Record-keeping for punting yards began in 1939, when Parker Hall led the National Football League (NFL) with 2,369 punting yards, while playing for the Cleveland Rams (now known as the Los Angeles Rams). Hall would lead the league in punting yards the following season as well, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons.[1] Dave Zastudil holds the record for punting yards in a season; he set the record at 5,209 punting yards in 2012, while playing with the Arizona Cardinals.[2]
Although many other players have been able to lead the league in two consecutive seasons, John James is the only player to have the led the league in three consecutive seasons (1976–1978). James and Shane Lechler share the record of most seasons leading the league in punting yards, with four each. James led the league in 1974, in addition to his aforementioned three-year stretch; he played with the Atlanta Falcons in all four of those seasons. Meanwhile, Lechler lead the league in 2003, 2008, and 2009 (while with the Oakland Raiders), and in 2017, while playing with the Houston Texans. Johnny Hekker was the most recent player to accomplish this feat, leading in 2015, while playing for the St. Louis Rams, and again in 2016, when the team relocated to Los Angeles.
Among punting yards performances that did not lead the league, Chad Stanley has the most with 4,720 for the Texans in 2002. Marquette King's 4,930 punting yards for the Oakland Raiders in 2014 is the most punting yards a player has had without setting the single-season record.
Sammy Baugh led the league in yards per punt five times in his career (1940–1943, 1945). Lechler is the only other player to lead the league in yards per punt four times (2003, 2004, 2007, 2009). Baugh's four consecutive years leading the league (1940–1943) is also notable; no other player has led the league more than twice consecutively. The most recent player to do so was Lechler in 2003 and 2004. Baugh set the record for yards per punt at 51.4 in 1940. The 50.0 yards per punt mark would not be reached again until Donnie Jones achieved the feat in 2008. Ryan Stonehouse would surpass Baugh's yards per punt record, setting the new benchmark at 53.1 in 2022.
Total punting yards leaders
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The following is the season-by-season listing:
American Football League (AFL)
edit| Year | Player | Yards | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Billy Atkins | 3,468 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1961 | Billy Atkins (2) | 3,783 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1962 | Paul Maguire | 3,289 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1963 | Jim Fraser | 3,596 | Denver Broncos |
| 1964 | Jerrel Wilson | 3,326 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1965 | Jim Norton | 3,711 | Houston Oilers |
| 1966 | Bob Scarpitto | 3,480 | Denver Broncos |
| 1967 | Bob Scarpitto (2) | 4,713 | Denver Broncos |
| 1968 | Paul Maguire (2) | 4,175 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1969 | Paul Maguire (3) | 3,471 | Buffalo Bills |
| Statistics gathered from Pro-Football-Reference.[1] | |||
Yards per punt leaders
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The following is the season-by-season listing:
| ^ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| Denotes all-time NFL record | |
| Denotes former NFL record |
Highest single-seasons
editTotal punting yards
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The following list displays the 25 highest single-season punting yards figures in NFL history. Unless otherwise noted, the listed players led the respective season with their performances.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Pro Football Reference lists Frankie Sinkwich of the Detroit Lions as the 1943 yards per punt co-leader alongside Baugh. Sinkwich's 45.92 yards per punt is also slightly ahead of Baugh's 45.90 yards per punt, which would make him the sole leader. However, Sinkwich's 12 punts in 10 games does not meet the minimum requirement of 2.5 punts per team game that the NFL requires to qualify as a season statistical leader.[3]
- ^ Both Dave Lewis and Jerrel Wilson averaged 44.8 yards per punt in 1971. However, Lewis' average (44.847 based on 72 punts for 3,229 yards) slightly edges Wilson's (44.75 based on 64 punts for 2,864 yards).
- ^ Both Brian Moorman and Shane Lechler averaged 45.7 yards per punt. Moorman's 45.68 yards per punt (based on 68 punts for 3,242 yards) slightly edges Lechler's 45.66 average (based on 82 punts for 3,744 yards).
- ^ Both Tress Way and Bryan Anger averaged 47.5 yards per punt. Way's 47.52 yards per punt (based on 77 punts for 3,659 yards) slightly edged Anger's 47.49 average (based on 94 punts for 4,464 yards).
References
edit- ^ a b c d "NFL Punting Yards Year-by-Year Leaders (since 1939)". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ a b "NFL Punting Yards Single-Season Leaders (since 1939)". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ "Minimum Requirements For Football Leaderboards". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2022.