Lou Groza
Date of birth	January 25, 1924
Place of birth	Martins Ferry, Ohio
Date of death	November 29, 2000
Position(s)	Kicker, Offensive tackle
College	Ohio State
Career Highlights
Pro Bowls	9
Honors	NFL 1950s All-Decade Team Lou Groza Award
Retired #s	Cleveland Browns #76
Stats
Statistics	DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1946-1959 1961-1967	Cleveland Browns
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1974

Louis Roy Groza (January 25, 1924 - November 29, 2000) was an American football placekicker who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns. January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Martins Ferry is a city located in Belmont County, Ohio. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time. ... Placekicker, or simply Kicker, is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points, and, in many cases, kickoffs. ... The offensive team or offense in American football or Canadian football, is the team that begins a play from scrimmage in possession of the ball. ... This is a list of athletic conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... The Pro Bowl is the National Football Leagues all-star game. ... // Offense Defense Special teams See also National Football League NFL 1920s All-Decade Team NFL 1930s All-Decade Team NFL 1940s All-Decade Team NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team NFL 1990s All-Decade Team ... The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nations top college football placekicker by the Palm Beach Sports Commission. ... ... ... The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the National Football Leagues Hall of Fame. ... See also: 1973 in sports, other events of 1974, 1975 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing Stock car racing: Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship - Richard Petty IROC Championship - inaugural year won by Mark Donohue Indianapolis 500 - Johnny Rutherford USAC Racing - Bobby Unser... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Placekicker, or simply Kicker, is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points, and, in many cases, kickoffs. ... ...

Born to Hungarian immigrants in Martins Ferry, Ohio, a decidedly athletic family, he was the smallest (at 6' 3") of three brothers. He played one season for The Ohio State University, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega, before being drafted into the Army. Upon discharge, Groza joined the Browns, who were then in the All-America Football Conference. He stayed with the team until 1959. After a brief retirement, he returned to play from 1961-1967. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his 21 years of play was unprecedented up to that time, and when he retired, he was last of the original Browns still active. Martins Ferry is a city located in Belmont County, Ohio. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... ATΩ (Alpha Tau Omega) is an American fraternity. ... The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the rival National Football League from 1946 to 1949. ... The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the National Football Leagues Hall of Fame. ...

While renowned for his kicking ability, Groza also played and started during most of his career as offensive tackle for the Browns. He was very proficient at both positions, named nine times to the NFL Pro Bowl and was All-NFL tackle six times. Groza also led the NFL in field goals in 1950, 1952-54, and 1957. In 1950, his field goal with 30 seconds left won the NFL Championship Game. In 1957, he also co-led the NFL in scoring. He was named the Sporting News' NFL Player of the Year in 1954. However, he played exclusively as a kicker during his second stint with the Browns. The offensive team or offense in American football or Canadian football, is the team that begins a play from scrimmage in possession of the ball. ... NFL logo For other uses of the abbreviation NFL, see NFL (disambiguation). ... The Pro Bowl is the National Football Leagues all-star game. ... A field goal (formerly goal from the field) is a general term used in some sports wherein a goal may be scored either during general play (from the field) or via some sort of free shot. ... The Sporting News (TSN) is an American-based sports newspaper, currently affiliated with the Fox network. ...

Groza was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974. His number 76 is retired by the Browns. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission established the Lou Groza Award in 1992, an award given to the best NCAA Division I kicker. In 1999, he was ranked number 99 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nations top college football placekicker by the Palm Beach Sports Commission. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A ) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Sporting News (TSN) is an American-based sports newspaper. ...

Lou Groza co-wrote a biography of his time playing football called "The Toe: The Lou Groza Story".

The "Lou Groza Rule" in the NFL prohibits use of artificial aids for kickers. Lou used tape and later a special tee with a long tail to help him guide his foot to the sweet spot of the football when kicking. The 1956 rule banned Lou's tape.

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame bio
• Lou Groza Award bio
• Member of the Cold, Hard Football Facts.com "All-Time 11" (2006)

Books

• Groza, Lou. (2003). The Toe: The Lou Groza Story". Cleveland: Gray & Company Publishers. ISBN 1-886228-80-9.