Player Profile

PRO: After an intense preseason "kick-off" with Tim Seder, Billy Cundiff won the Cowboys kicking job in 2002 after connecting on seven-of-10 field goal attempts - including a 52-yarder - and all four extra point attempts during preseason action. He became the 10th Dallas kicker since the 1989 season, joining the likes of Roger Ruzek (1989), Luis Zendejas (1989), Ken Willis (1990-91), Lin Elliott (1992-93), Eddie Murray (1993, 1999), Chris Boniol (1994-96), Richie Cunningham (1997-99), Tim Seder (2000-01) and Jon Hilbert (2001). While getting a limited number of opportunities as a rookie, Cundiff still led the team in scoring with 61 points. Versatile enough to also handle kickoff chores, Cundiff should only continue to improve in his second season.

2002: After winning the kicking job in preseason, Cundiff went on the hit 12-of-19 field goal attempts and all 25 of his extra point tries to lead the team with 61 points. He also took over the kickoff chores following the release of Micah Knorr on Oct. 22. Cundiff went on to place two of his 24 kickoffs into the end zone with one touchback. He averaged 60.9 yards (the nine-yard line) per kickoff, and the opponent's average starting position following his kickoffs was the 30.5-yard line. For the season, Dallas finished seventh in the NFC, 13th in NFL, in opponents drive start following kickoffs with a 28.3 yard-line starting spot. Cundiff opened the season by hitting his first career field goal attempt, a 33-yarder at Houston (9/8). He later missed a 42-yard attempt in the second half. He was three-of-three on extra points against Tennessee (9/15) but did not attempt a field goal, snapping a streak of 13 consecutive games in which Dallas had connected on a field goal. At Philadelphia (9/22), Cundiff was back on the field, hitting both field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder. The biggest moment of Cundiff's brief career came at St. Louis (9/29), where he earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors by hitting a 48-yard field goal with 0:00 remaining to give Dallas a 13-10 win. He had earlier nailed a 35-yard kick with 4:23 remaining in the game to tie the score at 10-10. The 48-yard kick was the longest game-winning field goal (in the final 2:00 or overtime) in club history. Despite hitting the right upright on a 45-yard attempt against the N.Y. Giants (10/6), he came back to nail a 32-yarder and two extra points. Cundiff hit both extra points but did not attempt a field goal in the 14-13 win over Carolina (10/13). He missed a 49-yard attempt on his only kick at Arizona (10/20). With the release of Knorr, Cundiff took over kickoff duties beginning against Seattle (10/27) and averaged 66 yards on three kickoffs. The Seahawks average start was their 24-yard line. At Indianapolis (11/17), he hit a 21-yard field goal, his first career attempt inside of 30 yards. It was also his first field goal attempt in three games. His 42-yard field goal with 4:23 remaining in the game against Washington (11/28) put Dallas up 27-20. Cundiff would finish with nine points against the Redskins on three extra points and two-of-three field goals. Against San Francisco (12/8), Cundiff hit 23- and 37-yard field goals in the first quarter but was wide right on a 47-yard attempt in the fourth. He hit all three extra points and also recorded his first career special teams tackle with a takedown of Jamal Robertson to prevent a touchdown on a kickoff return. Cundiff hit his only field goal attempt of the day, a 42-yard effort, against Philadelphia (12/21) and then closed out the season hitting both extra points at Washington (12/29).

COLLEGE: Cundiff - who made eight field goals of 50-yards or more during his collegiate career - finished his time at Drake with 15 school and seven Pioneer Football league kicking records, including career points (284), career field goals (49-of-79) and career PATs (137-of-151). His 49 field goals made ranks 14th on the NCAA I-AA career field goal list, and he owns the second longest field goal in NCAA I-AA history with a 62-yarder against San Diego in 2000. He became the first player in league history to be named first-team All-Pioneer League four consecutive seasons while also earning three consecutive All-Academic team honors from the Pioneer League. As a senior Cundiff earned Division I-AA All-America honors and was named co-recipient of the Jerry Howlett Award, which is presented annually to Drake's outstanding student-athlete. He led the league in scoring with 62 points (11-of-17 field goals and 29-of-33 extra points). Cundiff earned Football Gazette's NCAA I-AA Mid-Major Player of the Year award as a junior when he finished second in the nation with 20 field goals (on 27 attempts) while converting 40-of-44 PATs. For the year he established 15 school records - including field goals made (20) and points by a kicker (100) - while tying two other marks. He connected on a school-record five field goals from 54-, 37-, 32-, 52- and 21-yards against Wisconsin-Stevens Point to help score a school kicking record 17 points. Cundiff set school and league marks with a 62-yard field goal, along with 30- and 29-yarders, against San Diego. For the season, he converted five-of-seven field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards. Cundiff led the Pioneer League with 67 points. In his first collegiate season, Cundiff became the first freshman kicker in Pioneer Football League history to earn first-team all-conference honors.

PERSONAL: Cundiff was named Omaha World Herald and Council Bluffs Nonpareil Southwest Iowa Prep Athlete of the Year for the 1997-98 school year after leading Harlan, Iowa, High School to the Iowa Class 3A state football championship and being named to the Iowa Class 3A all-state tournament team in 1998. The two-time all-state football player also led Harlan to the 1995 state football title. The secondary education major finished second in the high jump at the 1997 Iowa state track meet with a jump of 6'6". As a member of the Cowboys 2002 Rookie Club - a program designed to introduce rookie team member to community service in the Dallas area - Cundiff participated in monthly charity visits to non-profit organizations serving children. He also participated in the team's annual United Way Hometown Huddle event hosted at the club's training facility for 100 children from The Salvation Army. In the spring of 2003, Cundiff participated in the Texas Air National Guard - 136th Air Wing Lift Family Day honoring the families of those serving in the military, participated in the Plano Komen Race For The Cure and served as celebrity football coach in the club's seventh annual Dallas Cowboys Let Us Play! Sports Camp for 150 girls from various Dallas area non-profit agencies. Cundiff went back to school in the spring of 2003 and gradauted in May with a degree in history from Drake.