Training camps are officially here, which means one thing: it's time to talk about kickers. And if you thought that meant that we'd be talking about current kickers that are actually still kicking footballs in the National Football League, you'd be wrong. That's boring. Instead, we're going to rank the five best kickers in Titans/Oilers history, because that's what the people want. There is nothing more Remembering Guys On The Internet than ranking kickers, so let's have at it.
The 5 best kickers in the history of the Titans
5. Tony Zendejas
Zendejas technically was the Oilers kicker, so take this for whatever it's worth. But from 1985-1990, he made 77% of his field goals, including going 3-4 from 50+ yards out. He would later go on to kick for where he led the league in field goal percentage (100%!) as a 31-year old in 1999. By Football Reference's Approximate Value number, he's the 4th-most valuable kicker in Titans/Oilers history.
4. Ryan Succop
Succop spent his career with three different teams (Titans, Chiefs, and Buccaneers) but spent the longest stint – six years – in Tennessee. Over those six years, he hit 83% of his field goal attempts and almost 95% of his extra points. He also, notably, had the highest touchback percentage of any Titans' kicker who played in at least 50 games for the team. He's currently tied with Zendejas for third-most field goals made in franchise history (117). And, fun fact, Succop went the first six years of his career without missing an extra point.
3. Toni Fritsch
After starting his career with the Cowboys, Fritsch finally hit his stride after joining the Oilers in 1977. During his five season run in Houston, Fritsch led the league in field goal percentage in 1977 (75%), 1974 (89%), and 1980 (79.2%). Of kickers with 50 games played with the organization, Fritsch is 4th all time in FG% and XP%.
2. Rob Bironas
In the history of the Oilers/Titans organization, no one's made more field goals of 50+ yards than Bironas (24), who's at least nine 50+ FGs clear of everyone else. Of any kicker with 50 games or more in Houston/Nashville, no one's ever had a better field goal percentage than Bironas (85.7), either. If you wanted to create a list of all-time great kickers than just played for the Titans, Bironas would be at the very top.
1. Al Del Greco
According to Football Reference at least, no kicker has ever been more valuable to the organization than Del Greco. He attempted and made the most kicks in team history, is tied with Bironas for the best XP% in team history (99.4%), and was, at one point, ranked 21st on the list of All-Time NFL scorers. He also holds the team record for most points score (1,060) and would probably be remembered more fondly if not for those few big-time misses. Still, his place in Titans/Oilers history is rock solid.