Matt Prater is an American professional football player currently playing as a placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals. He was born on August 10th, 1984 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, and attended the University of Central Florida from 2002 to 2005.
Prater has had a long career spanning many teams such as the Detroit Lions (2006), Miami Dolphins (2007), Atlanta Falcons (2007) Denver Broncos (2007-2014) and Detroit Lions again from 2014 – 2020 before joining his current team, the Arizona Cardinals.
During his time in NFL he achieved several accomplishments including being named second-team All-Pro in 2013 and attending two Pro Bowls in 2013 & 2016 whilst also setting records with the most 50+ yard field goals made at 70 along with 75 extra points scored over one season during that same year.
Personal Information of Matt Prater
Real Name/Full Name | Matthew Phillip Prater |
Age | 38 |
Birth Place | Mayfield Heights, Ohio |
Height | 5 ft 10 in |
Weight | 201 lbs |
Wife/Spouse (Name) | Kati Prater |
Profession | Football Player |
Net Worth | $4 million dollars |
Stats
season | Team |
---|---|
2007 | ATL |
2007 | DEN |
2008 | DEN |
2009 | DEN |
2010 | DEN |
2011 | DEN |
2012 | DEN |
2013 | DEN |
2014 | DET |
2015 | DET |
2016 | DET |
2017 | DET |
2018 | DET |
2019 | DET |
2020 | DET |
2021 | ARI |
2022 | ARI |
2023 | ARI |
Career |
GP | FG | FG% | 1-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | LNG | XPM | XPA | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1-4 | 25.0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
2 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | 25-34 | 73.5 | 0-0 | 7-8 | 8-9 | 5-11 | 5-6 | 56 | 39 | 40 | 114 |
16 | 30-35 | 85.7 | 0-0 | 14-14 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 2-3 | 51 | 32 | 32 | 122 |
12 | 16-18 | 88.9 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 7-7 | 4-5 | 2-3 | 59 | 28 | 29 | 76 |
16 | 19-25 | 76.0 | 0-0 | 5-6 | 8-8 | 3-7 | 3-4 | 59 | 30 | 30 | 87 |
16 | 26-32 | 81.3 | 1-1 | 7-7 | 10-11 | 5-9 | 3-4 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 133 |
16 | 25-26 | 96.2 | 2-2 | 4-4 | 5-5 | 8-8 | 6-7 | 64 | 75 | 75 | 150 |
11 | 21-26 | 80.8 | 0-0 | 8-8 | 4-5 | 6-8 | 3-5 | 52 | 21 | 21 | 84 |
16 | 22-24 | 91.7 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 8-9 | 6-6 | 5-6 | 59 | 36 | 39 | 102 |
16 | 31-36 | 86.1 | 0-0 | 10-10 | 4-5 | 10-14 | 7-7 | 58 | 31 | 33 | 124 |
16 | 30-35 | 85.7 | 2-2 | 4-4 | 10-10 | 7-8 | 7-11 | 58 | 40 | 41 | 130 |
16 | 28-32 | 87.5 | 0-0 | 8-8 | 12-12 | 5-7 | 3-5 | 54 | 30 | 30 | 114 |
16 | 26-31 | 83.9 | 0-0 | 11-11 | 2-3 | 6-9 | 7-8 | 56 | 35 | 36 | 113 |
16 | 21-28 | 75.0 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 7-7 | 4-7 | 6-10 | 59 | 38 | 41 | 101 |
17 | 30-37 | 81.1 | 0-0 | 11-11 | 9-11 | 3-5 | 7-10 | 62 | 47 | 49 | 137 |
13 | 22-25 | 88.0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 10-10 | 6-8 | 5-6 | 57 | 17 | 18 | 83 |
17 | 28-33 | 84.8 | 0-0 | 6-6 | 7-8 | 6-7 | 9-12 | 62 | 22 | 23 | 106 |
79 | 401-481 | 83.4 | 5-5 | 106-109 | 117-128 | 93-132 | 80-107 | 64 | 577 | 593 | 1780 |
season | Team |
---|---|
2017 | DET |
Career |
GP | PUNTS | AVG | LNG | YDS | TB | TB% | IN20 | IN20% | ATT | YDS | AVG | NET |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | 4 | 34.8 | 47 | 139 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 25.00 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 34.8 |
79 | 4 | 34.8 | 47 | 139 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 25.00 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 34.8 |
season | Team |
---|---|
2008 | DEN |
2009 | DEN |
2010 | DEN |
2011 | DEN |
2012 | DEN |
Career |
GP | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACK | FF | FR | YDS | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | PD | STF | STFYDS | KB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
79 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
season | Team |
---|---|
2012 | DEN |
2018 | DET |
2021 | ARI |
2022 | ARI |
2023 | ARI |
Career |
GP | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | SACK | RTG | QBR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | - |
16 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 8 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 139.6 | - |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | - |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | - |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | - |
79 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 8 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 100.0 | - |
season | Team |
---|---|
2007 | ATL |
2008 | DEN |
2009 | DEN |
2010 | DEN |
2011 | DEN |
2012 | DEN |
2013 | DEN |
2014 | DET |
2015 | DET |
2016 | DET |
2017 | DET |
2018 | DET |
2019 | DET |
2020 | DET |
2021 | ARI |
2022 | ARI |
2023 | ARI |
Career |
