Ryan Succop
Encyclopedia
Ryan Barrow Succop (ˌsʌˈkʌp; born September 19, 1986 in Hickory, North Carolina
) is an American football
placekicker
for the Kansas City Chiefs
of the National Football League
. He is the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant
after being selected by the Chiefs with the final pick of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at South Carolina
.
in Hickory, North Carolina. He was a four-time all-conference and two-time all-state performer, and was named a three-time conference Special Teams Player of the Year. He also played soccer and scored 104 career goals. He was rated the fourth-best kicker in the nation and the sixteenth-best prospect in North Carolina by Rivals.com
.
. He performed kicking, punting, and kickoff duties for the Gamecocks
. His 161 career points ranks 10th on South Carolina's all-time list.
In 2005, as a freshman, he was the kickoff specialist and backup placekicker. He kicked off fifty-nine times for a 62.3 yard average with twenty-nine touchback
s. He had two field goal
attempts, missing both.
In 2006, as a sophomore, he was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after a game where he was 3-for-3. He scored 85 points that year, which led the team and was the third-highest single-season total in school history. He was 16-20. He also earned second-team All-SEC honors, and was named a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
In 2007, as a junior, Succop was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-SEC selection. He also earned SEC first-team preseason honors as a placekicker by the media. He was a second-team selection by the coaches and earned preseason second-team All-SEC honors as a punter by both the media and coaches. He was once again a Lou Groza Award candidate, and he was also named to the Ray Guy Award watch list. He went 13-for-17 in field goal attempts. He earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making all three field goals in a game.
, by the Kansas City Chiefs
, thus earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant
. He said of being drafted last, "I didn't choose to be Mr. Irrelevant. It just worked out that way. I'm just trying not to get caught up in it and focus more on the task at hand, which is trying to come in here and help the team. It's not one of those things I really think about too much, to be honest."
Succop and the Chiefs reportedly agreed on a three-year deal worth up to $1.2 million on June 17, 2009. Succop was going to compete with Connor Barth
for the starting kicker job. However, Barth was released in July 2009, leaving Succop to ultimately take the job as starting kicker.
On November 22, 2009, Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime to give Kansas City a 27–24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers
, the defending Super Bowl
champions.
Succop finished his rookie season tying an NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a season with 86.2%. He also passed NFL Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud
for most field goals made by a rookie in Chiefs history. He was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award by the Chiefs in 2009, and led the team in scoring. He scored more points (104) than any other rookie in the NFL that year, and this placed him second in Chiefs history in scoring by a rookie.
On October 31, 2010 Succop made a 35-yard field goal as time expired in overtime to help the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills
13-10.
On October 31, 2011 Succop made a field goal in overtime to help the Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers.
Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
) is an American 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...
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 Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
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 is the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant
Mr. Irrelevant
"Mr. Irrelevant" is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft.- Irrelevant Week :The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. He announced the final...
after being selected by the Chiefs with the final pick of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
.
Early years
Succop attended Hickory High SchoolHickory High School (North Carolina)
Hickory High School is located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is a public school in the Hickory City School system, located in Catawba County in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina.-General information:...
in Hickory, North Carolina. He was a four-time all-conference and two-time all-state performer, and was named a three-time conference Special Teams Player of the Year. He also played soccer and scored 104 career goals. He was rated the fourth-best kicker in the nation and the sixteenth-best prospect in North Carolina 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...
.
College career
Succop attended the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. He performed kicking, punting, and kickoff duties for the Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
. His 161 career points ranks 10th on South Carolina's all-time list.
In 2005, as a freshman, he was the kickoff specialist and backup placekicker. He kicked off fifty-nine times for a 62.3 yard average with twenty-nine touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
s. He had two 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...
attempts, missing both.
In 2006, as a sophomore, he was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after a game where he was 3-for-3. He scored 85 points that year, which led the team and was the third-highest single-season total in school history. He was 16-20. He also earned second-team All-SEC honors, and was named a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
In 2007, as a junior, Succop was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-SEC selection. He also earned SEC first-team preseason honors as a placekicker by the media. He was a second-team selection by the coaches and earned preseason second-team All-SEC honors as a punter by both the media and coaches. He was once again a Lou Groza Award candidate, and he was also named to the Ray Guy Award watch list. He went 13-for-17 in field goal attempts. He earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making all three field goals in a game.
College statistics
| Stats Overview | Kicking | |||||||||||
| YEAR | FGM | FGA | PCT | XPM | XPA | PTS | ||||||
| 2005 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2006 | 16 | 20 | 80.0 | 37 | 39 | 85 | ||||||
| 2007 | 13 | 17 | 76.5 | 37 | 37 | 76 | ||||||
| 2008 | 20 | 30 | 66.7 | 30 | 30 | 90 |
Kansas City Chiefs
Succop was selected 256th overall, the final selection in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, thus earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant
Mr. Irrelevant
"Mr. Irrelevant" is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft.- Irrelevant Week :The name arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California. He announced the final...
. He said of being drafted last, "I didn't choose to be Mr. Irrelevant. It just worked out that way. I'm just trying not to get caught up in it and focus more on the task at hand, which is trying to come in here and help the team. It's not one of those things I really think about too much, to be honest."
Succop and the Chiefs reportedly agreed on a three-year deal worth up to $1.2 million on June 17, 2009. Succop was going to compete with Connor Barth
Connor Barth
Connor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....
for the starting kicker job. However, Barth was released in July 2009, leaving Succop to ultimately take the job as starting kicker.
On November 22, 2009, Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime to give Kansas City a 27–24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, the defending Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champions.
Succop finished his rookie season tying an NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a season with 86.2%. He also passed NFL Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs , and the NFL's Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , and Minnesota Vikings .-Background:...
for most field goals made by a rookie in Chiefs history. He was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award by the Chiefs in 2009, and led the team in scoring. He scored more points (104) than any other rookie in the NFL that year, and this placed him second in Chiefs history in scoring by a rookie.
On October 31, 2010 Succop made a 35-yard field goal as time expired in overtime to help the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
13-10.
On October 31, 2011 Succop made a field goal in overtime to help the Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers.