Greg Zuerlein – Bio, Height, Spouse, Nicknames, Salary

Quick Facts

Greg Zuerlein can be described as a veteran in the game of American football. This NFL star plays the role of a kicker for the Los Angeles Rams having joined the team many years ago. Before starting his NFL career in 2012, he had his college career at the University of Nebraska Omaha and the Missouri Western State University. He got drafted by the Rams back in 2012 and has remained with the franchise ever since. For the 2017 season, Zuerlein earned the first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honours of his professional career. The NFL star helped his team reach the Super Bowl LIII of 2019, another first for his career.

Greg Zuerlein Bio (Nicknames)

Greg Zuerlein was born in 1989 on the 27th day of December. He is best known by teammates and fans by the monikers “Greg the Leg” or “Legatron”. He was born in Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska. Greg attended Lincoln Pius X High School where he lettered in football and soccer. Among other notable achievements of his high school football career, the talented player earned Nebraska All-State and All-Class honours both in his junior and senior years.

Zuerlein had the first 3 seasons of his college career at the University of Nebraska Omaha. There, the talented player set a school record of 61 consecutive points after touchdown (PATs), converting 19 of 26 field goal attempts. However, he missed out on the 2010 season owing to a hip injury. The football program of the University of Nebraska Omaha was halted in 2011 and consequently, Greg Zuerlein transferred to Missouri Western State University for his final season of college football.

With the Missouri Western Griffons football team, he set an NCAA Division II record of 21 consecutive field goals including nine that were up to 50 yards or more and which also included two 58-yard field goals. He also posted an NCAA record .952 field goal percentage by converting 23 of 24 attempts, the highest among players with 12 attempts or more.

NFL Career

Greg Zuerlein got drafted by the St. Louis Rams in round 6 of the 2012 NFL Draft. His professional career started off on a high note as he broke and created several league and franchise records in his rookie season. He smashed Jeff Wilkins’ 14-year record for the longest successful field goal in the Rams’ franchise history when he hit a 60-yard field goal in a week 4 game opposite the Seattle Seahawks. In the same fixture, he hit a 60-yard field goal and an over 50-yard field goal, becoming the first player to record this feat in the NFL. In the Rams’ week 13 fixture opposite the San Francisco 49ers, Zuerlein hit a 54-yard field goal in overtime which was recorded as the second longest field goal scored in overtime since the NFL began.

Zuerlein maintained a pretty steady run in the NFL as the years rolled by and he eventually hit a major career breakthrough in the 2017 season. He set a franchise record for the highest number of field goals (7) in one game when the Rams faced the Dallas Cowboys on October 1, 2017. Despite missing the last 2 games of the 2017 season due to a back injury, he finished the season as the NFL’s leading scorer with 158 points and 11.3 points per game. This impressive run during the 2017 season earned him his first Pro Bowl selection, as well as 2017 All-Pro honors.

The 2018 season was yet another spectacular one in Greg Zuerlein’s long-running NFL career. Among other highlights of the season, the veteran player was instrumental in the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. After scoring a 48-yard field goal near stoppage time to send the game to extra time, Zuerlein scored a 57-yard game-winning goal in the added minutes which ultimately earned his team a well-deserved spot in the Super Bowl LIII.

Salary

In 2017, Greg Zuerlein signed a 3-year contract extension with the Los Angles Rams. The deal is valued at $6,750,000 with an average annual salary of $2,250,000. His base salary for 2019 is pegged at $2,325,000 and with a signing bonus of $250,000, the NFL star is expected to net a total of $2,575,000.

Spouse

Greg Zuerlein is currently married to his high school sweetheart Megan (née Kreifels). They got married on April 27, 2013, and have 4 children together. Their kids include 2 daughters; Emma, born in 2014 and Morgan, born on June 14, 2015. Their first son Greg Jr. was born in August 2016 and their second son Samuel Gene was born on November 12, 2018.

After graduating from Pius X High School, Megan studied at Hastings College, Nebraska and just like her famous husband, she was a sports star in college. She played as a goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team at Hastings College. Megan Zuerlein later studied Nursing at Creighton University.

Height

Greg Zuerlein stands at an impressive 6 feet (183 cm) above the ground. The veteran NFL star also keeps his physique at a body weight of 87 kg (191 lb). Interestingly, the nicknames “Greg the Leg” and “Legatron” were given to him with respect to his incredible leg power and ability to convert long field goals.

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