Remy Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Remy Martin Hamilton is an American football
kicker
who played in the National Football League
(NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). In college, he was an All-American for the Michigan Wolverines football
team. As a professional, he played for the Detroit Lions
of the NFL in addition to exhibition and training camp experience with the Seattle Seahawks
, St. Louis Rams
and Chicago Bears
. He also played for the Grand Rapids Rampage
, Carolina Cobras
, Milwaukee Mustangs
, Los Angeles Avengers
, and Dallas Desperados
of the AFL. In the AFL, he holds records for all-time career points and single-season kick points.
At Michigan, he set the current Big Ten Conference
record for single-season field goals, which is 25. He ranks both first and second in school history in single-season field goals made and holds the school record for consecutive field goals made. He is the only All-American placekicker in Michigan history.
in Boca Raton, Florida
, where he was a three-sport star in football
, soccer, and tennis
. In football, he played as a kicker, punter, defensive back
, and quarterback
, and as a senior, the Sun-Sentinel named him the Offensive Player of the Year. In his senior season, Hamilton passed
for 1,147 yards and 12 touchdown
s, and rushed for 249 yards and six touchdowns.
, where he played football from 1993
to 1996
. During this first season at Michigan, he only made one field goal. Following the 1993 season, he was suspended from the team for violating team rules. He remained on suspension while police investigated a convenience store theft. After making an impressive 47-yard field goal in his only attempt as a freshman, he lost the kicking job to Erik Lovell in spring practice. Lovell handled the kicking duties in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
opener and Hamilton did not get the starting assignment until immediately before the second game. Lovell missed an extra point in the opener, which gave Hamilton his second chance. Thus, before the second game of his sophomore season, he had not recorded any field goals that season and still had a career total of one. However, during the September 10, 1994 Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game against third-ranked Notre Dame, he made four field goals and two extra point conversions, including the game-winning 42-yarder with two seconds remaining. Notre Dame called a timeout to ice
Hamilton, but it inadvertently helped Michigan, which had prematurely packed away the kicking net on its sidelines. The field goal redeemed Hamilton for a missed tackle
on a kickoff return, which he felt would have cost his team the game. For his performance, the Big Ten named him the Special Teams Player of the Week. Michigan fans still remember Hamilton for this game, and regularly congratulate him for the kick. Two games later, he had a three-field goal game in the Big Ten Conference opener against Iowa
. Hamilton had another four-field goal outing later in the season against . This earned him another Player of the Week recognition.
He was named to the 1994 College Football All-America
and 1994 All-Big Ten
teams. Hamilton was a first team All-American selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
and second team selection by the Associated Press
and the Football News. Despite NFL alumni that include Jay Feely
, Hayden Epstein
and Ali Haji-Sheikh
, Hamilton remains the school's only All-American placekicker. During the 1994 football season, Hamilton established the current Big Ten single-season record for successful field goals at 25, which has since been tied three times,. The Big Ten was talented at the placekicker position that season, with four of the twenty semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award
being from the conference (Hamilton, Illinois' Chris Richardson, Minnesota's Mike Chalberg and 's Sam Valenzisi). Hamilton won the NCAA statistical championship for field goal kickers that season. He also set Michigan's single season kick point record with 101 in 1994.
During the 1995 season
, one of his more important field goals for the Wolverines
came in the 5–0 victory over . However, when Northwestern
beat Michigan at Michigan Stadium
, 19–13, for its first victory there since 1959, Hamilton missed a key 37-yard field goal. His 1995 total of 19 field goals ranked second in Michigan history, behind only his own 1994 total. Garrett Rivas
tied that single-season total twice, but no one has unseated Hamilton from first and second place.
He also helped the 1996 team
take a 9–0 halftime lead and converted an extra point to give them a 16–0 lead in what would eventually be a lose to Northwestern
, 17–16. His most notable scoring in 1996
gave Michigan essential fourth quarter points in a 27–20 victory over . He earned his third Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors following a 13–9 victory over Ohio State
in the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry game on November 23, 1996. He put the team ahead, 10–9, on the last play of the third quarter and added a key field goal with 1:19 remaining. A two-time finalist for the Lou Groza Award, Hamilton finished his career as the all-time Wolverine leader in field goals made (63) and field goals attempted (82). Before his career ended, he became the ninth Wolverine to accumulate over 200 points.
