Lawrence Tynes

Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001. After 4 seasons in Kansas City, he was traded to the Giants in 2007. In his first season with the Giants, he kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Green Bay Packers in the 2007-08 NFC Championship Game, which qualified the Giants for Super Bowl XLII. Four years later, he kicked another overtime field goal against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011-12 NFC Championship Game, which qualified the Giants for Super Bowl XLVI. He has experienced his best success in New York, winning two Super Bowl championships in 2007 and 2011.

Tynes is the only player in NFL history to have two overtime game-winning field goals in the playoffs. Tynes kicked the longest post-season field goal in Lambeau Field post-season history (47 yards) in the 2007 NFC Championship and added a 31 yard field goal in OT to advance the NY Giants in the 2011 NFC Championship game.

Early years
Tynes attended Milton High School in Milton, Florida along with professional golfer and classmate, Bubba Watson.

College career
Tynes attended Troy State University (now simply Troy University), graduating with a degree in criminal justice, and holds school records for career field goals (45), and points (262).

First stint with Chiefs
Tynes originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Kansas City in 2001. He also played in 10 games for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 2002.

Ottawa Renegades
Tynes joined the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League in 2003. Tynes holds Renegades records for most field goals in a single game (6) and most field goals in a single season (51).

Second stint with Chiefs
Tynes' 82.3% field goal percentage and strong leg earned him another tryout with the Chiefs. He replaced the aging Morten Andersen as the Chiefs' kicker for the 2004 NFL season. In 2004, Tynes made 17 of 23 field goals and 58 of 60 extra points, also handling kickoff duties.

New York Giants
After a sub-par 2006 season with the Chiefs, Tynes was traded to the New York Giants on May 22, 2007 for a conditional draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He competed with and beat out Josh Huston for the Giants' placekicking job. Tynes became the first player to score NFL points at the new Wembley Stadium when the Giants played the Miami Dolphins in London on October 28, 2007.

Tynes missed two potential game-winning field goals against the Green Bay Packers in the 2007-2008 NFC Championship Game. He connected on a third in overtime, scoring from 47 yards and sending the Giants to Super Bowl XLII. This crucial play was later called "Tynes' Redeemer" and "Third Tynes the Charm." The game-winning field goal was the longest kicked in postseason history at Lambeau Field. Tynes scored the first and last points (5 points in total — including 1 field goal) in the New York Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory. Tynes, who was going to be a free agent in the 2008 offseason, signed a five-year, $7 million contract with the Giants on February 11, 2008.

He did not play in the 2008 season opener against the Washington Redskins due to a knee injury. Tynes later said that he would return in Week 5 of the regular season but did not do so. In week 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he returned as a kickoff specialist, handling only kickoff duties, while John Carney remained as the place kicker. In week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, Tynes was the only Giants kicker in uniform, as he booted a field goal and three point after touchdowns. However, in week 12 versus the Arizona Cardinals, Tynes was once again handling the kickoffs and Carney the field goals.

On September 20, 2009, Tynes kicked the game-winning field goal to give the Giants a 33–31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the inaugural regular season game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. On January 22, 2012, Tynes kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers after a fumble by Kyle Williams to send the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI.

Personal
Since joining the Giants, Tynes and his family have lived in Clifton, New Jersey. He and his wife, Amanda, make their offseason home in the Kansas City area in Overland Park, Kansas, where their sons were born.

Tynes is the seventh Scottish-born player in NFL history and the first to have won a Super Bowl ring. Only two other British (British-born) players have won a Super Bowl: Scott McCready and Tynes' Super Bowl XLII teammate, Osi Umenyiora.

Lawrence Tynes is the son of a former Navy SEAL and a Scottish mother. He lived in Greenock and Machrihanish, Argyll until he was 10 before moving to the United States. His father, Larry, was a member of SEAL Team 2 stationed in Scotland in the early 1970s. He is currently a detective in the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's department in Milton, Florida. One of his brothers, Jason, served in the United States Army in Iraq and Kuwait. His other brother, Mark Tynes, is serving 27 years in federal prison on drug and witness intimidation charges stemming from his 2004 involvement in a plan to move 3600 lb of marijuana between Texas and Florida. Tynes has sought a presidential pardon to shorten or commute his brother's sentence. He has acknowledged his brother's guilt but feels the sentence was too harsh. However, during all proceedings in Mark Tynes' trial, Mark was belligerent and uncooperative. The judge who presided at the case had parameters in which to sentence Mark and, because of his foul and unruly behavior, gave Mark the maximum sentence. Tynes also enjoys soccer and supports Scottish Premier League Champions Celtic who are based in Glasgow.