 Gould with theSan Francisco 49ers in 2017 | |||||||||||||
| No. 9, 5 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1982-12-06)December 6, 1982 (age 42) Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Central Mountain (Mill Hall, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||||
| College | Penn State (2001–2004) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2005: undrafted | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Robert Paul Gould III (/ˈɡoʊld/GOLD; born December 6, 1982) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aplacekicker for 18 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) with theChicago Bears,New York Giants andSan Francisco 49ers. He playedcollege football for thePenn State Nittany Lions and was signed by theNew England Patriots as anundrafted free agent in 2005. Gould played with the Bears from 2005 to 2015, earning first-teamAll-Pro andPro Bowl honors in 2006, and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Gould ranks as the ninth-most accurate placekicker in NFL history and never missed afield goal orextra point in the postseason, converting all 29 field goal attempts and all 39 extra point attempts.[1] He finished his career as the 10thall-time leading scorer in NFL history.
Gould was born to Cheryl and Robert Gould inJersey Shore, Pennsylvania.[2] His father was a three-timeAll-Americansoccer player who ledLock Haven University to aDivision II national championship in 1980,[3] and was drafted by theSt. Louis Steamers in the early 1980s.[4] Gould attendedCentral Mountain High School inMill Hall, Pennsylvania, where he won letters infootball, soccer, basketball, and track.[5]
Gould was originally interested in pursuing professional soccer while still in high school. Choosing football instead, he asked his principal to send a letter of recommendation toPenn State University head football coachJoe Paterno, who invited him to try out as a freshmanwalk-on.[3] Gould enrolled at Penn State, where he played for theNittany Lions football team and earned a degree in business management.[6] In four years with the Nittany Lions, he converted 115 of 121 extra point attempts and 39 of 61 field goal attempts.[7]
| Year | Team | G | XPM | XPA | XP% | FGM | FGA | FG% | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Penn State | 11 | 29 | 29 | 100.0 | 6 | 10 | 60.0 | 47 |
| 2002 | Penn State | 13 | 42 | 45 | 93.3 | 17 | 22 | 77.3 | 93 |
| 2003 | Penn State | 12 | 22 | 24 | 91.7 | 9 | 16 | 56.3 | 49 |
| 2004 | Penn State | 11 | 22 | 23 | 95.7 | 7 | 13 | 53.8 | 43 |
| Career | 47 | 115 | 121 | 95.0 | 39 | 61 | 63.9 | 232 | |
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||
| Values fromPro Day[8] | ||||||||||||
After going undrafted in the2005 NFL draft, Gould was signed as a free agent by the defendingSuper Bowl championNew England Patriots prior to the 2005 NFL preseason — even though they already had established Super Bowl-winning placekickerAdam Vinatieri.[9] Following his preseason release from the Patriots, Gould signed with theBaltimore Ravens only to be waived three weeks later. He then found construction work with M&R Contracting inMill Hall, Pennsylvania.[10]
TheChicago Bears signed Gould on October 8, 2005, following the Week 3 injury of their starting kicker,Doug Brien.[11] Gould kicked his first NFL field goal the next week in a 20–10 road loss against theCleveland Browns, and his first game-winner in Week 9 against theNew Orleans Saints.[12][13] He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against the Saints.[14] In his rookie season, Gould appeared in 13 games and converted 19 of 20 extra point attempts and 21 of 27 field goal attempts.[15]
Gould kicked 26 consecutive field goals in2006, breaking former Bears' kickerKevin Butler's record of most consecutive field goals and winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 16 against theDetroit Lions and NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October 2006 in the process.[16] He was also named to the 2006 All-Pro team by theAssociated Press. In addition, NFL fans across the nation voted Gould the NFC's kicker for the2007 Pro Bowl.[17] His 25-yard overtime field goal against theTampa Bay Buccaneers gave the Bears home-field advantage throughout the ensuing playoffs.[18] On January 14, 2007, his 49-yard field goal in overtime against theSeattle Seahawks gave the Bears their first divisional playoff win since 1988, advancing them to theNFC Championship, which they defeated theNew Orleans Saints by a score of 39–14.[19][20] The Bears later lostSuper Bowl XLI to theIndianapolis Colts by a score of 29–17.[21][22] He earned First Team All-Pro honors.[23]