Hamilton holds the Michigan record for consecutive field goals made (14) as well as outright or shared school records for single-game (5), single-season (30) and career (82) field goal attempts. His career field goals made record (63) was eclipsed by Garrett Rivas in 2006 by one. Hamilton was a three-time Big Ten All-Academic selection (1993, 1995, 1996). He was also a three-time Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week (9/12/94, 10/10/94, 11/25/96). His 14 consecutive field goals mark was one short of Vlade Janakievski
's Big Ten record, which has since been broken. Hamilton's 63 career field goals were two short of Todd Gregoire's Big Ten record, which has since been broken.
in 1998, for which he played two seasons. During these, he had modest success as a field goal kicker connecting on 31 of 88 attempts (35.2%). In his first season, he also caught a touchdown pass. He then played in 2000 with the Carolina Cobras
and in 2001 with the Milwaukee Mustangs
, where he posted 11 of 42 (26.2%) and 18 of 47 (38.3%) field goal performances. While with the Cobras, Hamilton played against the Los Angeles Avengers
in the first AFL game played at the Staples Center
on April 20, 2000.
In 2002, he joined the Avengers for which he had his best years as a professional, making at least half of his field goal attempts each season. Hamilton was second among kickers in the AFL in scoring in 2003. Following his strong performance, he signed with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
, where he competed against Josh Brown. After Brown was perfect in both four field goal and seven extra point attempts in the first three preseason games, Hamilton was released about three weeks later, and he returned to play for Los Angeles again. Hamilton was the top-scoring kicker in the AFL in 2004. In August 2004, he signed with the Chicago Bears
, where he battled Paul Edinger
for the kicking duties. Bears head coach
Lovie Smith
noted Hamilton's skill at onside kick
s. In terms of distance, Hamilton had a slight edge with his average kick three yards deep in the end zone
compared with Edinger's goal line average. However, Edinger was perfect on six field goals and two extra points in the first three preseason games, and Hamilton missed his only exhibition game field goal attempt, a 36-yarder on August 27. The team waived him a few days later. He was again the top-scoring kicker in the AFL in 2005. That year, he eclipsed Jay Taylor
's AFL record for single-season field goal percentage, which had been 72%, with a 74.4% 29 for 39 performance. Hamilton started the season with eleven consecutive field goals, giving him a total of twelve in a row for a league record. He earned a couple of NFL tryouts. Hamilton first signed with the St. Louis Rams
in July 2005 prior to training camp. He played for them during the 2005 exhibition season. He made the team's final points with a field goal in a August 12, 1995 17–13 preseason victory over the Chicago Bears. For the preseason, he made his only field goal and all six extra points. Nonetheless, the Rams decided to retain Jeff Wilkins
who had been their kicker since 1997. Hamilton then signed with the Detroit Lions
for their practice squad in September of the 2005 NFL season
. He appeared in one NFL game for Detroit, but missed his only point after touchdown attempt, which was blocked by Alfonso Boone
. He also executed a couple of kickoff
s, and he made the tackle
on Jerry Azumah
's 33-yard return to the 37-yard line on one in the third quarter. He was activated to replace Jason Hanson
who suffered a hamstring
injury, which ended Hanson's consecutive games streak at 209. However, Hamilton was released later that month. Hamilton returned to the AFL for Los Angeles, and he led the AFL's kickers in scoring again in 2006. This earned Hamilton his second consecutive AFL's "Kicker of the Year" title and second consecutive First Team All-Arena League selection. His 2006 point total is 2nd in AFL history to his own 2005 total. He signed with the Rams again before training camp, and he played for them in exhibition games during 2006. He made four of six field goals (including a 48-yarder) and four of five extra points during the preseason. Again the Rams kept Wilkins. Hamilton returned to the AFL for his final season in Los Angeles. He ranked third in kicker scoring in the AFL for Los Angeles in 2007. He joined the Dallas Desperados
for 2008.
reported that, less than 15 hours after a 53–52 overtime loss to the Georgia Force
at Staples Center, Hamilton's wife, Heather, delivered the couple's first child, a boy named Tate. Hamilton has served as a personal trainer for other kickers.
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...
who played 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...
(NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). In college, he was an All-American for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team. As a professional, he played for 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...
of the NFL in addition to exhibition and training camp experience with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He also played for the Grand Rapids Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
, Carolina Cobras
Carolina Cobras
Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season.The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League...
, Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...
, Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
, and Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
of the AFL. In the AFL, he holds records for all-time career points and single-season kick points.
At Michigan, he set the current Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
record for single-season field goals, which is 25. He ranks both first and second in school history in single-season field goals made and holds the school record for consecutive field goals made. He is the only All-American placekicker in Michigan history.
High school years
Hamilton attended Spanish River Community High SchoolSpanish River Community High School
Spanish River Community High School is a public, coeducational high school serving the cities of Boca Raton and Delray Beach as part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. It is currently rated as the most comprehensive school in Palm Beach County...
in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, where he was a three-sport star in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, soccer, and 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...
