On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, Hall of Famer Morten Andersen joins Peanut and Roman for an incredible conversation spanning three decades of NFL history, his journey from Denmark to Canton, and the second act that helped him transition after football. Andersen reflects on starting his career alongside players who weren’t even born when he entered the league, kicking through two strikes and three commissioners, and the wild early‑NFL days — including teammates smoking at halftime.
He shares his “welcome to America” moment, how a botched center‑QB exchange made him want to become a kicker, and how he taught himself the craft by studying Jan Stenerud. Andersen breaks down the evolution of kicking, ball prep, narrow goalposts, his four levels of learning, and the student exchange program that brought him to the U.S. He also opens up about choosing Michigan State over returning to Denmark, getting hurt on the opening kickoff of his NFL career, living through the 1982 strike, and the birth of free agency.
The guys dig into his meticulous practice habits, his years in New Orleans, the infamous beefcake poster, and the “pink slip” he sent the Saints after they released him. Andersen reflects on the mental side of kicking, the emotional Katrina game, returning to the NFL after a year away, and the difficulty of retiring before breaking George Blanda’s record — including how therapy helped him through that transition.
The episode closes with his personal Mount Rushmore and his thoughts on Adam Vinatieri’s Hall of Fame future. A global, thoughtful look at one of the most iconic specialists in NFL history — and the second act of a man who kicked his way into immortality.
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
