Best of the Packers: Top 10 kickers, punters since 1960
By Phil Watson
3. Chester Marcol (1972-80)
The Green Bay Packers lost their minds—many thought, anyway—when they drafted kicker Chester Marcol in the second round out of Michigan’s Hillsdale College in the 1972 NFL Draft.
The joke, as it turned out, was on the rest of the NFL.
Marcol burst onto the scene by making a franchise-record 33 field goals and earning All-Pro honors as the Packers returned to the playoffs in 1972.
Marcol hit 25-of-39 attempts in 1974 to earn his second All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods.
In 1980, Marcol had the distinction of scoring a game-winning overtime touchdown on a 25-yard run with a blocked field goal to list the Packers to a 12-6 win over the Chicago Bears.
But that was Marco’s swansong. He was released five games into the season and retired after kicking in one game for the Houston Oilers later that season.
For his career in Green Bay, Marcol made 120-of-195 field goal attempts (61.5 percent) and was successful on 155-of-164 PATs.
Marcol led the NFL in scoring in 1972 (128 points) and 1974 (94 points).
His 120 field goals are fourth in franchise history and his 61.5 percent accuracy rate is fifth among kickers with at least 75 attempts. He retains a share of the single-season record with his 33 field goals in 1972, as well, a mark tied twice since.
He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1987.
Next: A Miner Success