Matt Stover

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stover's tenure with the Ravens began when the Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1996. During Week 4 of the 1997 season, he set a career high by converting five field goals and three extra points for 18 points in a 36–10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors for September that year. The 2000 season defined his legacy; with the offense failing to score a touchdown in five straight games, Stover scored all the team's points while leading the league in field goal attempts and makes. He won AFC Special Teams Player of the Month again in November 2000. His reliability was crucial as the Ravens defeated his former team, the New York Giants, in Super Bowl XXXV to secure their first title.

In Their Own Story

The path to immortality for Stover included a dramatic playoff run in January 2009. In the AFC Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans, he converted a 43-yard field goal to win the game 13–10. This marked his final field goal as a member of the Ravens before the team decided not to re-sign him following the 2008 season. His journey continued with the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of the 2009 NFL season, replacing the injured Adam Vinatieri. At age 42, Stover helped the Colts reach Super Bowl XLIV, becoming the oldest player in Super Bowl history at that time. In that loss to the New Orleans Saints, he converted a 38-yard field goal and two extra points while missing a 51-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.

Reader's Guide

For Ravens fans, Stover's career is measured by his consistency and record-setting accuracy. He led the league in field goal percentage for the second time during the 2006 season, winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. Over his Ravens tenure, he kicked 18 game-winning field goals and set several franchise records. On November 20, 2011, he was inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony at M&T Bank Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals. At retirement on May 25, 2011, Stover was the last remaining member of the original Cleveland Browns active in the NFL and stood as the league's fourth all-time leading scorer with 2,004 points.

Did You Know?

• Stover was a member of the New York Giants team that won Super Bowl XXV before joining the Ravens.
• In 2000, Stover scored all the Ravens' points during five consecutive games where the offense failed to score a touchdown.
• At age 42, Stover became the oldest player in Super Bowl history when he played in Super Bowl XLIV (a record later surpassed by Tom Brady).
• Stover successfully kicked a 53-yard field goal as a high school senior at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas.
• During his college career at Louisiana Tech, Stover usually kicked the ball through the goal posts on the first kickoff of every game.