Chris Limahelu
Encyclopedia
Chris Limahelu was place kicker for the USC Trojans
football
team during the 1973 and 1974 seasons when John McKay was the head coach.
Only 5 in 5 in (1.65 m) and 135 pounds (61.2 kg) during his playing career, he is remembered for setting new team records. His 47-yard field goal
at the 1974 Rose Bowl
game was the longest ever by a Trojan, breaking a 64-year-old Trojan record, and it became the second longest field goal in Rose Bowl history.
By the end of his career in 1975, Limahelu had kicked three of the five longest field goals in USC football history, a record which stood until Steve Jordan
's 52-yard kicks, one in 1982 and another in 1983, and Don Shafer's 60-yard kick in 1985.
. His family moved to the Netherlands when he was an infant, and by the time he was ten years old, he had learned to play soccer and had begun developing his kicking technique. He family then moved to the United States
, where he attended South Hills High School
in West Covina, California
, joining their football
, tennis
and wrestling
teams. After high school
he attended Citrus Junior College
in Glendora, California
before transferring to the University of Southern California
(USC) where he majored in sociology
.
team in 1972 as a sophomore. It was then that his soccer-style place kicking first caught the eye of the media.
attempts, six more than any previous Trojan kicker in a season, and in the 1974 Rose Bowl
against Ohio State, he kicked both a 42-yard and a 47-yard field goal, both of these being his longest kicks to date, and the 47-yard field goal becoming at that time, the longest field goal ever by a Trojan place kicker, breaking a 64-year-old record. He was also successful in completing 31 of 34 point-after-touchdown
conversions overall. During the 1974 season, in a game against the Stanford University
Cardinal
s, where USC was trailing 23-10 after 3 periods, Limahelu kicked a 34-yard field goal during the game's last 3 seconds, allowing USC to achieve a 27-26 victory, and keeping alive the USC bid for a place in the 1975 Rose Bowl
berth.
in late November, 1974, Limahelu's 30-yard field goal capped USC's second drive of the game. Later in the same game, he kicked a 50-yard field goal, which then became his personal best by breaking his own distance record from the previous year.
In the 1975 Rose Bowl
game against the Ohio State
Buckeyes
, Limahelu kicked a 30-yard field goal, allowing USC to be the first to score in that game, however Ohio was leading 7-3 at halftime. At the end of the first half, Limahelu had kicked a 39-yard field goal, but an offsides penalty against Ohio gave USC an opportunity they accepted for a first down at the Buckeye's 16-yeard-line. Ohio failed to score, and a 24-yard field goal attempt by Limahelu went wide. However, in the second half, he succeeded with a conversion kick
that assured USC's 18-17 win over.
Up to that time, Limahelu had kicked three of the five longest field goals in USC football history. That record stood until Steve Jordan's two 52-yarders, one against Stanford in 1982 and a repeat 52-yarder against Washington State University
Cougars
in 1983, and the Don Shafer 60-yard field goal against the University of Notre Dame
Fighting Irish
in 1985.
since 1995. Sean Limahelu, Chris Limahelu's nephew and godson, was a walk-on punter on USC's 2005 football team.
after a long battle with prostate cancer
. He was 59 years old. Limahelu is survived by his mother, Juliana, his brothers Al, Robert, Frank, Henry, Rocky and Patrick, and his sister Juliette.
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team during the 1973 and 1974 seasons when John McKay was the head coach.
Only 5 in 5 in (1.65 m) and 135 pounds (61.2 kg) during his playing career, he is remembered for setting new team records. His 47-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
at the 1974 Rose Bowl
1974 Rose Bowl
The 1974 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1974. It was the 60th Rose Bowl Game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the USC Trojans 42–21.-Ohio State Buckeyes:...
game was the longest ever by a Trojan, breaking a 64-year-old Trojan record, and it became the second longest field goal in Rose Bowl history.
By the end of his career in 1975, Limahelu had kicked three of the five longest field goals in USC football history, a record which stood until Steve Jordan
Steve Jordan (American football)
Steven Russell Jordan is a former American football tight end who played his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings...
's 52-yard kicks, one in 1982 and another in 1983, and Don Shafer's 60-yard kick in 1985.
