Ravens legend Matt Stover, whose franchise scoring record was recently broken by Justin Tucker, says the Ravens’ “outstanding” special teams environment helps Tucker perform at an elite level.
Stover had held the franchise scoring record (1,464 points) for years, though Tucker had been making a steady march toward the record since he became the Ravens’ kicker in 2012. Tucker broke Stover’s record in Pittsburgh Dec. 11 and now sits at 1,473 career points entering the Ravens’ game in Cleveland Dec. 17.
Tucker is also the all-time leader in field-goal accuracy (91.003 percent) among qualified kickers and holds the record for the longest field goal ever (66 yards in Detroit in 2021). Stover wasn’t exactly surprised that his own mark was next on the list of records for Tucker to break.
“He’s that good, and it’s great that he’s the one who did it,” Stover said on Glenn Clark Radio Dec. 14. “If I’m in the same sentence as what you hear now today — probably the greatest kicker to ever kick in the NFL because he’s proven it in the distance of kicks and his numbers are just outstanding. I’m glad that my name is still being mentioned and I haven’t been forgotten, right?”
Stover believes Tucker’s success in part comes from the special teams environment the Ravens have created. Stover worked with John Harbaugh in 2008 — Stover’s last year in Baltimore and Harbaugh’s first — and the two hit it off right away. Harbaugh, of course, was the special teams coach in Philadelphia from 1998-2006.
That’s just where it starts, according to Stover. He mentioned that the Ravens have taken care of Tucker financially, that owner Steve Bisciotti has invested in the field conditions at M&T Bank Stadium, that the team has surrounded Tucker with the best long snappers and holders in the league and that Harbaugh kept longtime punter Sam Koch around as a special teams consultant.
It’s no coincidence that the Ravens have had two elite kickers in their relatively short history, according to Stover.
“It tells you the importance that the Ravens put on the position,” Stover said. “In fact, they even backed it up with money for Justin. I appreciate that. John Harbaugh and I hit it off in 2008 when I was there. … The environment that Justin has is outstanding, and he’s just performed to an elite level. When you have a kicker you can trust from 60 yards, that just goes to show you, too.”
Harbaugh trusted Tucker to kick a potential game-winning field goal from 67 yards in Jacksonville Nov. 27. The kick was on line … but fell just short. Stover was watching just like everybody else.
“When he stroked it, everybody thought it had a chance, right? ‘Holy crud, that thing’s got a chance,'” Stover said. “It didn’t make it. Those are crazy plays, but he’s been able to capitalize on it before. … The fact that he stroked it the way he wanted to and it landed short, he can live with that. It’s when you shank it or you don’t even give it a chance — I’ve been in that position before — that’s when you’re just disheartened about it.”
There are only two full-time kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud — but it stands to reason that a couple of others have a chance to join that group. Adam Vinatieri is the only player to score 1,000-plus points for two franchises (New England and Indianapolis) and kicked game-winning field goals in two Super Bowls. He is eligible for induction beginning in 2025.
Tucker has a lot left in the tank, so there’s no telling where he’ll end up by the end of his career. (Vinarieri is the all-time scoring leader at 2,673 points.) Regardless, Stover believes Tucker is a Hall of Famer.
“He should be absolutely a Hall of Famer because you look at what he’s done with the position, he’s taken it to a whole other level,” Stover said. “… Also the type of teammate he is and the effect he’s had on a team. It’s not just an individual piece. He helped the team get to the Super Bowl and win it. That says a lot about him, and a lot of kickers can’t say that.”
For more from Stover, listen to the full interview here:
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