The legendary kicker who became a Super Bowl legend for all the wrong reasons

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: He was the NFL's leading scorer, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and a master of the clutch field goal. Yet, Garo Yepremian is most remembered for a single, frantic moment of chaos that turned a routine kick into one of football's most famous bloopers.

Born in Cyprus to Armenian parents, Garo Yepremian's path to the NFL was anything but conventional. After playing organized soccer in London, he immigrated to the United States at age 22. Because he had not played college football, he was initially ineligible for the NCAA, but his brother Krikor helped him secure a contract with the Detroit Lions in 1966. He would go on to play 15 seasons, primarily with the Miami Dolphins, establishing himself as one of the most prolific scorers of the 1970s.

His career was defined by both incredible precision and unforgettable errors. In 1971, he led the league in scoring with 117 points, and he famously ended the longest game in NFL history with a 37-yard field goal in double overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, 1971. However, his legacy is inextricably linked to Super Bowl VII. During the game, a blocked field goal attempt led to a chaotic sequence where Yepremian attempted to pass the ball, only for it to slip and be returned for a touchdown by Washington's Mike Bass.

Despite that infamous blunder, his statistical achievements were immense. He was the leading scorer for the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 championship team and was voted the 1970s Kicker of the Decade by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee. He also earned two Pro Bowl honors and two first-team All-Pro honors. Beyond the field, Yepremian was a motivational speaker and founded a foundation for brain tumor research, a cause that became personal following his death from neuroendocrine cancer in 2015.

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