Matt Gay

Matt Gay (born March 15, 1994) is an American football placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL).

Matt Gay
refer to caption
Gay with the Buccaneers in 2019
No. 7 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1994-03-15) March 15, 1994
Orem, Utah, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:232 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:Orem (UT)
College:Utah (2017–2018)
NFL Draft:2019 / Round: 5 / Pick: 145
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
NFL records
  • Most 50+ yard field goals in a game: 4
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2023
Field goals made:113
Field goals attempted:129
Field goal %:87.6
Longest field goal:58
Touchbacks:183
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Gay played college football at the University of Utah and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

In March 2023, Gay signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Colts, the largest amount paid to a kicker in a free agent signing made up to that time.

Early life and high school career

Gay was born on March 15, 1994, to John and Suzy Gay. Gay grew up in Orem, Utah, and played both soccer and football at Orem High School, earning first-team honors in both sports.[1] Gay was the first player from Utah to attend the U-17 USA Men's National Team residency program. After graduating in 2012, Gay played two seasons of soccer for the Utah Valley Wolverines.[2]

College career

Prior to the 2017 season, Gay transferred to the Utah Utes football team as a walk-on, becoming the school's seventh consensus All-American.[3] He also won the 2017 Lou Groza Award, being the first Ute to win the award as well as being the school's second-ever finalist.[4] Gay also won the 2017 Vlade Award.[5] That season, he led the nation in field goals and set a new Pac-12 Conference record with 30 field goals.[6] In 2018, Gay set school records for consecutive field goals and field goals in a game, receiving first-team All-Pac-12 honors.[1]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m)		 232 lb
(105 kg)		 30+1⁄2 in
(0.77 m)		 9 in
(0.23 m)
All values from NFL Combine[7][8]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gay was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round, 145th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft.[9] Gay made his professional debut in the Buccaneers' regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. He converted two extra points and one field goal in the loss.[10] On September 22, 2019, against the New York Giants, Gay missed two field goals, one extra point, and had an extra point blocked.[11]

On September 5, 2020, Gay was waived by the Buccaneers after the team signed veteran Ryan Succop.[12]

Indianapolis Colts

On September 15, 2020, Gay was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad.[13] In a roster move he was released on November 6,[14] but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[15]

Los Angeles Rams

On November 17, 2020, Gay was signed off the Colts' practice squad by the Los Angeles Rams to replace injured kicker Kai Forbath.[16] In Week 11 against his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Monday Night Football, Gay was a perfect 3 for 3 on extra point attempts and made two of his three field goal attempts, including the game winner late in the fourth quarter, during the 27–24 win.[17] In 2021, Gay converted 32 of 34 field goal attempts and 48 of 49 points after touchdown, and was named to his first Pro Bowl. In an NFC divisional playoff game, also against the Buccaneers, he went 3 for 3 on extra point kicks and converted three of his four field goal tries, including the game winner from 30 yards out as time expired in a 30–27 victory, which sent the Rams to the NFC Championship Game.[18] He won his first Super Bowl title when the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, converting a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter as well as two points after touchdowns.[19]

On March 15, 2022, the Rams placed an original-round restricted free agent tender on Gay.

In the 2022 season, Gay was reportedly fined $5,000 due to his pants not covering his knees during a 31-10 opening game loss to the Buffalo Bills in which he made a 57-yard field goal to end the half.[20] In week 14, Gay made the game-winning extra point to seal Baker Mayfield's comeback over the Las Vegas Raiders.[21]

Indianapolis Colts (second stint)

On March 17, 2023, Gay signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[22] At the time of the signing, Gay's contract was the largest free-agent contract for a kicker in NFL history.[23] During Week 3, versus the Ravens, Gay became the first kicker in NFL history to hit four 50+ yard field goals in one game, converting from 54, 53, 53, and 53 yards in the Colts 22–19 upset victory.[24][25]

