Morten Andersen to be inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame today

Former Michigan State kicker Morten Andersen has earned the highest honor a professional football player can achieve — enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

Andersen received his gold jacket on Friday night, but he, along with the rest of the 2017 class, will be formally enshrined tonight.

Andersen joins Jan Stenerud as just the second pure placekicker to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He also joins Herb Adderley and Joe DeLamielleure as the only Spartans to make it to Canton, Ohio.

After coming to the United States from Denmark, Andersen earned a scholarship to Michigan State after kicking a football for just one year at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.

That move turned out to be a smart one for the Spartans, as Andersen earned first-team All-American honors in 1981. Andersen’s 63-yard field goal make against Ohio State that same year still holds as the longest in Big Ten history.

His career took off even further as a pro. Andersen was the epitome of longevity in the NFL — playing 25 seasons for five different teams. He holds the NFL records for most points scored (2,544), most field goals (565) and most games played (382).

Andersen was also named to two separate NFL All-Decade teams for both the 1980s and 1990s. The former soccer player converted nearly 80 percent of field goal attempts and 99 percent of extra points during his illustrious career.

In 2011, Andersen was inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame. He is the only player in the 2017 class hailing from a Big Ten school.

Joining Andersen in enshrinement tonight will be quarterback Kurt Warner, running backs Terrell Davis and LaDainian Tomlinson, defensive end Jason Taylor, safety Kenny Easley and owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones.

To learn more about Andersen’s career, check out this video from last night’s festivities in Canton.

Congrats, Morten! Go Green!