Jim Breech
Encyclopedia
James Thomas Breech is a former American football
kicker
in the National Football League
, who played for Oakland Raiders
in 1979
and Cincinnati Bengals
from 1980
-1992
. Before his NFL career, Breech played for the University of California
and Sacramento High School
. Breech was notable among kickers for wearing a different size cleat on his kicking foot. He wore a smaller size 5 cleat on his right kicking foot (his normal size was 7) which he felt gave him more control and stability kicking the football.
After graduating college in 1978, Breech was selected in the 8th round of the 1978 NFL Draft
by the Detroit Lions
but was cut by the team before the start of the season. He spent the 1979 season with the Raiders, but they cut him in the 1980 pre-season in order to sign kicker Chris Bahr
, who had just been cut by the Bengals. Breech then found himself unemployed until he received a phone call from Cleveland Browns
assistant personnel director Paul Warfield
, asking him to come to join the team and fill in for injured kicker Don Cockroft
. However, before his scheduled visit to Cleveland, he received another phone call, this one from Bengals assistant personnel director Frank Smouse. Breech decided to join the Bengals, and ended up staying there for the remainder of his career.
In his 14 NFL seasons, Breech made 243 of 340 field goals
(71.4%), 517 of 539 extra point
s (95.9%), and scored 1,246 total points. His 1,152 points with the Bengals are a franchise record. He is second all-time scoring in consecutive games with 186 consecutive games, and he was a perfect 9 for 9 in overtime field goals, an NFL record. Breech also played in Super Bowl XVI
and Super Bowl XXIII
, was perfect in both games, not missing a field goal or extra point in either one. In Super Bowl XXIII, he kicked 3 field goals and scored 10 of Cincinnati's 16 points in the game. When his third field goal gave the Bengals a 16-13 lead over the San Francisco 49ers
with just 3:10 left in the game, it appeared there was a strong possibility he would become the first kicker ever to win the Super Bowl MVP
award. However, the 49ers ended that chance by driving 92 yards and scoring the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left in the game.
His son, Daniel Breech, played professional arena football
with the Cincinnati Marshals in the National Indoor Football League
.
Breech is currently a sales executive for the Hauser Group, an insurance firm in the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash, Ohio
. He is also on the board of directors for Kicks for Kids, an organization to help needy kids started by fellow former Cincinnati Bengals
kicker, Doug Pelfrey
.
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...
kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, who played for Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
from 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
-1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
. Before his NFL career, Breech played for the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
and Sacramento High School
Sacramento High School
Sacramento Charter High School is an independent public charter high school located in the Alhambra Triangle, adjacent to the Oak Park neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Its charter was approved by the Sacramento City Unified School District's Board of Trustees on July 21, 2003...
. Breech was notable among kickers for wearing a different size cleat on his kicking foot. He wore a smaller size 5 cleat on his right kicking foot (his normal size was 7) which he felt gave him more control and stability kicking the football.
After graduating college in 1978, Breech was selected in the 8th round of the 1978 NFL Draft
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
but was cut by the team before the start of the season. He spent the 1979 season with the Raiders, but they cut him in the 1980 pre-season in order to sign kicker Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr
Chris Bahr is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League.-Soccer:...
, who had just been cut by the Bengals. Breech then found himself unemployed until he received a phone call from Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
assistant personnel director Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
, asking him to come to join the team and fill in for injured kicker Don Cockroft
Don Cockroft
Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns...
. However, before his scheduled visit to Cleveland, he received another phone call, this one from Bengals assistant personnel director Frank Smouse. Breech decided to join the Bengals, and ended up staying there for the remainder of his career.
In his 14 NFL seasons, Breech made 243 of 340 field goals
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...
(71.4%), 517 of 539 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s (95.9%), and scored 1,246 total points. His 1,152 points with the Bengals are a franchise record. He is second all-time scoring in consecutive games with 186 consecutive games, and he was a perfect 9 for 9 in overtime field goals, an NFL record. Breech also played in Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
and Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held...
, was perfect in both games, not missing a field goal or extra point in either one. In Super Bowl XXIII, he kicked 3 field goals and scored 10 of Cincinnati's 16 points in the game. When his third field goal gave the Bengals a 16-13 lead over the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
with just 3:10 left in the game, it appeared there was a strong possibility he would become the first kicker ever to win the Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
award. However, the 49ers ended that chance by driving 92 yards and scoring the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left in the game.
His son, Daniel Breech, played professional arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
with the Cincinnati Marshals in the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
.
Breech is currently a sales executive for the Hauser Group, an insurance firm in the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash, Ohio
Blue Ash, Ohio
Blue Ash is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and an inner suburb of Cincinnati, which is located just to the south. The population was 12,513 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blue Ash is located at ....
. He is also on the board of directors for Kicks for Kids, an organization to help needy kids started by fellow former Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
kicker, Doug Pelfrey
Doug Pelfrey
Doug Pelfrey is a former American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals and the University of Kentucky Wildcats....
.