Sebastian Janikowski
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| Oakland Raiders — No. 11 | |
| Placekicker | |
| Date of birth: March 3, 1978 | |
| Place of birth: Wałbrzych | |
| Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | Weight: 250 lb (110 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 2000 for the Oakland Raiders | |
| Career history | |
| College: Florida State | |
| NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Sebastian Janikowski (born March 3, 1978 in Wałbrzych, Poland) is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. His nicknames are the "Polish Powderkeg", the "Polish Cannon", "Sea Bass", "Lightning Feet" and more recently "The Polish Hammer".[1] He is widely considered to be the most powerful kicker currently in the league".[2], and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He currently lives in Castro Valley, California
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[edit] Early years
Sebastian Janikowski was born to Henryk Janikowski and Halina Janikowski in Wałbrzych, located in Lower Silesia in southwest Poland. Henryk was a professional soccer player, and moved to the United States in the early 1980s in the hopes of reviving his career. Years after emigrating, Henryk divorced Halina and married an American. Left at home with just his mother, Sebastian began to excel at soccer himself. In 1993, 15-year-old Sebastian earned a spot on the Polish under-17 team.
Henryk's marriage to an American meant that Sebastian could legally emigrate to America. He did so at the urging of his mother, even though the two were very close and it was emotionally painful for Sebastian. The teenager spoke very little English, and attended Orangewood Christian High School but learned quickly by taking a three-week night class and by watching television. Janikowski played in only 5 games for the Orangewood Christian soccer team, but lead them to the Class A State Championship by scoring 15 goals, where they lost to Lakeland Christian in penalty kicks (3-2).
Now living in Orlando, Florida with his father and stepmother, Janikowski joined the Orlando Lions, an under-19 soccer club coached by Angelo Rossi. Rossi was also the soccer coach at Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, and he convinced Henryk that his son would be better off there. Henryk agreed but was unwilling to move, so Sebastian moved in with Rossi's family.
During his senior year at Seabreeze, Janikowski played both soccer and football after being recruited by the school's football coach. As the team's placekicker, he quickly earned a reputation by kicking four field goals of 50+ yards. One of them was for 60 yards, third-best in Florida prep school history. USA Today named Janikowski to its 1996 All-American team.
After being heavily recruited by some of the top collegiate football programs, Janikowski decided on Florida State University.
[edit] Florida State and legal troubles
Janikowski played three seasons for the Seminoles, where he amassed a career scoring total of 324 points (3rd all-time for the school). In 1999 he became the first kicker to twice win the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate kicker. While he excelled on the field, it was at Florida State that Janikowski's lifestyle started causing problems.
In August 1998, he got into a fight outside of a Tallahassee bar. Janikowski was charged with failure to leave the premises and pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor offense. Janikowski had a breakout season in 1998, and the Seminoles were in contention for a national championship. The night after a season-ending win over rival Florida, Janikowski got into another fight at a local bar. This time he was charged with battery.
Janikowski stayed out of trouble for most of the 1999 season, which again found FSU in contention for a national title. Prior to the team's appearance in the national championship game (the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana), Janikowski declared his intentions to declare himself eligible for the 2000 NFL Draft.
Although Janikowski's skill as a kicker was unquestioned by NFL scouts, his off-the-field behavior was a great cause of concern. In January 2000, Janikowski was partying with a group of friends when his high school friend was arrested at a nightclub. Janikowski, who later said he was thinking he could save everyone paperwork and the trouble, approached the arresting officer and asked how much it would take to let his friend go. He was then arrested for attempting to bribe an officer, a charge that carried a $5,000 fine, up to five years in prison, and possible deportation. Janikowski claimed that he thought he could pay a fine to have his friend released, the officer interpreted the action as an attempted bribe.[3]
[edit] Oakland Raiders and more legal troubles
Despite the threat of criminal charges and deportation, Janikowski was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft - only the fifth time a kicker had been taken in the first round in NFL history.
Janikowski was acquitted of his bribery charge in June 2000. He had testified on his own behalf, stating that he was simply trying to pay his friend's fine and not bribe the arresting officer. Just eight days after his acquittal, Janikowski and two friends were arrested in Tallahassee on suspicion of felony possession of the designer drug GHB, best known as a date rape drug. Once again, he faced prison time or deportation if convicted. He was acquitted of all charges in April 2001.[4] Janikowski, who earned a reputation for partying at Florida State, was charged with DUI on October 2, 2002 and given three years' probation after pleading no contest. Less than a year later, he was arrested after a fight at a Walnut Creek, California restaurant. The case was later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Despite his troubles since entering the NFL, Janikowski has annually performed at a high level. After the 2004 season he was given a five-year contract extension reportedly with $10.5 million, making him, at the time, the highest paid kicker in NFL history. He is also known to have frequently partied with teammate Darrell Russell before Russell left the NFL and eventually died in a serious car accident. Much like Janikowski, Russell had an extensive police record.[5]
[edit] Awards
- Lou Groza Award - 1998, 1999
- All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team - 1999
- All-American First Team - 1999
[edit] Records
- Oakland Raiders franchise record for highest field goal completion percentage (76% entering 2008)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Career statistics at pro-football reference.com.
- Sebastian Janikowski biography.
- Legal history.
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