In the 2007 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 33 extra point attempts and 31 of 36 field goal attempts.[24]
In 2008, Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December 2008 after making all eight of his field-goal attempts including two more overtime game-winners, becoming the fourth kicker of overtime game-winning field goals in back-to-back games in NFL history. He converted 26 of 29 field-goal attempts (89.7 percent) in 2008, breaking his own franchise single-season record for accuracy. Going into the 2009 season, he had converted 84.8 percent of his career field goal attempts.[25]
On May 12, 2008, he signed a five-year extension with the Bears that would keep him on the team through the 2013 season.[26] The contract, reportedly worth $15.5 million, included a $4.25 millionsigning bonus and made Gould the NFL's highest-paid kicker.[27]
In the 2009 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 33 extra point attempts and 24 of 28 field goal attempts.[28]
In the 2010 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 35 extra point attempts and 25 of 30 field goal attempts.[29]
In the 2011 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 37 extra point attempts and 28 of 32 field goal attempts.[30]
In the 2012 season, Gould made his tenth career game-winning field goal against theCarolina Panthers in Week 8, and his ten consecutive field goals from 50 yards or more without a miss was second behindTony Zendejas.[31] Before pregame warm-ups during Week 14 against theMinnesota Vikings, Gould strained his left calf. After limited play during the game, he was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the year.[32] On the year, he converted all 33 extra point attempts and 21 of 25 field goal attempts in 13 games.[33]
In the 2013 regular season opener against theCincinnati Bengals, Gould made a 58-yard field goal late in the first half, setting the Bears record for longest field goal and tying him with Zendejas for most consecutive 50+-yard field goals without a miss with eleven.[34] During Week 13 against theMinnesota Vikings, Gould missed a career-high two field goals, tying his two missed kicks in 2006 against theSt. Louis Rams;[35] the two field goals were a 66-yarder, which would have broken the NFL record for longest field goal converted, and a 47-yarder in overtime.[36] On December 27, Gould signed a four-year extension with the Bears worth $15 million, with $9 million guaranteed, the most by a kicker.[37] Gould ended the 2013 season converting 26 of 29 field goal attempts and 45 of 46 extra points for a total of 123 points scored.[38] Gould became the second player in Bears history to record 1,000 points, with 1,025, 91 points behindKevin Butler.[39] Gould's seven seasons with at least 100 points is aChicago Bears record.[40]
In the 2014 season, Gould appeared in 12 games and converted 28 of 29 extra point attempts and nine of 12 field goal attempts.[41] He suffered a quad injury which cost him some time.[42]
In Week 4 of the 2015 season, Gould converted a go-ahead 49-yard field goal to put the Bears up 22–20 over theOakland Raiders.[43] Gould earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time since the 2006 season.[44] In Week 5 against theKansas City Chiefs, Gould became the Bears' all-time scoring leader with 1,118 points, overtakingKevin Butler's record by two, with a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter.[45] At the end of the season, Gould had made 33 field goals, the most ever for a Bears kicker in a single season and the second-most in the NFL.[46][47] He concluded the year having converted 33 of 39 field goals for an 84.6 percentage, 19th in the league,[48] and leading the Bears in scoring with 127 points.[49] However, he struggled during the later portion of the season, missing two field goals against theSan Francisco 49ers and a potential game-tying kick against theWashington Redskins,[50] with a combined two of five field goals converted in those two games.[51]
