25 years to the day after it all started in pro football for Sean Landeta, it has come to an official end.
A career that began in Philadelphia with a USFL team called the Philadelphia Stars has ended with two Super Bowl rings with the N.Y. Giants and a place on the 75th All-Time team as the best punter in Philadelphia Eagles history.
He is that officially the last USFL player to retire from the NFL.
I spoke to Landeta a few minutes ago, and as always, he didn’t make it about him. True to his nature, it was more important for him to thank me for calling to congratulate him, than it was to talk about his amazing career as one of the best punters in NFL history. I’ve known Landeta for years, and whether he’s talking to Joe Namath or a waitress at a restaurant, everyone gets treated as though they are the most important.
But, he was just as good on the field as he is off of it. A student of the game, Landeta respects his craft to the utmost and has no problem breaking down the science of the punt or the stats of his fellow kickers. He wasn’t just a fan of the sport, but a fan of the league as well.
Landeta punted in 284 games and is the only player in NFL history to record 17 straight seasons with a 42-yard average or better. He kicked 1,401 times for 60,707 yards for a 43.3-yard career average, second only to the Colts’ Rohn Stark.
I think it’s well known that the first punter to get into the Hall of Fame has to be the Oakland Raiders’ Ray Guy. I’ve spoken with former NFL players from his era that were surprised he wasn’t already in. The Hall of Fame committee needs to realize that punter is an important position and should have some representation in Canton, starting with Guy.
Landeta, however, shouldn’t be too far behind.