GP | PASS | RUSH | REC | RET | TD | 2PT | PAT | FG | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 25 | 114 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 30 | 122 |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 16 | 76 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 19 | 87 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 26 | 133 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 25 | 150 |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 84 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 22 | 102 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 124 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 30 | 130 |
16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 28 | 114 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 26 | 113 |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 21 | 101 |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 30 | 137 |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 22 | 83 |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 28 | 106 |
79 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 577 | 401 | 1780 |
High school career
Matt Prater had an impressive high school football career at Estero High School in Florida. He began his sophomore year after transferring from Cypress Lake High School, and quickly made a name for himself with the Wildcats.
During his time there, he converted 56 of 58 extra point attempts and 14 field goals – one of them being 49 yards long. Not only this, but 84% of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks too.
All these feats didn’t go unrecognized either; Matt was named second-team All-State as well as first-team all-conference and All-Southwest Florida selections.
To top it off, he even earned a spot on the second team “Dream Team”. His hard work throughout high school paid off when Matt graduated from Estero High School in 2002 with plenty to be proud of.
As mentioned earlier, during his tenure at Estero High School Matt successfully kicked fourteen field goals including one that stretched out to forty-nine yards – an incredible feat given the circumstances surrounding him on any given day such as weather conditions or pressure situations like tie games or last-minute wins, etc.
On top of that, he consistently hit those fifty-six extra points often proving just how reliable he could be with game-winning kicks if needed.
In summary, then we can say without a doubt that sheer determination and dedication to improving upon each practice session alone saw Matt rise up through the ranks until eventually becoming recognized across state lines due largely thanks to making every attempt count by converting both PATs & FGs alike.
College career
Matt Prater’s college career began at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2002. He was a four-year starter and primarily played wide receiver, but he also saw playing time as a punter and placekicker.
During his freshman season, Matt recorded 20 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns while helping lead UCF to their first ever bowl game appearance. Throughout his collegiate career on offense, Matt compiled over 600 receiving yards with six total touchdowns.
On special teams however is where Matt made an even greater impact as both kicker and punter – setting records that still stand today such as most field goals kicked in one half (five), the longest punt by a Knight player (73 yards), highest single-season average for kickoffs touched back or out of bounds (64%), among others.
In 2005 during his senior year he earned All-Conference USA honors after connecting on 11/13 field goal attempts including three from 50+ years away; tying him for second nationally in long-distance kicks that year behind only former NFL great Mason Crosby who had seven makes from beyond fifty yards away which led all NCAA Division I players that season.
In addition to excelling at kicking field goals during this campaign, he averaged 44 yards per punt which ranked third best overall within CUSA while making ten touchbacks off kickoffs – good enough to tie him atop the leaderboard amongst conference competitors along these lines too.
Overall, Matt’s accomplishments throughout college football not only helped pave the way towards what would become quite a successful professional stint later down the road but they also set many standards within the Knights program itself: none other than himself have broken any since then so it safe say legacy left will remain intact indefinitely moving forward.
Professional career
Matt Prater is a professional American football player who has had an interesting career journey. He started off as an undrafted free agent signed by the Detroit Lions in 2006, and made field goals of 22, 44, and 48 yards during preseason games.
Despite this impressive performance, he did not have much chance to beat out veteran Jason Hanson and was subsequently released later that year.