. In football, he played as a kicker, punter, defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and as a senior, the Sun-Sentinel named him the Offensive Player of the Year. In his senior season, Hamilton passed
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 1,147 yards and 12 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, and rushed for 249 yards and six touchdowns.
College years
Hamilton attended the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he played football from 1993
1993 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1993 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1993 college football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
to 1996
1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
. During this first season at Michigan, he only made one field goal. Following the 1993 season, he was suspended from the team for violating team rules. He remained on suspension while police investigated a convenience store theft. After making an impressive 47-yard field goal in his only attempt as a freshman, he lost the kicking job to Erik Lovell in spring practice. Lovell handled the kicking duties in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
opener and Hamilton did not get the starting assignment until immediately before the second game. Lovell missed an extra point in the opener, which gave Hamilton his second chance. Thus, before the second game of his sophomore season, he had not recorded any field goals that season and still had a career total of one. However, during the September 10, 1994 Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game against third-ranked Notre Dame, he made four field goals and two extra point conversions, including the game-winning 42-yarder with two seconds remaining. Notre Dame called a timeout to ice
Icing the kicker
In the sport of American football or Canadian football, the art of icing the kicker or freezing the kicker is a tactic employed by defending teams to disrupt the process of kicking a field goal just prior to the snap. Typically, either a player or a coach on the defending team will call time out...
Hamilton, but it inadvertently helped Michigan, which had prematurely packed away the kicking net on its sidelines. The field goal redeemed Hamilton for a missed tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
on a kickoff return, which he felt would have cost his team the game. For his performance, the Big Ten named him the Special Teams Player of the Week. Michigan fans still remember Hamilton for this game, and regularly congratulate him for the kick. Two games later, he had a three-field goal game in the Big Ten Conference opener against Iowa
1994 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1994 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1994 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:...
. Hamilton had another four-field goal outing later in the season against . This earned him another Player of the Week recognition.
He was named to the 1994 College Football All-America
1994 College Football All-America Team
The 1994 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The Sporting News and Football News.The...
and 1994 All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
teams. Hamilton was a first team All-American selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
and second team selection by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the Football News. Despite NFL alumni that include Jay Feely
Jay Feely
Thomas James "Jay" Feely is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. Jay played for the Temple Terrace Spirit Soccer team that won the National Championships when he was 16....
, Hayden Epstein
Hayden Epstein
Hayden Epstein is a former professional American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League, NFL Europa, and the Canadian Football League....
and Ali Haji-Sheikh
Ali Haji-Sheikh
Ali S. Haji-Sheikh is a former American football placekicker for the University of Michigan and for three National Football League teams. Haji-Sheikh spent three seasons playing for the New York Giants. He had a superb rookie season, kicking 35 of 42 field goals and setting a then NFL record...
, Hamilton remains the school's only All-American placekicker. During the 1994 football season, Hamilton established the current Big Ten single-season record for successful field goals at 25, which has since been tied three times,. The Big Ten was talented at the placekicker position that season, with four of the twenty semifinalists for the Lou Groza 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:...
being from the conference (Hamilton, Illinois' Chris Richardson, Minnesota's Mike Chalberg and 's Sam Valenzisi). Hamilton won the NCAA statistical championship for field goal kickers that season. He also set Michigan's single season kick point record with 101 in 1994.
During the 1995 season
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
, one of his more important field goals for the Wolverines
1995 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1995 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr...
came in the 5–0 victory over . However, when Northwestern
1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
beat Michigan at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, 19–13, for its first victory there since 1959, Hamilton missed a key 37-yard field goal. His 1995 total of 19 field goals ranked second in Michigan history, behind only his own 1994 total. Garrett Rivas
Garrett Rivas
-College career:As a freshman for the 2003 Wolverines, he was the regular kicker for the team from the start, making four point after touchdowns in the first game of the season...
tied that single-season total twice, but no one has unseated Hamilton from first and second place.
He also helped the 1996 team
1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
take a 9–0 halftime lead and converted an extra point to give them a 16–0 lead in what would eventually be a lose to Northwestern
1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
, 17–16. His most notable scoring in 1996
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
gave Michigan essential fourth quarter points in a 27–20 victory over . He earned his third Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors following a 13–9 victory over Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
in the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry game on November 23, 1996. He put the team ahead, 10–9, on the last play of the third quarter and added a key field goal with 1:19 remaining. A two-time finalist for the Lou Groza Award, Hamilton finished his career as the all-time Wolverine leader in field goals made (63) and field goals attempted (82). Before his career ended, he became the ninth Wolverine to accumulate over 200 points.
