article about Morten Anderson

[TNChief]

www.nfl.com/news/story/6365660

[lazarus]

Welcome TNChief ... thanks for the post



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Catching up with ... Morten Andersen

By Dave Richard
NFL.com

(May 13, 2003) -- For a pro football player whose career spans two decades, life is good for Morten Andersen. He hardly gets tackled, he doesn't feel the crunch of the media week after week and he doesn't have to memorize hundreds of plays. However, when the Kansas City Chiefs have a fourth down or are stuck with a few ticks left on the clock and they're as many as 50 yards away from the goal posts, he becomes the most important player on the team.

Andersen is second in scoring in NFL history. Think about that -- think about every great quarterback and running back that has ever laced up his cleats. Not one of them can touch Andersen, who is responsible for 2,153 points over his career. Only Vikings kicker Gary Anderson (2,223 points) has scored more. Both men are in their 40s, and both men are still very active.

Touching on many topics, from a quick Danish lesson to his future in the league to hearing how his twin brother may be Iraq-bound, we "kick it around" with Andersen.

Where are you right now?

Andersen: I'm in Kansas City now, but I live in Atlanta.

How much training do you do in the offseason?

Andersen: Quite a bit. I've been working with Mackey Shilstone, a trainer in New Orleans. He has something called P.E.P., a performance enhancement program, and I've been doing stuff with him since 1989. He basically takes a "global" approach to training: He looks at everything from your personal health to your background, your risk factors and your history, then puts you through a battery of tests to see what your fitness level is, and then designs a 16-week sport-specific program that's geared toward making me a better kicker and not necessarily a better bench presser (laughs). He's prolonged my career, no question.

There are a couple of outfits around the country that do sport-specific training, and I may be biased but I think he's one of the best. He works with other NFL players, including more than a dozen kickers and punters over the years, and he also works with baseball players, college kids, other people in other sports. He just finished working with boxer Roy Jones Jr.

How often do you go home to Denmark?


Morten Andersen's career started with the Saints in 1982.
Andersen: I usually go about once a year, usually in the summer. This summer, I'll go back and see my twin brother, who is in India now but was recently offered to become the youngest ambassador in Denmark history ... to Iraq (laughs). I don't know if he's going to take it, I think they're still talking about it. He'd be in charge of the trade side of things. I'm a little worried about him. I asked him, "Who doesn't like you in the foreign ministry?" (laughs) But it's a pretty big honor to be asked at 42 to step up there. Hopefully he'll make the right decision -- there's a certain amount of excitement in being part of rebuilding a country.

Tell him to be careful. You're fluent in many languages, including Danish. what are the Danish translations for "field goal," "extra point" and "running into the kicker?"

Andersen: (laughs) Well, when spoken, we pretty much use the same terms because they are unique to football. One of the challenges I had when I was doing the Super Bowl for Danish television was exactly that -- some of the words aren't translated. I mean you could translate them, but it wouldn't sound right.

But if you wanted specific translations, "field goal" would be "marks moål" (pronounced: mah-x mole); for "extra point", you'd say "ekstra point" (pronounced: eh-xtra poaynt); and "løbe ind i sparkeren" (pronounced: lurbe in ee-spargon) means "running into the kicker."

The Danish alphabet has three letters that English does not and they're all vowels, å, æ and ø. If you are caught without a Danish typewriter, for example, and didn't have an å on it, you could type "aa" instead, but that's the old school spelling. They'll know that an American wrote it.

Can you name every head coach you've played for in 21 years?

Andersen: Easily. Bum Phillips was in New Orleans when I got there in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Then I had Jim Mora from 1985 until I left in 1994. In 1995 and 1996, I had June Jones in Atlanta and then I had Dan Reeves in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 2001, I had Jim Fassel in New York, and since 2002 I've had thingy Vermeil here. I think they are unique in the understanding that they pretty much left me alone, which was the best thing they could have done (laughs).

Is that really the best way to coach a kicker?

Andersen: It depends on who he is. If you're dealing with a veteran guy, I think it's better to give him the support and the tools to get his trade done, and give him the freedom to communicate to the coaches how much he needs to kick. We talk about that now at my age -- I want to be managed correctly. I don't want to leave a bunch of kicks on the practice field so that I'm tired when it comes to the game.

