NFL club Detroit Lions have announced that they have signed Norwegian left-foot kicker Håvard “Kickalicious” Rugland.
The Detroit team signed Norwegian kicking sensation Håvard Rugland (27) to a contract Thursday to compete for their kicking job left vacant by Jason Hanson’s retirement. Terms of the deal were not known.
According to the Lions' home page, Rugland will compete with newly signed David Akers for the job. Both players are left-footed.
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said at the NFL League Meetings last month that the team first learned about him from an internet video and through league channels.
Rugland has been trying to use his incredible trick-shot video — which he called “Kickalicious” — into a job kicking for an NFL team.
The Lions brought Rugland in for a tryout last month but did not sign him at the time.
Rugland is 6-foot-2 1/2 and 240 pounds and became familiar with the sport only a couple years ago. He has been training with former NFL kicker Michael Husted in San Diego since November of 2012 and has followed the career former NFL kicker and native Norwegian Jan Stenerud, one of only three kickers currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rugland has also reportedly had workouts for the Browns and Jets before signing with the Lions.
(NRK/Press release) - Picture Blog