Early years
Limahelu was born in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. His family moved to the Netherlands when he was an infant, and by the time he was ten years old, he had learned to play soccer and had begun developing his kicking technique. He family then moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he attended South Hills High School
South Hills High School (West Covina, California)
South Hills High School is a public coeducational high school located in the hills in the eastern part of West Covina, California , east of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. South Hills High School is part of the Covina-Valley Unified School District...
in West Covina, California
West Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
, joining their football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
teams. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
he attended Citrus Junior College
Citrus College
Citrus College is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora, California; the Citrus Community College District which supports the school includes the communities of Glendora, Azusa, Charter Oak, Claremont, Monrovia, and Duarte. The school is the oldest public community...
in Glendora, California
Glendora, California
Glendora is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the population of Glendora was 50,073....
before transferring to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC) where he majored in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Sophomore
After transferring from Citrus College, Limahelu joined the USC football program and served on USC's junior varsityJunior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
team in 1972 as a sophomore. It was then that his soccer-style place kicking first caught the eye of the media.
Junior
As a junior in the 1973 season, Limahelu set two Trojan records: He was successful in 14 of his 18 field goalField goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempts, six more than any previous Trojan kicker in a season, and in the 1974 Rose Bowl
1974 Rose Bowl
The 1974 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1974. It was the 60th Rose Bowl Game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the USC Trojans 42–21.-Ohio State Buckeyes:...
against Ohio State, he kicked both a 42-yard and a 47-yard field goal, both of these being his longest kicks to date, and the 47-yard field goal becoming at that time, the longest field goal ever by a Trojan place kicker, breaking a 64-year-old record. He was also successful in completing 31 of 34 point-after-touchdown
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
conversions overall. During the 1974 season, in a game against the Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
s, where USC was trailing 23-10 after 3 periods, Limahelu kicked a 34-yard field goal during the game's last 3 seconds, allowing USC to achieve a 27-26 victory, and keeping alive the USC bid for a place in the 1975 Rose Bowl
1975 Rose Bowl
The 1975 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1975. It was the 61st Rose Bowl Game. Fifth ranked USC Trojans defeated third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 18-17 in one of the most exciting games in the history of the Rose Bowl...
berth.
Senior
As a senior, with his successful completion of 10 out of 17 field goal attempts and his successful 39 out of 43 point-after-touchdown conversions, Limahelu earned All-Pac-8 first team honors when the Trojans won the national title. In a game against the UCLA BruinsUCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
in late November, 1974, Limahelu's 30-yard field goal capped USC's second drive of the game. Later in the same game, he kicked a 50-yard field goal, which then became his personal best by breaking his own distance record from the previous year.
In the 1975 Rose Bowl
1975 Rose Bowl
The 1975 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1975. It was the 61st Rose Bowl Game. Fifth ranked USC Trojans defeated third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 18-17 in one of the most exciting games in the history of the Rose Bowl...
game against the Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
, Limahelu kicked a 30-yard field goal, allowing USC to be the first to score in that game, however Ohio was leading 7-3 at halftime. At the end of the first half, Limahelu had kicked a 39-yard field goal, but an offsides penalty against Ohio gave USC an opportunity they accepted for a first down at the Buckeye's 16-yeard-line. Ohio failed to score, and a 24-yard field goal attempt by Limahelu went wide. However, in the second half, he succeeded with a conversion kick
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
that assured USC's 18-17 win over.
Up to that time, Limahelu had kicked three of the five longest field goals in USC football history. That record stood until Steve Jordan's two 52-yarders, one against Stanford in 1982 and a repeat 52-yarder against Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
in 1983, and the Don Shafer 60-yard field goal against the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
in 1985.
Later years
Limahelu became an accountant after his playing years, and had been a member of the Pasadena Tournament of RosesPasadena Tournament of Roses
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, created by the efforts of Charles Frederick Holder and Francis F. Rowland, is the non-profit organization that has annually produced the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade since 1895 and the Rose Bowl Game, since 1902...
since 1995. Sean Limahelu, Chris Limahelu's nephew and godson, was a walk-on punter on USC's 2005 football team.
Death
He died April 7, 2010, in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after a long battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. He was 59 years old. Limahelu is survived by his mother, Juliana, his brothers Al, Robert, Frank, Henry, Rocky and Patrick, and his sister Juliette.