Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Compared to the two longer attempts earlier in the game, this one was easy - or at least Kasay made it look that way. His boot from 37 yards away split the uprights with 39 seconds left and sealed Carolina's 23-20 win.
After the game, most reporters swarmed to the lockers of players who had made big plays in the game. A few sauntered over to Kasay, who never was that comfortable giving interviews in the media spotlight but was always willing to stick around and say a few words - win or lose - if he knew someone wanted to talk to him.
"I was just doing my job," he said in typical fashion. "I just try to concentrate on doing the same thing every time, no matter what the situation is."
That was Kasay's 11th and final game-winning field goal for Carolina. He played his last NFL season with the New Orleans Saints in 2011, but returned to Bank of America Stadium on May 7, 2013, to retire as a Panther.
Kasay's career numbers over 21 seasons are staggering. He ranks seventh in NFL history with 461 field goals and ninth with 1,970 points. He holds Carolina records with 221 games played, 1,482 points scored, 429 extra points made and 351 field goals made.
But it was never really about the numbers for Kasay. He was a mentor to many teammates through the years, offering guidance on faith, finances and other family matters. Long snapper J.J. Jansen called him "a second father figure," and wide receiver Steve Smith credited Kasay with changing his whole approach to life as a husband and father.
Asked at his retirement to name a couple of his favorite memories, Kasay struggled at first because he never focused on his individual accomplishments. Then he recalled game-winning field goals against Atlanta (twice) and one to cap a four-field-goal-day and win at Tampa Bay in 2006, after which Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden joked that he wouldn't be sending Kasay any Christmas cards.
Then he went all the way back to a 1996 playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.
"I remember the first playoff game here in '96 with the Cowboys and Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith," Kasay said. "We had to kick a field goal at the end of the game to ice the game that would put us up two scores. We knew if we made this kick, it was over. I was so full of adrenaline, and I remember that when I hit the ball it went over the net. That doesn't happen much here.
"It was such a big day for everybody. You have the events, and then you have the ripple out from the events, and those are as much fun as anything. I would enjoy making a kick and then watching the guys celebrate. Those were special times."
Kasay made it happen again on Oct. 24, 2010 - marking yet another very memorable moment in a remarkable career.