Standing half a football field away and with more than a dozen offensive and defensive linemen blocking his view, Cam Little couldn’t see the ball clear the crossbar.
But when his Jacksonville Jaguars teammates started screaming and scrambling, Little knew the outcome: a 70-yard field goal that he initially thought set an NFL record.
He later learned it wouldn’t count because it happened in a preseason game, a 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.
“It does (stink),” he said. “That means we just have to go out there and make it again.”
Little nailed a 70-yarder to end the first half, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it happened during the regular season.
Little and the Jaguars celebrated widely as the half ended with the Steelers leading 14-9. Holder Logan Cooke lifted both arms shortly after the ball took flight. Little leaned forward a little and then raised an arm when “Logan’s eyes got really big” and it was obviously official.
Cooke pushed Little to start the party, and then rookie sensation Travis Hunter greeted Little on the field with a midair body-bump.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to be kicking 70-yarders in the first quarter or anything like that,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “But unbelievable to see him make that. That’s huge, especially in those two-minute drills. If you can get him near the 50, you got a really good shot. Having a guy like that is a weapon.”
Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker holds the NFL mark, having made a 66-yarder against the Detroit Lions in 2021. Eight kickers have attempted 70-yarders in the regular season, and all of them failed.
Little’s appeared as though it would have been good from nearly 75 yards; it cleared the bar by enough that the ball boy caught it cleanly.
A sixth-round draft pick from Arkansas in 2024, Little made 27 of 29 field-goal attempts as a rookie and all 27 extra points. His long was 59 yards, which tied Josh Scobee’s franchise record. Scobee, coincidentally, was at the exhibition game but told Little he missed it because he went to the bathroom.
Little still hadn’t even seen a replay of the kick even a half hour after the game ended. His phone was blowing up with congratulatory messages and voicemails, so many that was already apologizing for not being able to respond to them all.
He already had one response ready — for anyone asking for the ball. He’s keeping it, even if the Pro Football Hall of Fame calls.
“Heck, yeah,” he said. “Are you kidding me. … That ball is staying with me. Canton, Ohio, can get another ball.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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