A ski-jumping scholarship is not the typical path to NFL stardom. However, for one Kansas City Chiefs legend, it was the first step toward a Super Bowl ring.

Before Jan Stenerud was a Super Bowl champion, he was a star ski jumper in Norway. He was so good that he recorded the second-longest jump at the 1962 Junior Nationals. His talent on the slopes eventually brought him to the U.S. to attend Montana State on a skiing scholarship.

Football wasn’t even on his radar until one day, when he decided to kick a ball around for fun on the college field. As Stenerud told KCTV5 News:

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“So I lined up in the kickoff, and I topped the first one—never kicked the ball off a tee before—but the next one went from the 40-yard line, then went through the goalposts and into the seats.”

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Stenerud’s legendary status was cemented during his final collegiate game for Montana State against their arch-rivals, the University of Montana. He hammered home a 59-yard field goal, setting a new record for the longest kick in football history at the time.

That single play caught the attention of the Kansas City Chiefs, who reached out to the Norwegian athlete via telegram to let him know he had been drafted. 

Facing a crossroads between returning to his homeland or pursuing a professional career in America, Stenerud chose his future with the Kansas City, a decision that would redefine the role of the modern kicker as he led the team to the Super Bowl.

A quick journey with Jan Stenerud with the Kansas City Chiefs 

Jan Stenerud started showing his talent early. While a senior at Montana State University, he set an NCAA record with 82 points and was named an All-American. This was just a preview of the amazing career he would have in professional football.

In 1967, the 6’2″ kicker joined the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly became a key player for the team. His most famous moment came during Super Bowl IV in 1969. Stenerud dominated the Minnesota Vikings by kicking three field goals early on, giving the Chiefs a 9-0 lead. 

Kansas City went on to win 23-7. Stenerud later said that winning this championship was a turning point that eventually helped him get into the Hall of Fame. He played for the Chiefs for 13 seasons, from 1967 to 1979. 

Stenerud was known to be incredibly reliable and never missed a game due to injury or illness. He also changed the game with his long-distance kicking. He made 17 field goals from over 50 yards away, including a career-long 55-yard kick against Denver in 1970.

When he retired in 1985, Stenerud had rewritten the record books, amassing 1,699 points and 373 field goals—numbers that made him the most prolific kicker in NFL history at the time, second only to the legendary George Blanda in overall scoring

Because of these achievements, he became the first pure kicker ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. With such a great list of achievements, his legacy is still celebrated by the Chiefs today and serves as inspiration to newly drafted players.