Kai Forbath
Encyclopedia
Kai August Forbath is an American football
placekicker
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
. He was a very successful placekicker
for the University of California, Los Angeles
. Forbath earned 2009 College All-American
honors and won the 2009 Lou Groza
Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.
.
Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Forbath was listed as the No. 1 placekicker in the nation among the class of 2006. He picked UCLA over California
, Notre Dame
, and Oregon
, and others.
After redshirting
his initial year at UCLA, Forbath made 25 of 30 field goals and all 30 points after touchdowns (PATs) for a team-high 105 points in 2007. He became the first UCLA player to record five field goals of at least 50 yards in a season, including a freshman-best 54-yarder versus Oregon
.
2008
In his sophomore year, Forbath received First Team All-Pacific 10 honors after making 19 of 22 field goals on the season, including his last 13 straight.
2009
As a junior, he connected on another three field goals from 50 yards or more and has now made 9 of 12 tries from that length. Competing with Leigh Tiffin
of Alabama
and Blair Walsh of Georgia
, Forbath was named the winner of the 2009 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
.
2010
On September 25, 2010, Forbath kicked two field goals in leading the Bruins to an upset victory over the No. 7 ranked Texas Longhorns
34-12 in front of a stadium-record 101,437 fans in Austin, Texas
. Previous week, Forbath kicked a 42-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to give the Bruins a 24-3 lead in the game against then-No. 23 Houston
. UCLA defeated Houston 31-13. On November 6, 2010, Forbath kicked a game winning 51-yard field goal in the last second of the game to give the Bruins a 17-14 win over Oregon State
, and he was named Pac-10 Conference Special Team Player-of-the-week.
, Forbath was not selected. However, on August 2, 2011 he signed with the Dallas Cowboys
as a rookie free agent, and was subsequently placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.
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...
placekicker
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...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of 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...
. He was a very successful placekicker
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...
for the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Forbath earned 2009 College All-American
2009 College Football All-America Team
An All-American team is an honorary sports team for a specific season composed of the best amateur players at each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
honors and won the 2009 Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.
High school career
Forbath attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where during his last two prep seasons, he converted 26 of 33 field goal attempts and scored 213 total points, with a long field goal of 57 yards. He also had touchbacks on 150 of 188 kickoffs. Forbath subsequently earned high school All-American honors by USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Forbath was listed as the No. 1 placekicker in the nation among the class of 2006. He picked UCLA over California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, 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...
, and Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, and others.
College career
2007After redshirting
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his initial year at UCLA, Forbath made 25 of 30 field goals and all 30 points after touchdowns (PATs) for a team-high 105 points in 2007. He became the first UCLA player to record five field goals of at least 50 yards in a season, including a freshman-best 54-yarder versus Oregon
2007 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2007 Oregon Ducks football team represents the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2007. The team is coached by Mike Bellotti and plays their home games at Autzen Stadium....
.
2008
In his sophomore year, Forbath received First Team All-Pacific 10 honors after making 19 of 22 field goals on the season, including his last 13 straight.
2009
As a junior, he connected on another three field goals from 50 yards or more and has now made 9 of 12 tries from that length. Competing with Leigh Tiffin
Leigh Tiffin
Van Leigh Tiffin is an American football kicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
of Alabama
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...
and Blair Walsh of Georgia
2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in 2009. The Bulldogs competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference . This was the Georgia Bulldogs' ninth season head coach Mark Richt. The Bulldogs finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in SEC play and won the...
, Forbath was named the winner of the 2009 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
.
2010
On September 25, 2010, Forbath kicked two field goals in leading the Bruins to an upset victory over the No. 7 ranked Texas Longhorns
2010 Texas Longhorns football team
The 2010 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who has a contract lasting through the 2016 season...
34-12 in front of a stadium-record 101,437 fans in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Previous week, Forbath kicked a 42-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to give the Bruins a 24-3 lead in the game against then-No. 23 Houston
2010 Houston Cougars football team
The 2010 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the 65th year of season play for Houston...
. UCLA defeated Houston 31-13. On November 6, 2010, Forbath kicked a game winning 51-yard field goal in the last second of the game to give the Bruins a 17-14 win over Oregon State
2010 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2010 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach, in his second stint with the Beavers, was Mike Riley who was in his seventh straight season and ninth overall. Home games were played at Reser...
, and he was named Pac-10 Conference Special Team Player-of-the-week.
2011 NFL Draft
After being projected as the second-best kicker in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, Forbath was not selected. However, on August 2, 2011 he signed with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as a rookie free agent, and was subsequently placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.