Since then Matt Prater has been a free agent for most of his career but has also had workouts with other teams such as the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
In 2007 he joined the Miami Dolphins practice squad before being picked up by Atlanta Falcons in 2008 where he served as their kicker until 2009 when they cut him after a poor start to the season due to injury problems.
Prater then moved on to Denver Broncos where he achieved success becoming one of only two players ever kick three consecutive field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards successfully; something which cemented his place within NFL history books forever.
After four seasons at Denver Broncos, Prater left them due to financial issues related to injuries sustained while playing for them in 2014-15 season saw him join Chicago Bears briefly before being traded back again into Denver broncos finishing 2015 till 2016 with reasonable success despite some health concerns that lingered throughout these years.
In 2017 Matt joined Detriot lions once more however failed to make any lasting mark resulting in another release soon afterward thus ending what could be considered a lengthy yet successful period within NFL circles altogether making 4 stops a long the way.
Why Did Matt Prater Leave the Lions?
Matthew Prater is a professional American football player who played as a kicker for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL).
However, he is no longer with the team. The reason for his departure from the Lions is not entirely clear, but it may have been related to his performance on the field or his salary demands.
It’s also possible that Prater’s release from the Lions was a cost-saving move. The team may have decided that they could find a cheaper replacement for Prater, and therefore decided to let him go.
Additionally, Prater’s last contract with the Lions paid him $3.8 million per season, which is a significant amount for a kicker. The team may have decided that this salary was too high for the position, and decided to invest the money in other areas of the team.
Another possible reason for Prater’s release from the Lions is his suspension from the NFL in 2014 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
This suspension may have caused the Lions to question his commitment to the team, and they may have decided to move on from him as a result.
In conclusion, while the exact reasons for Matt Prater’s release from the Detroit Lions is not clear, it could have been due to performance on field, salary demands or his suspension from the NFL. The team may have decided to invest their money in other areas of the team, or they may have found a cheaper replacement for Prater.
What happened to Matt Prater?
Matt Prater is an NFL kicker who was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 regular season. The suspension was due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, which resulted in his placement on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and prevented him from participating in any team activities.
The Violation
Prater violated a portion of the NFL Policy and Program for Substances Abuse that deals with alcohol-related offenses.
As part of his punishment, he entered into a treatment program at an approved facility under supervision by medical professionals appointed jointly by both himself and representatives from the league office.
He also agreed to pay fines associated with his violation as well as reimburse all costs incurred during this process before being reinstated onto full active status following completion of these requirements.
Reinstatement & Impact
After completing all necessary steps required by both parties involved in this case, Prater was officially reinstated back onto full active status prior to Week 5’s matchup against Denver Broncos – whom he previously played for between 2007-2014 seasons – allowing him continue playing.
Professional football once again without interruption or further penalties attached towards future behavior violations within stated rules/ regulations set forth internally throughout National Football League operations organizationally each year moving forward accordingly going ahead thereafter longterm.
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Who has the longest field goal in NFL history?
The Longest Field Goal in NFL History
Though many kickers have tried to break it, the current record for longest field goal in NFL history is 64 yards. This amazing feat was achieved by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos on December 8th 2013 against the Tennessee Titans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium.
Matt Prater has been an outstanding kicker throughout his career and he had already kicked some impressive long-distance goals prior to this one, including a 59 yarder earlier that same season. However, no other player before or since has managed to hit a ball from such incredible distance with pinpoint accuracy into an end zone full of defenders.
Prater’s 64 yard masterpiece not only set a new record but also earned him recognition as being part of one select group who can claim they’ve made what is probably considered amongst football fans as ‘the impossible’ happen – kicking a successful field goal from over sixty yards away.
To Recap
Matt Prater is a 38-year-old placekicker with the Arizona Cardinals. He was born in Mayfield Heights, Ohio and attended Estero High School before attending UCF from 2002 to 2005.
Throughout his NFL career, he has played for teams such as the Detroit Lions (2006), Miami Dolphins (2007), Atlanta Falcons (2007), Denver Broncos(2007–2014), and Detroit Lions again from 2014 to 2020 where he set an NFL record of most 50+ yard field goals made in history at 70.
In 2013, he earned Second Team All-Pro honors and two Pro Bowl selections afterward in 2016. As of Week 16 2022, Matt’s stats include 369 field goal successes out of 443 attempts with 83% accuracy rate along with 388 touchbacks and 1 touchdown scored throughout his career thus far.