Kai Forbath

Kai August Forbath (born September 2, 1987) is an American football kicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and was recognized as an All-American and the best college kicker in the country in 2009. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

Early years
Forbath was born in Santa Monica, California. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. During his last two prep seasons, he converted 26 of 33 field goal attempts and scored 213 total points, with a long field goal of 57 yards. He also forced touchbacks on 150 of 188 kickoffs. Forbath subsequently earned high school All-American recognition by USA Today.

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Forbath was listed as the No. 1 placekicker in the nation among the class of 2006. He picked UCLA over California, Notre Dame, Oregon, and others.

College career
Forbath attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played for the UCLA Bruins football team from 2006 to 2010. After redshirting his initial year at UCLA, Forbath made 25 of 30 field goals and all 30 points after touchdowns (PATs) for a team-high 105 points in 2007. He became the first UCLA player to record five field goals of at least 50 yards in a season, including a freshman-best 54-yarder versus Oregon. In his sophomore year, Forbath received first-team All-Pacific-10 honors after making 19 of 22 field goals on the season, including his last 13 straight.

As a junior in 2009, he connected on another three field goals from 50 yards or more and has now made 9 of 12 tries from that length. Competing with Leigh Tiffin of Alabama and Blair Walsh of Georgia, Forbath was named the winner of the 2009 Lou Groza Award, recognizing the best college placekicker.

On September 25, 2010, Forbath kicked two field goals in leading the Bruins to an upset victory over the No. 7 ranked Texas Longhorns 34–12 in front of a stadium-record 101,437 fans in Austin, Texas. Previous week, Forbath kicked a 42-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to give the Bruins a 24–3 lead in the game against then-No. 23 Houston. UCLA defeated Houston 31–13. On November 6, 2010, Forbath kicked a game winning 51-yard field goal in the last second of the game to give the Bruins a 17–14 win over Oregon State, and he was named Pac-10 Conference Special Team Player-of-the-Week.

Dallas Cowboys
After being projected as the second-best kicker in the 2011 NFL Draft, Forbath was not selected. However, on August 2, 2011, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie free agent, and was subsequently placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. He was waived on April 16, 2012.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed Forbath off waivers on April 17, 2012. During preseason, Forbath made five out of five field goal attempts, including a successful 55-yard kick.

Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins signed Forbath on October 9, 2012, replacing Billy Cundiff. Forbath made his NFL and Redskins debut in an impressive fashion, knocking through a 50-yarder as his first career NFL field goal in the home game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 14, 2012. He was also a perfect five of five on extra points, as the Redskins defeated the Vikings 38–26. His performance was essential in the Redskins' victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, where he recorded 48 and 49-yard field goals and then a game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime.

On December 23, 2012, Forbath set the NFL record for consecutive field goals to begin a career with 17 in a row, beating Garrett Hartley, who previously held the record at 16. The ball was sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.