Hamilton holds the Michigan record for consecutive field goals made (14) as well as outright or shared school records for single-game (5), single-season (30) and career (82) field goal attempts. His career field goals made record (63) was eclipsed by Garrett Rivas in 2006 by one. Hamilton was a three-time Big Ten All-Academic selection (1993, 1995, 1996). He was also a three-time Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week (9/12/94, 10/10/94, 11/25/96). His 14 consecutive field goals mark was one short of Vlade Janakievski
Vlade Janakievski
Vlade Janakievski is a former American football placekicker for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a walk-on player from the soccer team who handled the placekicking duties for the Buckeyes in the 1977-1980 seasons....
's Big Ten record, which has since been broken. Hamilton's 63 career field goals were two short of Todd Gregoire's Big Ten record, which has since been broken.
AFL years
Hamilton joined the AFL's Grand Rapids RampageGrand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
in 1998, for which he played two seasons. During these, he had modest success as a field goal kicker connecting on 31 of 88 attempts (35.2%). In his first season, he also caught a touchdown pass. He then played in 2000 with the Carolina Cobras
Carolina Cobras
Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season.The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League...
and in 2001 with the Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...
, where he posted 11 of 42 (26.2%) and 18 of 47 (38.3%) field goal performances. While with the Cobras, Hamilton played against the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
in the first AFL game played at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
on April 20, 2000.
In 2002, he joined the Avengers for which he had his best years as a professional, making at least half of his field goal attempts each season. Hamilton was second among kickers in the AFL in scoring in 2003. Following his strong performance, he signed with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, where he competed against Josh Brown. After Brown was perfect in both four field goal and seven extra point attempts in the first three preseason games, Hamilton was released about three weeks later, and he returned to play for Los Angeles again. Hamilton was the top-scoring kicker in the AFL in 2004. In August 2004, he signed with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he battled Paul Edinger
Paul Edinger
Paul Edinger is a gridiron football placekicker, who is currently a Free Agent of the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
for the kicking duties. Bears head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
noted Hamilton's skill at onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
s. In terms of distance, Hamilton had a slight edge with his average kick three yards deep in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
compared with Edinger's goal line average. However, Edinger was perfect on six field goals and two extra points in the first three preseason games, and Hamilton missed his only exhibition game field goal attempt, a 36-yarder on August 27. The team waived him a few days later. He was again the top-scoring kicker in the AFL in 2005. That year, he eclipsed Jay Taylor
Jay Taylor
James "Jay" Taylor is an American professional football kicker for the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League. He played collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers.-High school years:...
's AFL record for single-season field goal percentage, which had been 72%, with a 74.4% 29 for 39 performance. Hamilton started the season with eleven consecutive field goals, giving him a total of twelve in a row for a league record. He earned a couple of NFL tryouts. Hamilton first signed with the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in July 2005 prior to training camp. He played for them during the 2005 exhibition season. He made the team's final points with a field goal in a August 12, 1995 17–13 preseason victory over the Chicago Bears. For the preseason, he made his only field goal and all six extra points. Nonetheless, the Rams decided to retain Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
who had been their kicker since 1997. Hamilton then signed with 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...
for their practice squad in September of the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
. He appeared in one NFL game for Detroit, but missed his only point after touchdown attempt, which was blocked by Alfonso Boone
Alfonso Boone
Alfonso D. Boone is an American football defensive end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mt...
. He also executed a couple of kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
s, and he made the tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
on Jerry Azumah
Jerry Azumah
Jerry Azumah is a former professional American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears.Azumah was selected as the 147th pick of the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of New Hampshire where he won the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player in Division I-AA football. He attended Saint...
's 33-yard return to the 37-yard line on one in the third quarter. He was activated to replace Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, where he has spent his entire 20 year career. He was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft...
who suffered a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury, which ended Hanson's consecutive games streak at 209. However, Hamilton was released later that month. Hamilton returned to the AFL for Los Angeles, and he led the AFL's kickers in scoring again in 2006. This earned Hamilton his second consecutive AFL's "Kicker of the Year" title and second consecutive First Team All-Arena League selection. His 2006 point total is 2nd in AFL history to his own 2005 total. He signed with the Rams again before training camp, and he played for them in exhibition games during 2006. He made four of six field goals (including a 48-yarder) and four of five extra points during the preseason. Again the Rams kept Wilkins. Hamilton returned to the AFL for his final season in Los Angeles. He ranked third in kicker scoring in the AFL for Los Angeles in 2007. He joined the Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
for 2008.
Personal life
In a May 2004 article, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that, less than 15 hours after a 53–52 overtime loss to the Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
at Staples Center, Hamilton's wife, Heather, delivered the couple's first child, a boy named Tate. Hamilton has served as a personal trainer for other kickers.
External links
- AFL stats from arenafan.com
- NFL stats
- Hamilton archive at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....