1966 Profile: Pete Gogolak

Place Kicker
No. 3
Cornell
1964
This well-spoken young man is an American success story. After leaving occupied Hungary with his family at the age of 14, Pete later achieved collegiate stardom as a kicker at Cornell. He set an Ivy League record of 44 consecutive points and a Cornell record with a 50-yard field goal.
Pete brings the new 'soccer-style' placekicking to pro football. The ball is kicked at a 45-degree angle with the instep of the foot. Coach Saban thinks Pete will add a new element of scoring to Buffalo's AFL title hopes.

"Now all the pros are searching for soccer-style place-kickers, but the Bills have the prototype in Pete Gogolak, the Hungarian refugee with the weird (for football) kicking technique. Pete approaches the ball from a 45-degree angle and boots it with his instep, the way soccer players do.
He kicked 45 out of 46 extra points as a 1964 rookie and made 18 of 29 field goal attempts. He had a 57-yarder in an exhibition game against the Jets, so he must be doing something right."

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1965

"Just to show you how important a good kicker is to a club, Pete was responsible for 25% of Buffalo's scoring in 1964. The sure-toed Bill led Buffalo in total points. Pete kicked 45 extra points in 46 attempts and was 19-for-28 in field goal attempts.
Pete set an AFL record with a 57-yard field goal."

1965 Topps No. 30

"Whether or not it is precisely true, Pete Gogolak will always be remembered as the man who helped bring about the NFL-AFL merger. Pete's sudden and surprising jump to the Giants after he had allowed his Buffalo option to run out very nearly touched off a raiding war between the two leagues.
But Pete also is distinctive as a player. He was the AFL's second-leading scorer in 1964 and '65, and became the nonpareil place kicker of pro football. Like his younger brother Charlie, who is a rookie with Washington, Pete is a Hungarian refugee who learned to kick a football soccer-style - that is, he approaches the ball from a 45-degree angle and kicks it with the instep of his foot.
He can be the key to a Giant success in '66."

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1966