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NFL kickers have one of the most unforgiving and unrewarding jobs in professional sports. Fans expect them to make every kick and when they don’t, they get all the blame despite everything that may have happened in the game.
Kickers are usually the slowest and weakest players on NFL teams but that doesn’t mean they can’t make big vital tackles when called upon. Every NFL season, kickers deliver big (ish) hits and crucial defensive stops.
Many fans would expect the former Oakland Raiders' first-round draft pick Sebastian Janikowski to feature on the list of top tackling kickers. But the 6-foot-1 Polish placekicker does not.
So without icing the kicker with another timeout, here are the top five tackling NFL kickers in history.
The top tackling NFL kicker in league history
#1 - Neil Rackers: 50 tackles
Rackers was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. The six-foot-1 kicker laid the smackdown many times on kick returners during his 12 seasons in the NFL.
The veteran kicker was famous for his tackling ability and is now a linebacker coach for a high school football team in St. Louis. Rackers 50 tackles rank first in NFL history for placekickers.
He played for the Bengals, Cardinals, Texans and Washington. The 44-year-old holds the NFL record for most 50-plus field goals made in one game with three.
#2 - Jay Feely: 43 tackles
Jay Feely ranks second in tackles by a placekicker with 43. The 5-foot-10 kicker played for 14 years in the NFL. He went undrafted after college and started his pro football career in Arena Football, which may have helped his tackling ability.
Feely played for the Falcons, Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Cardinals and Bears. He is now a television broadcaster for CBS. The kicker tweeted that he used to place bets with his fellow kickers on who would make the most tackles in the game.
#3 - Jeff Wilkins: 39
Super Bowl-winning kicker Jeff Wilkins makes the list at number three with 39 tackles over his NFL career. Wilkins is tied for second-most all-time in consecutive PATs without a miss (371).
After going undrafted, the kicker played for the 49ers, Rams and Eagles during his 14-year NFL career. He made the Pro Bowl in 2003.
#T-4 - Adam Vinatieri: 38 tackles
Adam Vinatieri may be the greatest placekicker in NFL history. He is tied for fourth on the list of tackles made by an NFL kicker.
Vinatieri holds multiple NFL records, including most career field goals (599), most field goals attempted (715) and most career points (2,673.) He won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Indianapolis Colts.
#T-4 - David Akers: 38 tackles
Six-time Pro Bowl kicker David Akers made his fair share of tackles during his 12-year NFL career. Akers played for the Eagles, Washington, 49ers and Lions over this period.
He holds the record for the most points in Pro Bowl history (57), most points in a season without a touchdown (166), most points in a decade (1,169) and most field goals made in an NFL season (44). Akers played in two Super Bowls, losing them both.
