the starting job in Atlanta during the 2001 offseason, Feely played all 16 games for the team, converting 29 of 37 field goal attempts (78.4 percent), including a long of 55 yards, and all 28 of his extra point attempts.
The next season, Feely converted a league-leading 32 field goals, breaking Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen’s franchise record for field goals made in a single season (31). That record was later broken by Matt Bryant (34) and then again by Younghoe Koo (37).
The former Michigan Wolverine spent four seasons with the Falcons before moving on to the New York Giants, where he broke his own career record for field goal percentage in consecutive seasons in 2005 (83.3 percent) and 2006 (85.2 percent).
As a free agent in 2007, Feely made his way to sunny South Florida, where he had the most accurate season of his career, converting 21 of 23 field goals (91.3 percent), including his only attempt from beyond 50 yards (53), and all 26 of his extra points attempts.
Despite his success, Feely was usurped by rookie Dan Carpenter the following offseason and headed west to join the Kansas City Chiefs, though he was released one day later.
Feely then joined Miami’s AFC East rival, the New York Jets, where he spent two seasons.
Feely concluded his run as a full-time kicker with a four-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals, kicking in every game for the team from 2010-2013. In 2012, Feely hit his career-long field goal, a 61-yard boot in a Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Feely’s final year in the NFL, 2014, saw him play in four games with the Chicago Bears.
One of Feely’s most impressive NFL accomplishments was going 10 straight seasons without missing an extra point. The veteran kicker didn’t miss a single point-after attempt from 2004-2013 despite missing just one game over that stretch. In total, Feely missed just three of his 452 career extra point attempts.
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Feely retired from the NFL after the 2014 season. He remains on the list of the top 50 most accurate kickers in NFL history, currently sitting at 45th (82.59 percent).
Following his retirement, Feely joined CBS, and he’s remained with the network since. He has served as a color commentator, sideline reporter, and kicking analyst. He’ll fill that last role working alongside Jim Nantz and Tony Romo during the Super Bowl 58 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
