Vince Abbott

Vincent Steven Abbott (born May 31, 1958) is a former American football player. Born in London, Abbott played at the University of Washington, then transferred to Fullerton State, and went undrafted in 1981. He played for the USFL for the Los Angeles Express in 1983. After being cut in five previous attempts, he managed to win an NFL job with the San Diego Chargers, during the 1987 pre-season, beating out veteran kicker Rolf Benirschke.

In his first NFL game, the 1987 season opener in Kansas City against the Kansas City Chiefs, Abbott successfully made two out of three field goals, a thirty-two yarder and a thirty-three yarder, the second tying the game at 13 with just over three minutes to play. He would not make an appearance again until the season's seventh game, when he missed two early field goals in a key game against the Cleveland Browns. Nevertheless, he successfully converted a twenty-yard kick with 1:46 remaining in the game, tying the score at 24 apiece, and he was able to convert a 33-yard overtime kick to secure victory for the Chargers, 27-24. That kick lifted the Chargers to 6-1, their best start since their first season in 1961, and put them in first place in their division. Three field goals each against the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams made the difference in narrow victories, and helped keep the Chargers momentum going as they ran their record to 8-1.

Although the Chargers would fade, losing their final six games to miss the playoffs, Abbott retained his kicking duties into 1988, having finished the 1987 with a 13 for 22 field goal, with seven of his misses coming from beyond forty yards. Abbott played in 12 games during 1988, for a Chargers team that went 6-10, and converted 8 out of 12 field goals. This was his last season in the NFL; he ended his career with exactly 100 total points, and a 61% field goal percentage.

Vince appeared with his family on Family Feud in 1983. His team was defeated by a family that eventually retired undefeated. Three years later, he and his wife Sarah appeared on The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime, but lost out to George and Kim Brittan, who would eventually go on to win the title prize.