Benjamin James Agajanian (August 28, 1919 – February 8, 2018), nicknamed "the Toeless Wonder", was an American
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player, primarily a placekicker in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL), the
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
(AAFC) and
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
(AFL).
Early life
Born in
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...
, he graduated from
San Pedro High School in the
San Pedro community in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. A
placekicker
In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
, he played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Compton Junior College and the
University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque.
He served in the
U.S. Army Air Forces during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
as a physical training instructor.
While playing in college, Agajanian had four toes of his kicking foot crushed in a work accident and then amputated in 1939.
Pro football career
Agajanian played professionally in the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
from 1945 through 1959, then in the newly formed American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers in 1960 and 1964. He also played for the Dallas Texans in 1961 and the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in 1962. He is one of two players (the other was Hardy Brown) who played in the All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
, the American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
, and the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
.
He was pro football's third kicking specialist (after Jack Manders and Mose Kelsch), booting field goals for 10 different professional teams in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, including two NFL champions: the New York Giants in 1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
and the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in 1961. In the 1956 title game, he went 5-for-6 on extra points and 2-for-3 on field goals, while in the 1960 title game he was perfect on extra points (one) and field goals (three).
During Agajanian's time with the Packers, he was mistakenly assigned the number 3; the number had been retired for Tony Canadeo nine years earlier. Agajanian remains the last Packer to wear number 3.
He led the league in field goal attempts in 1947 (24) and 1954 (25) and also led in made field goals (15) in the former.
Later life
After retiring from the field at age 45, he was the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
kicking coach for 20 years. He also coached Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
kicker Mac Percival for the 1968 season.
Agajanian died in Cathedral City, California, on February 8, 2018, at age 98. His older brother was auto racing promoter J. C. Agajanian.
See also
* History of the New York Giants (1925–78)
* List of American Football League players
* History of the Armenian Americans in Los Angeles
References
External links
*
*
*
"Ben Agajanian, Square-Shoed Kicking Star, Dies at 98," by RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, The New York Times, Feb. 13, 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agajanian, Ben
1919 births
2018 deaths
American football placekickers
Players of American football from Los Angeles
Dallas Cowboys coaches
Dallas Texans (AFL) players
Green Bay Packers players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Los Angeles Dons players
New Mexico Lobos football players
New York Giants players
Oakland Raiders players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
San Diego Chargers players
Players of American football from Santa Ana, California
American sportspeople of Armenian descent
Sportspeople of Armenian descent
American Football League players
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
United States Army Air Forces soldiers
San Pedro High School alumni