NFL career statistics
Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season
General Field goals PATs Kickoffs Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blck Long XPM XPA XP% KO Avg TBs Pts
2019TB 16273577.1258434889.6114.00124
2020LAR 7141687.50511616100.03563.82858
2021LAR 17323494.1055484998.010261.965144
2022LAR 17283093.3058313296.97762.961115
Career5710111587.825813814595.221562.3154441

Postseason
General Field goals PATs Kickoffs Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blck Long XPM XPA XP% KO Avg TBs Pts
2020LAR 244100.004044100.01165.1616
2021LAR 481080.00461111100.01863.31135
Career6121485.70461515100.02964.01751

Records

NFL records
  • Most 50+ yard field goals in one game: 4 (September 24, 2023, vs. Baltimore Ravens)

Buccaneers franchise records
  • Longest field goal by a rookie kicker - 58 yards (September 29, 2019, vs. Los Angeles Rams)
  • Most successful field goal attempts by a rookie kicker - 27 (tied with Martin Gramatica)
  • Most successful extra point attempts by a rookie kicker - 43
  • Most points scored by a rookie kicker - 124

Personal life

Gay is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a mission in Houston, though it was cut short due to depression.[26] Gay wears the initials "P.O." on a wristband to every game he plays, in honor of his high school teammate Parker Overly, who was killed in a car accident in 2017.[27]

References
  1. "Matt Gay - Football". University of Utah Athletics. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  2. "Matt Gay - 2016 - Men's Soccer". Utah Valley University Athletics. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  3. Worthy, Lynn (December 13, 2017). "Matt Gay set to become Utes' seventh consensus all-America selection". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  4. Facer, Dirk (December 7, 2017). "Utah's Matt Gay wins Lou Groza Award". Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. Decker, Ryan (December 26, 2017). "Bowl Preview: WVU, Utah Battle in Heart of Dallas". West Virginia Illustrated. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  6. Frye, Sean (December 26, 2017). "Utah kicker Matt Gay breaks Pac-12 record for field goals made in a season". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  7. "Matt Gay Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  8. "Matt Gay, Utah, K, 2019 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  9. Sessler, Marc (April 27, 2019). "Buccaneers select kicker Matt Gay in fifth round". National Football League. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  10. "San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - September 8th, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  11. "New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - September 22nd, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  12. Smith, Scott (September 5, 2020). "Matt Gay, A.Q. Shipley Among Cuts to Get to 53". Buccaneers.com.
  13. "Practice Squad Moves: Colts Sign K Matt Gay; Release DE Gerri Green". Colts.com. September 15, 2020.
  14. "Practice Squad Moves: Colts Bring Back RB Darius Jackson; Release K Matt Gay". Colts.com. November 6, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  15. "Colts Activate LB Matthew Adams From IR; Elevate WRs Daurice Fountain & DeMichael Harris To Active Roster; Place WR Ashton Dulin On IR". Colts.com. November 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  16. Jackson, Stu (November 17, 2020). "Rams sign kicker Matt Gay, place three players on IR". TheRams.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  17. "Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - November 23rd, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  18. "Rams at Bucs - Post Game Recap". January 23, 2022.
  19. "Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals - February 13th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  20. Klein, Gary (September 16, 2022). "Rams kicker Matt Gay brought to his knees by uniform fine from NFL". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  21. Treacy, Dan (December 9, 2022). "Raiders vs. Rams final score, results: Baker Mayfield leads stunning comeback in storybook LA debut". Sporting News. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  22. Stankevitz, JJ (March 17, 2023). "Colts sign free agent K Matt Gay". Colts.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  23. Hickey, Kevin (March 17, 2023). "Colts' Matt Gay contract details". USAToday.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  24. "Insider: Kicker Matt Gay's record day puts Colts in first place in AFC South with OT win". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  25. "Colts' Matt Gay is 1st in NFL history to make 4 FGs of 50 yards or longer". ESPN. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  26. Swensen, Jason (Aug. 21, 2019) "Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kicker Matt Gay on Record Field Goal, Relying on God Through His Mission and the NFL," Church News.
  27. "Former Ute honors friend who inspired his journey to LA Rams, Super Bowl". KSLTV.com. February 10, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
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