Louis Roy "The Toe" Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League. Groza was professional football's career kicking and points leader when he retired after the 1967 season. He played in 21 seasons for the Browns, helping the team to win eight league championships in that span. Groza's accuracy and strength as a kicker influenced the development of place-kicking as a specialty; he could kick field goals from beyond 50 yards at a time when attempts from that distance were a rarity. He set numerous records for distance and number of field goals kicked during his career. Groza grew up in an athletic family in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He enrolled at Ohio State University on a scholarship in 1942, but enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to serve in World War II after just one year in college. Groza deployed as an army surgical technician in the Pacific theater, where he stayed until returning in 1946 to play for the Browns. 

January 25th, 1924 in Martins Ferry  /  Died:   Nov 29th, 2000