In 2016, Gould was awarded theEd Block Courage Award.[52] He was released by the Bears in a cost-saving move on September 4, 2016. The change occurred just one week before their first regular season game, and after a preseason where he had made 5 of 6 field goal attempts but missed two extra-point attempts, one of which was the result of a bad snap.[53] Gould, the longest-tenured player for the Bears, ended his career in Chicago as the team's all-time leader in career points (1,207), field goals made (276), and career field goals of at least 50 yards (23).[51]
In the wake ofJosh Brown's domestic abuse investigation, Gould was signed by theNew York Giants on October 20, 2016.[54] Gould took the number 5 because Giants' punterBrad Wing already had his preferred 9. He kicked his first field goal for the Giants against theLos Angeles Rams On October 23.[55] In the November 20 game against theChicago Bears, Gould kicked a 46-yard field goal but missed two extra point attempts against his former team.[56] He kicked four field goals against thePhiladelphia Eagles on December 22.[57] Gould was 10 for 10 on field goals for the Giants.[58][59]
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On March 9, 2017, Gould signed a two-year contract with theSan Francisco 49ers.[60]
In his 49ers debut, Gould kicked a 44-yard field goal against theCarolina Panthers during a 23–3 loss.[61] Three weeks later, he kicked five field goals against theArizona Cardinals.[62] During a Week 13 road game against his former team, theChicago Bears, Gould kicked five field goals to lift the 49ers to a narrow 15–14 road victory.[63] He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[64] In the next game, Gould kicked four field goals against theHouston Texans as the 49ers won on the road by a score of 26–16.[65] The following week, he booted six field goals, including a 45-yard game winner as time expired in a narrow 25–23 victory over theTennessee Titans, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[66] The last time a 49ers kicker made six field goals in a game was in 1996 byJeff Wilkins.[67] In the month of December, Gould earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors.[68]
Gould finished the season third in scoring with 145 points from 28 extra points and 39 field goals converted.[69][70] He was voted as an alternate to the2018 Pro Bowl.[71]
During Week 2, Gould kicked three field goals, including a 36-yard game-winner, in a 30–27 victory over theDetroit Lions, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.[72] During Week 15, Gould converted all four field-goal attempts, including a 36-yard game-winner in overtime, in a 26–23 victory over theSeattle Seahawks, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.[73] Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December.[74] Overall, in the 2018 season, Gould converted 27 of 29 extra point attempts and 33 of 34 field goal attempts.[75]
On February 26, 2019, the 49ers placed the franchise tag on Gould.[76] On April 24, Gould requested a trade from San Francisco.[77] However, on July 15, Gould and the 49ers reached an agreement on a four-year, $19 million extension with $10.5 million guaranteed.[78]
In the 2019 season, Gould converted 41 of 42 extra point attempts and 23 of 31 field goal attempts.[79] He contributed to two wins by kicking a game-winning field goal, one in Week 14 against theNew Orleans Saints and one in Week 16 against theLos Angeles Rams.[80][81] For his game against the Rams, Gould earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.[82] For the month of December, he earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors.[83]
DuringSuper Bowl LIV, Gould's secondSuper Bowl and tenth NFL playoff game, Gould made both of his field goals, raising his career playoff totals to 15-for-15. However, the 49ers lost 31–20 to theKansas City Chiefs.[84][85]
