College Football: Former Abilene Christian great Ove Johansson dies at age 75 in Amarillo
Ove Johansson, who kicked the longest field goal in football history, died Saturday in Amarillo at age 75.
Johansson kicked a 69-yard field goal in Abilene Christian’s 17-0 homecoming victory over East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce) on Oct. 16, 1976, at Shotwell Stadium.
It’s still the longest field goal in an American football game at any level.
A memorial service for the 1977 ACU graduate will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 12 at Central Church of Christ in Amarillo.
Johansson, who was inducted to the ACU Sports Hall of Fame's centennial class in 2006, played one season at ACU, after helping Davis and Elkins College reach the NAIA men’s soccer national championship game in 1974.
He was a senior walk-on in his sixth American football game when he kicked the record field goal for the Wildcats, who played in the NAIA Lone Star Conference at the time.
The 29-year-old Sweden native was the second oldest player selected in NFL Draft history when the Houston Oilers took him in the 12th round in 1977.
Johansson played for Houston, Philadelphia and Dallas in his short NFL career.
Johansson was a prominent business leader in Amarillo and a popular motivational speaker. He and his wife, April (Bankes) Johansson, have two children — daughter Annika and son Stefan.
More: College football NFL Justin Tucker's 66 yard field goal is 3 yards short of Ove Johansson's kick for ACU in 1976
More: College Football ACU Abilene's Wally Bullington: They don't make 'em like him anymore
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Former Abilene Christian football legend Ove Johansson dies at age 75
