The Greatest Kansas City Chiefs, By the Numbers: #8

Odds are, you haven't owned a #8 Kansas City Chiefs jersey in your life. Unless you really love kickers. Here are the only three Chiefs to wear the illustrious #8 on the back of their Red & Gold.

• K Morten Anderson (2002-03)
• K Nick Lowery (1983-1993)
• QB Billy Joe Toliver (1997)

A couple things right off the bat. I will always remember Morten Anderson for saying he was going to kick until he was 50-years old; the Monday Night game when Nick Lowery made five field goals; and it's going to take a big time celebrity to not make me think of the lead singer of Green Day wheneverI hear the name Billy Joe.

One quick side note this morning. I'm traveling to a funeral this morning so please give Primetime and the others a hand by chiming in with FanPosts and FanShots.

More on each of these guys, after the jump.

K Morten Anderson (2002-03)

Old man Anderson came to the Chiefs in 2002 after twenty seasons with the Falcons, Saints and Giants. Anderson replaced Todd Peterson on the team, whose 70% accuracy wasn't cutting it anymore. 

The current all time NFL leader in points scored, Anderson was born in Denmark in 1960. He came to the United States when he was 17, never having kicked a football before. After only one season of very impressive kicking at the high school level, Anderson was given a scholarship to Michigan State. After kicking a record 63-yard field goal against Ohio St. and being named an All-American, Anderson was signed by the New Orleans Saints in 1982.

Darn immigrants, taking our jobs!

Morten went 38 of 46 kicking field goals in his two seasons with the Chiefs. His 82.6% average in KC was the best among the five stops he made in his career.

The connection between Morten Anderson and the Chiefs I remember most doesn't involve him as a member of the team.

It was the final day of the 1996 regular season. The 9-6 Chiefs needed a win to even think about a wildcard spot, considering the Broncos went 13-3 to win the West that year. The Chiefs dropped a dud in a 20 to 9 loss to Buffalo in their final regular season game but they weren't out of the playoffs just yet.

As it turned out, the Chiefs'c wildcard chances rested on then Atlanta Falcon Morten Anderson's foot. With time running down against the Jaguars (who were fighting for a wildcard spot of their own), Morten Anderson lined up for a 30-yard field goal to win the game. The ball was snapped, Anderson appeared to slip as he began his kicking motion and the ball sailed wide left.

Jags in. Chiefs out.

K Nick Lowery (1983-1993)

The second greatest kicker in Kansas City Chiefs history, Nick Lowery was a clutch kicker who never made you worry about the kicking game.

For his career in KC, Lowery was 329/410 field goals for an impressive 80.2% average. He made the Pro Bowl three times as a Chief and was named 1st team All Pro twice. His top completion percentages in his career were 91.9% (1990), 91.7% (1993) and 88.9% (1985). That 1990 season was Lowery's best. In addition to his fantastic field goal percentage, he made the most field goals of any season in his career and he was named to the Pro Bowl and 1st team All Pro.

Wikipedia has the run down on Lowery's career accomplishments:

• most field goals all-time (384)
• most accurate all-time (from 1984-1997 Lowery held the all-time accuracy mark for 10 of those 12 years)
• most 50 yard field goals
• most games with 2 or more 50 yarders
• Lowery also held the record for best PAT % since the goal posts were moved back 10 yards and PAT's became 20 yarders, not 10 yarders.
• Lowery received the NFL Players Association's most prestigious humanitarian award, the Byron Whizzer White Award, in 1993.
• Lowery kicked more than 15 game-winners during his career, including in 2 playoff games vs. the Raiders in 1992 and Steelers in 1994, and also kicked the game-winning points in all 3 Pro Bowls in 1982, 1991 and 1993.
• 2007 NFL Hall of Fame nominee

In hindsight what is now the dumbest move perhaps all time by the Chiefs' franchise, the team released Lowery in 1993 to make more room under the salary cap. His replacement - *** ****** - would haunt the franchise for years.

Do you think Nick Lowery misses three field goals against the Colts in that 1996 playoff game?

QB Billy Joe Toliver (1997)

"Oh Billy, Billy, Billy, Billy. Don't let me down Billy."

Mr. Toliver made a brief appearance in Kansas City as a third string quarterback in 1997 after Elvis Grbac went down with a broken collarbone in Week 10. He completed one pass a Chief.

***

Can't say I think this vote is going to be close....