David Akers David Roy Akers ( ; born December 9 , 1974 ) is an American football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Louisville , and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997 . He has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers , Washington Redskins , Berlin Thunder , Philadelphia Eagles , and San Francisco 49ers . He has been selected for the Pro Bowl six times in his career and was at one point tied for the longest field goal in NFL history . Early years . Akers attended Tates Creek High School in Lexington , Kentucky . College career . Akers attended college at the University of Louisville and played for the Louisville Cardinals football team . During his four - year college career , Akers kicked a school - record 36 field goals ( with a long of 51 yards against Texas A & M University ) , and ranks second in Louisville ' s all - time scoring list , with 219 points . Professional career . Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers . Between 1997 and 1998 , as an undrafted free agent , Akers spent time trying to make the team with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers . Washington Redskins . Akers was signed by the Washington Redskins in 1998 and played in one game for them , making two extra point s but missing two field goal attempts of 50 + yards each . He was waived during the 1999 season . Philadelphia Eagles . After Washington cut Akers , the Philadelphia Eagles claimed him off waivers and allocated him to NFL Europe . A solid season with the Berlin Thunder helped him earn the kicking job for the Eagles in 2000 . Akers proved to be one of the biggest special teams surprises in all of the NFL that season . He made 29 out of 33 field goals ( an 87 . 9 % success rate ) , and had a team - record 121 points . Akers earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in November 2000 . He made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2001 as he went 26 - for - 31 , making a team - record seventeen consecutive field goals during the season . Akers ' best statistical season was 2002 when he connected on 30 of 34 field goals ( 88 . 2 % ) , scored a team - record 133 points , and made another Pro Bowl . He got fewer chances in 2003 , but still made 24 of 29 field goals . He made the second - longest field goal in Eagles ' history on September 14 , 2003 , a 57 - yarder against the New England Patriots at the new Lincoln Financial Field ( the only longer field goal in Eagles ' history was Tony Franklin ' s 59 - yard field goal in 1979 . ) In 2004 , Akers continued his consistent kicking with an 84 . 4 % field goal percentage , and he made his third Pro Bowl . Injuries finally got to Akers in 2005 when he tore the hamstring in his non - kicking leg during the opening kickoff against the Oakland Raiders on September 25 , 2005 . Akers left the game , but returned in the second half with a heavily - taped leg to make two extra points and then kick the game - winning 28 - yard field goal before collapsing in pain as his teammates mobbed him . He missed the next four games and finished the season 16 for 22 . In 2006 , Akers was injury - free , but made only 18 of 23 attempts ( 78 . 3 % ) , his second worst season statistically . On December 16 , 2007 , in a 10 - 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys , Akers set the Philadelphia Eagles franchise record for most points and on Thanksgiving in 2008 , Akers passed 1 , 000 career points during a 48 - 20 win over the Arizona Cardinals . On December 7 , 2008 , Akers kicked a 51 - yard field goal at Giants Stadium , his longest of the season . In the same game he had two field goals blocked , one of which was returned for a touchdown . At the end of the 2008 regular season , Akers again set the team single - season scoring record with an NFC - best 144 points . He connected on 33 of 40 field goals ( 82 . 5 pct ) , his best percentage since 2004 . On January 11 , 2009 , Akers kicked three field goals in three attempts during a divisional playoff win over the New York Giants . The second of these set an NFL record for consecutive field goals without a miss during the postseason , previously held by one - time Eagle Gary Anderson . Akers eventually ran his streak to a record 19 consecutive postseason field goal conversions ; it was snapped the very next week against the Arizona Cardinals . Akers currently has thirty - five total postseason field goal conversions . Akers was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl , his fourth . He was also named to the NFL All - Decade Team for the 2000s . After the 2010 season , he was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl . San Francisco 49ers . Akers was signed by the San Francisco 49ers to a $ 9 million , three - year contract on July 29 , 2011 . He kicked a 59 - yard field goal just before halftime in a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on August 12 , 2011 . On September 18 , 2011 , he kicked a 55 - yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys , setting a record for the longest field goal made at Candlestick Park . Akers broke the 49ers ’ record for most points scored in a season in a 20 - 3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday Night Football matchup on December 19 , 2011 . The record was formerly held by the 49ers ’ Hall of Fame wide receiver , Jerry Rice . In that same game against the Seahawks , Akers broke the all - time record for field goals in a season , surpassing Neil Rackers ' 40 in 2005 . On January 1 , 2012 , Akers broke the NFL record for most points by a kicker in a single season against the St . Louis Rams ; he finished with 166 points . In this game , he also extended his NFL record for most field goals made in a single season , finishing with 44 , and threw for a touchdown on a fake field goal . Akers made his sixth Pro Bowl at the end of the season . On September 9 , 2012 , Akers tied the NFL record for the longest field goal by kicking a 63 - yard field goal off the crossbar against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field . The record was originally set by Tom Dempsey and was shared with Jason Elam and Sebastian Janikowski until Broncos kicker Matt Prater broke the record with a 64 - yard field goal on December 8th , 2013 . Akers and Dempsey share the record for purposes of non - altitude assisted field goals . The long field goals by Elam , Janikowski , and Prater were all made in Denver , where the ball has the ability to travel slightly farther in thinner air . Elam kicked his 63 - yard field goal at Mile High Stadium , while the 63 - yarder by Janikowski and the 64 - yarder by Prater were at Sports Authority Field at Mile High . It should be noted in track and field , the IAAF denotes any records set 1 , 000 metres ( about 3 , 937 feet ) or more above sea level as altitude - assisted records , and the Dempsey ( Tulane Stadium ) and Akers ( Lambeau Field ) records were set below the 1 , 000m threshold . The 49ers would advance to the 2013 Super Bowl following the 2012 season , marking Akers ' second appearance in the game . In the Super Bowl , Akers went 3 for 3 in field goal attempts , but San Francisco narrowly lost to the Baltimore Ravens by a 34 - 31 score . On March 6 , 2013 , Akers was released after 2 seasons with the 49ers . Detroit Lions . On April 6 , 2013 , Akers signed with the Detroit Lions who just three days prior had their long time kicker Jason Hanson retire after 21 years with the club . Personal . Akers and his wife , Erika , reside in Medford , New Jersey , with their sons Luke and Sawyer , and daughter Halley . In 2001 , the Akers family formed the David Akers Kicks for Kids Foundation , which has established programs with the Children ' s Hospital of Philadelphia to benefit sick children and their families . He also regularly trains in martial arts such as jiu - jitsu and Shaolin Kempo .