Karl's Mailbag 10 By Karl Ravech

Q: What is the record for the longest field goal in the NFL? Amanda from Michigan
A: Amanda two players hold that record. Tom Dempsey in 1970 and Jason Elam in 1998 both kicked 63-yard field goals, more than half the football field. I imagine they had to work pretty hard on their leg strength to kick that far!

Q: Who is the tallest NFL player playing today? Alexis from Louisiana
A: That is a tall order Alexi! Jared Gaither of the Baltimore Ravens and Dennis Roland of the Cincinnati Bengals are currently the tallest players in the NFL. They both stand 6'9" tall!

Q: What football team has been around the longest? Joshua from New York
A: Josh I think this answer might surprise you. The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest football team that is still in operation. The team first played in 1899 in Chicago as the Morgan Athletic Club before the NFL was even started. The name was changed to the Cardinals and the team played in Chicago and later St. Louis before moving to Arizona in 1988.

Q: Why is the University of Alabama football team mascot an elephant? Jessie from Georgia
A: Hi Jessie! Actually, from what I can tell nobody is quite sure exactly how the elephant became the Alabama Crimson Tide mascot. Most people think it happened during the 1930 season in which Alabama won the national championship, most likely after a reporter wrote "hold your horses the elephants are coming" after a win against Ole-Miss. However, Al the Elephant did not become the official team mascot until 1979.

Q: Which pro running back has the most 100 yard games in a single season? Brad from Missouri
A: Great question, Brad. Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions has the most 100 yard games in a single season. He rushed for 100 yards or more in 14 games in 1997. Even more impressive was that he set the record in 14 consecutive games! Barry must've taken really good care of his body to be that consistent throughout the season!

Q: What happens when a punt hits the scoreboard in the new football stadium in Dallas? Steven from Illinois
A: Interesting question Steven. This issue was a big topic of discussion when the NFL season started earlier this year. The NFL has ruled that any ball that hits the screen will be re-kicked and the clock will be reset to the time remaining before the snap. If it is not clear if the ball hit the screen, an official can request a video review at any point during the game.

Q: Who was the quarterback in 1994 on the Cowboys? Luis from Arizona
A: Thanks for your question Luis. Troy Aikman started all 14 games at quarterback for the '94 Dallas Cowboy team that went 10-4. Aikman played with the Cowboys his entire 12 year career and led the team to 3 Super Bowl victories.

Q: How many pro football teams are there? Brooke from Maryland
A: Brooke, the NFL sure has grown quite a bit in size from the original 18 teams that the league started with. There are currently 32 teams in the NFL. The Houston Texans are the newest team, added to the league in 2002.

Be sure to submit your questions to the Karl!

Got a football question? Ask it here and your question may be answered on the site!
First Name:
State:
 
Thanks for asking a question! Your question has been sent.

Do you want to ask another question?