Jim O'Brien (American football)

Jim O'Brien (born February 2, 1947) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played for the Baltimore Colts from 1970 to 1972 and the Detroit Lions in 1973. He also played wide receiver, catching the bulk of his career passes during the 1972 season while still performing his kicking duties. His short career was less than stellar, posting a 55.6 percentage making 60 of 108 field goal attempts. His shining moment came in the closing moments of Super Bowl V in January 1971, where he kicked a 32-yard field goal with only five seconds remaining in the game to break a tie and give the Colts the victory over the Dallas Cowboys 16–13. Before kicking the field goal, teammates saw that O'Brien was so nervous, he tried to take some of the artificial turf off the field to figure out the wind, thinking the field was regular grass. Because of his singular moment kicking the Super Bowl-winning field goal, NFL Films named him the #9 "One-Hit Wonder" of all time.[1]

O'Brien attended the University of Cincinnati, where he led the nation in scoring as a football senior. He also played basketball for the Bearcats. O'Brien graduated from Aiken High School in Cincinnati and had an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, but received a medical discharge for an ulcer.[2]