During Week 12 against theLos Angeles Rams, Gould hit the 42-yard game winning field goal in the 23–20 road victory.[86] He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[87]
On December 30, 2020, Gould and the 49ers agreed to a two-year, $7.25 million extension.[88] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on the same day,[89] and activated on January 14, 2021.[90] Gould finished the 2020 season converting 36 of 38 extra point tries and 19 of 23 field goal tries.[91]
On October 5, 2021, Gould was placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury before Week 4.[92] He was activated on November 6.[93]
In the regular-season finale against theLos Angeles Rams, Gould had to take over punting duties in addition to kicking duties afterpunterMitch Wishnowsky suffered a concussion in the first half of the game. Gould punted twice for 90 yards and made two field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to help the 49ers win 27–24 and clinch a playoff berth.[94] For his performance, Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[95] In the 2021 season, he converted 39 of 40 extra point attempts and 20 of 23 field goal attempts.[96]
During theDivisional Round, Gould kicked the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired to upset the top-seededGreen Bay Packers 13–10 on the road and advance the 49ers to theNFC Championship Game. This put Gould at a perfect 20-for-20 on field goal attempts in the playoffs for his career.[97]
During the season-opener, Gould kicked a 25-yard field goal and made his sole extra point attempt in a 19–10 road loss to his former team, the Bears. In the next game against theSeattle Seahawks, Gould made two out of three field goal attempts and made all three extra point attempts during the 27–7 victory. Three weeks later against theCarolina Panthers, he made one of two field goals and all three extra point attempts in the 37–15 victory. During Week 10 against theLos Angeles Chargers, Gould made all three of his field goals and one of two extra point attempts in the 22–16 victory. Three weeks later, Gould made all four of his field goals and all three of his extra-point attempts in a 33–17 victory over theMiami Dolphins.[98]
In the Wild Card game against the Seahawks, Gould made all four of his field goals and all three of his extra-point attempts in a 41–23 victory. In the Divisional Round against theDallas Cowboys, Gould was the main factor in the 49ers' game, as he made all four of his field goals and his sole extra-point attempt, contributing 13 points to the 19–12 victory.[99] He was not used as much in the NFC Championship Game against thePhiladelphia Eagles, in which his only kicking attempt was a successful extra-point attempt.
Gould made 27 out of 32 field goals and 50 out of 51 extra-point attempts during the season.[100]
On March 4, 2023, Gould announced that he would depart from San Francisco after six seasons and play somewhere else for the 2023 NFL season.[101] He later said that he wanted to return to the 49ers, but never received an offer from the team, commenting, "The change wasn't my decision. Obviously, at the end of the season, they had to make a decision, and ultimately they wanted to go in a different direction."[102]
On December 7, 2023, Gould announced his retirement from professional football.[103] He retired having made 86.5% of his field goals, the ninth-most accurate stat in NFL history, and having never missed a single field goal or extra point attempt in the postseason.[104] Gould is also the 10thall-time leading scorer in NFL history.[105] After his retirement, the Bears marked Gould 62nd on their100 greatest Bears of All-Time list.
On February 23, 2024, Gould was hired as the head football coach atRolling Meadows High School in Illinois.[106] He resigned on December 3, after the team went 5–5 in his first season.[107]
On December 10, 2024, Gould was hired as the head football coach atSt. Viator High School inArlington Heights, Illinois.[108]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Kickoffs | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lng | FGM | FGA | Pct | XPM | XPA | Pct | KO | Avg | TB | ||||
