Dan Bailey ( American football ) Dan Bailey ( born January 26 , 1988 ) is an American football placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . Bailey grew up in the Oklahoma City area and played college football at Oklahoma State University . Following the 2011 NFL Draft , Bailey signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent . Early years . Born in Oklahoma City , Bailey grew up in Mustang , Oklahoma and attended Southwest Covenant School where he was an all - state and all - conference kicker and a first - team all - city punter ( as selected by The Oklahoman ) . As a senior , Bailey had 51 touchback s in 61 kickoffs . He holds high school ' s records for longest field goal ( 50 yards ) , most field goals in a season ( seven ) and career ( 14 ) . He was also an individual state champion golfer . Bailey graduated from Southwest Covenant as valedictorian of the class of 2007 . College career . As a freshman in 2007 , Bailey made 20 of 20 extra point kicks but only two of four field goals . Bailey made field goals from 27 and 28 yards and missed two attempts beyond 40 yards . Until the 2008 Holiday Bowl , Bailey made 10 consecutive field goals in his sophomore year ( 2008 ) . With a 78 . 9 % field goal conversion rate ( 15 for 19 ) this season , Bailey was second in the Big 12 Conference in field goal percentage . Bailey made a career - long 45 - yarder in the 2008 Holiday Bowl , a 42 - 31 loss to Oregon . Bailey made 46 of 46 extra point attempts and 13 of 18 field goals in 2009 as a junior . In the October 17 game , a 33 - 17 win over Missouri , Bailey made 4 of 4 field goals , including a career - long 51 - yarder . In 2010 , Bailey made 24 of 28 field goals and 65 of 66 extra points . He won the Lou Groza Award for the nation ' s top kicker following the season . He earned the Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Year award . Oklahoma State won the December 2010 Alamo Bowl 36 - 10 over Arizona , and Bailey made three of three field goals in that game : from 40 , 50 , and 44 yards . Dallas Cowboys . 2011 . Bailey was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft on July 25 , 2011 . Against the San Francisco 49ers after missing a chip shot attempt earlier in the game , Bailey made a 48 yard field goal to send the game into overtime and the eventual game winner from 19 yards out . In the Cowboys ' Week 3 18 – 16 win over the Washington Redskins , he tied a rookie record by converting six field goals ( accounting for all of Dallas ' points ) . This was the first time since 2001 that the Cowboys won a game without scoring a touchdown and the sixth in club history . He became the third rookie in NFL history to make six field goals in a game . Garo Yepremian made six of eight Nov . 13 , 1966 , for the Detroit Lions , and Jeff Reed made all six Dec . 1 , 2002 , for the Pittsburgh Steelers . This performance earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors . Bailey would go on to complete one of the best kicking seasons in franchise and league history by a rookie , making 32 - of - 37 ( 86 . 5 % ) field goals , setting a Cowboys rookie record for most field goals made in a season ( 32 ) and in a game ( 6 ) , tied Chris Boniol for the second - most consecutive field goals made ( 26 ) in club history and was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All - Rookie team . On November 20 ( Week 11 ) , Bailey kicked his first game - winning field goal , a 39 - yard kick in overtime to help the Cowboys beat the Redskins 27 - 24 . Bailey missed a potential game - winning 49 - yard field goal on the December 4 ( Week 13 ) game against the Arizona Cardinals . With the game tied at 13 and 6 seconds left in the fourth quarter , Cowboys coach Jason Garrett called a time - out before the snap , but Bailey ' s kick was good . Following the time - out , Bailey kicked the field goal short and to the left . In overtime , the Cardinals won 19 - 13 on a touchdown by LaRod Stephens - Howling . On December 11 ( Week 14 ) , however , in a game against the New York Giants with the Cowboys trailing 37 - 34 , Bailey ' s first attempt at a game - tying 47 - yard field goal was interrupted when Giants coach Tom Coughlin called a time - out , effectively icing the kicker . Bailey ' s first kicked ball did go through the uprights . However , Giants defensive end Jason Pierre - Paul blocked Bailey ' s kick after the Giants timeout . 2012 . Bailey converted three field goals with distances of 32 , 26 , and 22 yards in Week 3 ( September 23 ) , a 16 - 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . His last field goal in the game put Dallas up 16 - 7 , a two - possession lead with 2 : 47 left . Dallas lost the Week 6 ( October 14 ) game 31 - 29 to the Baltimore Ravens after Bailey missed a last - second 51 - yard field goal . With 32 seconds left , Tony Romo made a 4 - yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant , but because the following two - point conversion failed , Bailey had to make an onside kick . Dallas recovered the kick , but Bailey ' s 51 - yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with six seconds remaining . The following game ( Week 7 , October 21 ) against the Carolina Panthers , Bailey kicked 28 - and 38 - yard field goals within the final 4 minutes in Dallas ' 19 - 14 victory . In the Week 11 ( November 18 ) 23 - 20 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns , Bailey made the tying 32 - yard field goal with 2 seconds left in regulation and the winning 38 - yard field goal in overtime . After trailing the Cincinnati Bengals 19 - 10 with 6 : 35 left , Dallas beat Cincinnati 20 - 19 in Week 14 ( December 9 ) . The fourth quarter comeback consisted of a touchdown pass from Tony Romo and a last - second 40 - yard field goal by Bailey . In the Week 15 game on December 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , Bailey hit a game - winning 21 - yard field goal following a 36 - yard interception return by Brandon Carr . In overtime , the Cowboys won 27 - 24 . This win kept the Cowboys ' postseason hopes alive .