The “Stover Era” ended in Baltimore at the beginning of this season, when coach John Harbaugh handed over the field goal kicking duties to Steve Hauschka. Granted, Hauschka has done a phenomenal job, it was still a bit strange not to see number three out there with his bow and arrow stance, kicking field goals for the purple and black.
Well fans, thing are about to get a lot stranger. Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover will be kicking for the arch rival Indianapolis Colts, as he replaces an injured Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri recently had his knee scoped and will be out of action from 6-8 weeks.
Stover enters his 20th season in the NFL as one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL. Last season in Baltimore, Stover hit 27 of 33 field goals, with his longest being 47 yards, and connected on every single extra point. His most memorable kick was a game winner in Tennessee that sent the Ravens to the AFC Championship game last season. He is the third most accurate kicker in NFL history, making 83% of his field goals throughout his illustrious career, 9 of those being game winners for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a pro bowler in 2000 and helped the Ravens win their first Super Bowl in 2000.
At first, I was upset that Stover would be working for the Irsays, until he said this on 105.7 The Snooze: “I will always be a Raven”. Matt Stover, not only will you always be a Raven, you will always carry yourself with class and humility. Well done, sir, and good luck until you play the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