| 2005 | CHI | 13 | 45 | 21 | 27 | 77.8 | 19 | 20 | 95.0 | 54 | 61.4 | 1 | 82 |
| 2006 | CHI | 16 | 49 | 32 | 36 | 88.9 | 47 | 47 | 100.0 | 95 | 65.0 | 11 | 143 |
| 2007 | CHI | 16 | 49 | 31 | 36 | 86.1 | 33 | 33 | 100.0 | 79 | 58.8 | 3 | 126 |
| 2008 | CHI | 16 | 48 | 26 | 29 | 89.7 | 41 | 41 | 100.0 | 79 | 64.9 | 9 | 119 |
| 2009 | CHI | 16 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 85.7 | 33 | 33 | 100.0 | 73 | 65.0 | 8 | 105 |
| 2010 | CHI | 16 | 54 | 25 | 30 | 83.3 | 35 | 35 | 100.0 | 77 | 63.5 | 16 | 110 |
| 2011 | CHI | 16 | 57 | 28 | 32 | 87.5 | 37 | 37 | 100.0 | 81 | 63.2 | 43 | 121 |
| 2012 | CHI | 13 | 54 | 21 | 25 | 84.0 | 33 | 33 | 100.0 | 66 | 65.2 | 38 | 96 |
| 2013 | CHI | 16 | 58 | 26 | 29 | 89.7 | 45 | 46 | 97.8 | 89 | 58.7 | 38 | 123 |
| 2014 | CHI | 12 | 45 | 9 | 12 | 75.0 | 28 | 29 | 96.6 | 53 | 60.0 | 21 | 55 |
| 2015 | CHI | 16 | 55 | 33 | 39 | 84.6 | 28 | 29 | 96.6 | 83 | 60.3 | 39 | 127 |
| 2016 | NYG | 10 | 47 | 10 | 10 | 100.0 | 20 | 23 | 87.0 | 43 | 62.1 | 19 | 50 |
| 2017 | SF | 16 | 52 | 39 | 41 | 95.1 | 28 | 30 | 93.3 | 4 | 25.3 | 0 | 145 |
| 2018 | SF | 16 | 53 | 33 | 34 | 97.1 | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 4 | 25.5 | 0 | 126 |
| 2019 | SF | 13 | 47 | 23 | 31 | 74.2 | 41 | 42 | 97.6 | 1 | 37.0 | 0 | 110 |
| 2020 | SF | 15 | 52 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 36 | 38 | 94.7 | 13 | 44.4 | 1 | 93 |
| 2021 | SF | 13 | 52 | 20 | 23 | 87.0 | 39 | 40 | 97.5 | 19 | 63.3 | 8 | 99 |
| 2022 | SF | 17 | 51 | 27 | 32 | 84.4 | 50 | 51 | 98.0 | 95 | 63.0 | 47 | 131 |
| Career | 266 | 58 | 447 | 517 | 86.5 | 620 | 636 | 97.5 | 1,008 | 61.9 | 302 | 1,961 | |
| Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Kickoffs | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lng | FGM | FGA | Pct | XPM | XPA | Pct | KO | Avg | TB | ||||
| 2005 | CHI | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 100.0 | 4 | 59.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2006 | CHI | 3 | 49 | 6 | 6 | 100.0 | 9 | 9 | 100.0 | 18 | 63.2 | 1 | 27 |
| 2010 | CHI | 2 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 100.0 | 9 | 64.4 | 1 | 7 |
| 2016 | NYG | 1 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 4 | 58.8 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 | SF | 3 | 54 | 7 | 7 | 100.0 | 9 | 9 | 100.0 | — | — | — | 30 |
| 2021 | SF | 3 | 53 | 6 | 6 | 100.0 | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | 12 | 62.8 | 6 | 23 |
| 2022 | SF | 3 | 50 | 8 | 8 | 100.0 | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | 16 | 62.9 | 4 | 29 |
| Career | 16 | 54 | 29 | 29 | 100.0 | 39 | 39 | 100.0 | 63 | 62.7 | 12 | 126 | |
Despite the difference in spelling, his surname ("Gould") uses the same pronunciation as the element (gold): "gōld". This has prompted some announcers to make announcements such as "Robbie Gould is gold", "Solid Gould" or "Good as Gould" upon his successful field goal attempts.[113]
Gould's younger brother,Chris, was a kicker for theUniversity of Virginia and in theArena Football League, and is currently an assistant special teams coach for theLos Angeles Chargers.[114] The two also have a cousin, Brandon Thomas Gould, who played on the offensive line forBethune-Cookman University.
On December 1, 2013, Gould's wife Lauren gave birth to their first child, a son.[115]
Gould started The Goulden Touch Foundation in 2011 to help those in need. In 2012, The Goulden Touch launched an annual event, "Kicking Hunger," which provides meals and raises funds for theNorthern Illinois Food Bank.[116][117]
When asked what Gould would like to do upon retiring from football, he said, "I went to Penn State and graduated with a business management degree. I would love to run a huge corporation at some time. Obviously I'm going to take baby steps. I'm going to play in the NFL as long as they will let me play but I've done a pretty good job trying to set myself up for that transition out of football. Whether it's starting to co-host a radio show on ESPN100 or doing Monday morning call-ins after the games with one of the local radio stations or interning with buddies of mine who own huge companies."[6]
Media related toRobbie Gould at Wikimedia Commons