Matt Prater life and biography

• A fourth-year kicker who has made 55-of-69 field goal attempts in his three seasons with the Broncos for the second-best accuracy rate (.797) in team history.
• Totaled the second-most touchbacks on kickoffs (47) and the sixth-most 50-yard field goals (7) in the NFL during the last two years with the Broncos.
• Owns two AFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards (2008 and ‘09) and one AFC Special Teams Player of the Month recognition (September ‘09) for his NFL career.
• Made 19 of his final 20 field goal attempts in 2009 en route to tying for the fifth-best accuracy rate (.857 / 30-of-35) for a season in club history and becoming the fifth Bronco in team annals to register multiple 100-point seasons (122).
• Set a Broncos single-season record and tied for second in the league with 28 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2009.
• Converted 25-of-34 (.735) field goal attempts and registered his first career 100-point season (114) for Denver in 2008 while also ranking fifth in the NFL with 19 touchbacks on kickoffs.
• Tied the Broncos’ single-season record and ranked fourth in the NFL with five 50-yard field goals, including a career-long 56-yarder as well as two 50-yarders in one game, in 2008.
• Played four games (2 with Atlanta and 2 with Denver) in 2007, kicking off 11 times for 756 yards (68.7 avg.) with five touchbacks while converting 1-of-4 field goal attempts.
• Finished his career at the University of Central Florida tied for first in school history in field goals made (50) and ranked fourth in scoring (258 pts.).
• Joined the Broncos from Miami’s practice squad on Dec. 19, 2007.
• Entered the NFL with the Detroit as a college free agent on May 4, 2006.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS:

Signed by Detroit as a college free agent 5/4/06; Waived by Detroit 8/28/06; Signed by Miami to a future contract 1/4/07; Waived by Miami 8/27/07; Signed by Atlanta 8/30/07; Waived by Atlanta 9/18/07; Signed by Miami (practice squad) 11/14/07; Signed by Denver (active roster) 12/19/07.

Prater has connected on 64 of 78 field goal attempts with the Broncos, which is the best accuracy rate (.818) in team history among kickers with two or more field goals… Totaled the most touchbacks on kickoffs (56) and is tied for the fifth-most 50-yard field goals (8) in the NFL since 2008 when he began his career with the Broncos… His .800 accuracy rate on field goal attempts of 50+ yards is tied for the highest among kickers who began their career since 1970 (minimum 10 attempts)… Tied for fifth in the NFL with a 36.0 touchback percentage in 2010... His nine field goals rank second among kickers that have converted 100 percent of field goal attempts in 2010.

2010: Prater converted a 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of the season opener at Jacksonville (9/12). He also added a pair of extra points. The kicker stayed perfect on the season by hitting a field goal and four extra points in the home opener against Seattle (9/19) and two more field goals and an extra point against Indianapolis (9/26). At Tennessee (10/13), Prater hit all four of his field goal attempts in a 26-20 win. Prater converted a 38-yard field goal attempt and both PAT tries at Baltimore (10/10).

2009: Prater played all 16 games for the Broncos, converting 30-of-35 (.857) field goal attempts along with all 32 extra point attempts while kicking off 77 times for 5,304 yards (68.9 avg.) with 28 touchbacks... Tied for third in the NFL as well as in Broncos history for a year in field goals (30)... Tied for fifth in team history in field goal percentage (.857)... Set a club record and tied for second in the league with 28 touchbacks... Became the fifth Bronco with multiple 100-point seasons with 122 points that tied for seventh in the league... Made 19 of his final 20 field goal attempts... Converted 2-of-3 50-yard attempts... Had one special-teams tackle... Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September after totaling 41 points, converting 9-of-10 field goals and all 14 extra points, in addition to registering seven touchbacks on kickoffs... Made a game-winning 41-yard field goal in overtime vs. N.E. (10/11)... Enjoyed a career night on Thanksgiving vs. NYG (11/26), making all four field goal attempts and posting five touchbacks on kickoffs to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

2008: Prater played all 16 games for Denver in his first full NFL season, converting 25-of-34 (.735) field goal attempts along with 39-of-40 (.975) extra point attempts while kicking off 82 times for 5,387 yards (65.7 avg.) with 19 touchbacks... Had three special-teams tackles...Tied the Broncos’ single-season record and ranked fourth in the NFL with five 50-yard field goals in six attempts... Notched his first 100-point season (114 pts.), becoming the ninth different Bronco to reach that mark... Became the third Bronco—and the first to do so on the road—to hit two 50-yard field goals (56, 51 yds.) in the same game at K.C. (9/28)... 56-yarder against the Chiefs was a career long and tied for the third-longest field goal in Denver annals as well as in the NFL in 2008... Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after making all three field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder, vs. T.B. (10/5).

2007: Prater played four games, seeing action in two games with both Atlanta and Denver... Made 1-of-4 field goal attempts and his lone extra point attempt (all with Atlanta) while kicking off 11 times for 756 yards (68.7 avg.) with five touchbacks... Spent training camp with Miami but was waived on Aug. 27 before signing with Atlanta on Aug. 30... Waived by Atlanta on Sept. 18 before joining Miami’s practice squad on Nov. 14... Signed with Denver’s active roster on Dec. 19.

2006: Prater entered the NFL with Detroit as college free agent on May 4... Waived by Detroit on Aug. 28... Made all four field goal attempts and both extra point attempts in the preseason with the Lions.

COLLEGE:

Prater played 46 career games at the University of Central Florida, finishing his career tied for first in school history in field goals made (50) and ranked fourth in scoring (258 pts.)... Converted 50-of-74 (.676) career field goal attempts with a 53-yard long... Made 17-of-26 (.654) field goal attempts as a senior with a 49-yard long for UCF.

PERSONAL:

Prater was a second-team all-state selection as a senior at Estero High School in Estero, Fla.... Also named first-team all-conference and all-Southwest Florida... Connected on 56-of-58 extra point attempts and made 14 field goals while placing 84 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone for Estero... Majored in psychology at Central Florida... Matt Prater was born on Aug. 10, 1984, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

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