Tell the truth: Does "icing" the kicker ever work?

Andersen: Again, it depends on the kicker.

Does it work on you?

Andersen: No. It actually gives me more time to go through my set-up and the visualization. I enjoy the extra time -- it gives me more time to relax and take a couple of swings.

Finish this sentence: The biggest misperception about kickers is ...

Andersen: That they're not part of the team process. I feel like I am a part of the team even though my trade is mostly done on the side and we have a limited amount of reps with the team. We're not an isolated entity away from the team. I certainly try to make an effort to become integrated into the team chemistry and work it in the locker room and on the field. I want to be part of the solution.

You have attempted over 600 field goals. Is there one specific kick that you missed that you wish you could have a crack at again?

Andersen: Well, none of (my misses) keep me up at night. When they leave the foot, they leave the mind. Probably the miss that got the most attention was the Jacksonville kick at the end of the 1996 season. I had a 30-yarder go wide left and it put Jacksonville in the playoffs and it kept Kansas City out of the playoffs. So when I signed here, I heard about that right away. Do I wish I had it back? I wish I had all the kicks I missed no matter when they came back. But I don't give any kick any more significance than the others. They all have the same value.

[lazarus]

Do kickers trash talk?

Andersen: Yeah, some guys do, but I think that's a sign of immaturity, and that goes for all players regardless of position. It may motivate some guys, but if you're a true professional, trash talking is a waste of energy.

How close are you, if at all, with Vikings kicker Gary Anderson?

Andersen: We're competitive, and our careers have paralleled in so many ways. I respect him tremendously for what he's done over the years and I hope he feels the same way about me. He's a good person, but I don't know him really well. We don't socialize in the offseason, but we've been to a couple of events together and we've had a nice time.

Do you think you guys push each other to produce and/or keep playing, either directly or indirectly?

Andersen: Inadvertently, maybe, but Gary and I have never had a conversation where we try to push each other. I think it's just that he has high standards and wants to play well and so do I. I think it's a healthy, positive, competitive relationship.

Because of your age and experience, have any players come to you for advice on topics unrelated to football?

Andersen: Oh yeah, all the time. I love it; I think it's great. I mean, I don't have all the answers, but one thing I like to do is listen to guys and try to help them if I can. I'm a small piece of the puzzle, but if I can help behind the scenes and maybe ease some of my teammates' tensions, they might play freely on Sunday.

I'm serious about my craft, but I try to bring a little light-hearted, humoristic feeling to the locker room. It's important to be able to laugh at yourself, because then it makes it easier to laugh at others without them feeling badly about it. I think that's a trait, as a pro athlete, you can always take to the bank.

Did Denmark really invent the breakfast food known as a danish?

Andersen: (laughs) No, that's an Americanization. The danish is not a Danish invention just like french fries aren't a French invention. But we do have danish pastries that don't look or taste like any danish I've had over here.

Andersen: Yeah, there is. I like to get a really hearty piece of rye bread or multi-grain bread and put pickled herring and raw onions on it. Sounds good, doesn't it? (laughs) I'll eat that with a little akvavit (an ice cold Scandinavian drink) and I'm good to go.

In a pinch, could you punt?

Andersen: Depends on the pinch. I can one-step it, but it's not something I practice. It's been an issue on a couple of occasions, but it never came to fruition, thank goodness.

How often are you asked about how much longer you can play football?

Andersen: Daily, but the question isn't how much longer can I play, but how much longer do I want to play? I'm getting that one more. People were still doubting ability-wise that I would be able to play for a long time. Now it's turning into how long I want to do this. My goal is to play until I am 50. Will I get there? I don't know. But every year, I get a little bit closer. It's been a fun goal to have.

Lastly, what are your goals for 2003?

Andersen: I want to help our team become successful, go into the playoffs and win in the playoffs. That's going to require me to play at a high level, higher than I played last year, and it will require me to stay healthy to meet that objective. Otherwise, I want to be happy and have fun playing, and that's important to me at this stage in my career.