Name John Lee Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | High school: Downey Weight 83 kg Positions Placekicker | |
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Date of birth: (1964-05-19) May 19, 1964 (age 51) NFL draft: 1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 32 Education University of California, Los Angeles | ||
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea | ||
Ucla legend john lee returns to ucla
John Lee (Hangul: 이민종; RR: I Min-jong; born May 19, 1964) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, where he was a two-time All-American. Lee was selected in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 32nd overall pick. He played one season with the Cardinals and was the first Korean to play in the NFL. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
Contents
- Ucla legend john lee returns to ucla
- NCAA records held or tied
- Rose Bowl record
- St Louis Cardinals
- Los Angeles Raiders
- Personal life
- References
NCAA records held or tied
Rose Bowl record
Lee played in the 1983, 1984 and 1986 Rose Bowl, and was an integral part of the success of the UCLA Bruins during his college career, as evidenced by his conference-leading accuracy and the 10 games won by the margin of a field goal. He holds the Rose Bowl career record of 24 most scoring points made by kicking, 1983 UCLA vs. Michigan (3 PAT, 1 FG), 1984 UCLA vs. Illinois (6 PAT, 1 FG) and 1986 UCLA vs. Iowa (6 PAT, 1 FG). The 15 total PAT points in three games also is a record and the 6 PAT-points in each of the two games ranks second in Rose Bowl history.
St. Louis Cardinals
Lee was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft, making him one of the highest placekickers ever drafted and the first East Asia native to play in the NFL. He was seen as a can't miss prospect and on July 27, Lee agreed to a four-year $900,000 contract, including a $250,000 signing bonus, making him the highest paid player at his position in the league.
Although he made his first six kicks in preseason, he unexpectedly suffered through a slump and began missing field goals. More seriously, his leg was not nearly strong enough to get adequate distance on kickoffs, and he lost his confidence. He made 8 of 13 field goals as a rookie, before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and missing the last five regular season games. He was waived on September 8, 1987.
Los Angeles Raiders
In 1988, he was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Raiders to compete with incumbent kicker Chris Bahr, who struggled in 1987. He was waived on August 22, after missing 2 out of 3 field goals in preseason.
Personal life
After leaving the NFL, he was involved in his family real estate business.