Caleb James Sturgis (born August 9, 1989) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Sp ...
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, setting team records for field goals completed in a season and a career, and was recognized as an All-American. He was chosen by the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
in the fifth round of the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall i ...
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
team. During his senior season, he completed 13 of 25 field goal attempts and 63 of 64 extra-point attempts. He was named to the Class 3A all-state first-team at the placekicker position. Sturgis also played on his high school soccer team."Caleb Sturgis" . gatorzone.com. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
College career
Sturgis accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which had a population of 339,247 in ...
, and played for coach
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fr ...
and coach
Will Muschamp
William Lawrence Muschamp (born August 3, 1971) is an American football coach and former player. He is the co- defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Georgia. He served as head football coach at the University of Florida f ...
's
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division ...
teams from
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
to
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. As a true freshman in 2008, he handled kickoffs for the Gators, and averaged 63.7 yards on 90 total kicks. He did not attempt a field goal as a freshman. The Gators won the
2009 BCS National Championship Game
The 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and ...
.
Sturgis made 22 of 30 field goal attempts in 2009. Against the
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
, he made a 56-yard field goal, which was the longest field goal in the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
(SEC) that season and was also a career-long for him. He completed one of two field goal attempts in the 2010 Sugar Bowl, which Florida won. In 2010, Sturgis made two of four field goal attempts in four games before he suffered a back injury that ended his season. He was given a medical redshirt.
In 2011, Sturgis made 22 of 26 field goal attempts. His 22 completed field goals were the third-best total in the nation and the best in the SEC. He was named to the All-SEC first-team and was a
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has ...
finalist. He made his only field goal attempt in a 2012 Gator Bowl win. Sturgis made 24 of 28 field goal attempts in 2012. His 24 completed field goals led the SEC and set a new team record. Sturgis was a Lou Groza Award finalist. He made his only field goal attempt in the
2013 Sugar Bowl
The 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans ( , , He also averaged 64.4 yards on 343 kickoffs, with 67
touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to trav ...
s. Sturgis graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management in 2011, and Master of Science degree in management in 2012.
Professional career
Miami Dolphins
In the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall i ...
, Sturgis was selected by the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pl ...
in the fifth round, as the 166th overall pick. He was the first placekicker taken in the draft.
On August 14, 2013, Sturgis became the starter for the 2013 season after a short-lived competition with
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played fo ...
and with the latter being released that day. In his professional debut, Sturgis did not miss any of his 3 field goal attempts. In Week 5 against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
, Sturgis tried to send the game into overtime when he attempted a 57-yard field goal near the end of fourth quarter as the Dolphins lost 26–23. In Week 9 against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
, Sturgis kicked a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 20 with 11 seconds to go in regulation as the Dolphins won 22–20 in overtime.
Sturgis was released by the team on September 5, 2015, and was replaced by Andrew Franks.
Philadelphia Eagles
On September 28, 2015, Sturgis signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, following a season-ending injury to
Cody Parkey
Cody Parkey (born February 19, 1992) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He played college football at Auburn and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has also been a member of the Ph ...
.
In his first game with the Eagles, Sturgis missed a 30-yard field goal attempt and an extra point attempt, which could have turned the scoreboard in favor of the Eagles as they went on to lose 23–20 to the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. After the game Sturgis took responsibility, saying "the rest of the team gave such a good effort today. heyplayed so well. It's tough knowing I didn't do my part. I just went out there and missed. Hurt the team. It's on me." After the game, head coach
Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl game ...
decided Sturgis is better than anyone else they could sign. "We looked at what's out there," Kelly said. "I think the state of kicking in the league now is not very good. There's been a lot of changes. ...We feel in terms of what's available out there, we're going to stick with Caleb." In his second game with the Eagles, Sturgis missed another extra point, but was able to make all four of his field goals including one that broke a 7–7 second quarter tie in a 39–17 victory over the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. However, Kelly did not show much confidence in his kicker as he went for it two times on fourth and long early in the game.
On September 7, 2016, Sturgis signed a one-year extension worth $900,000 to remain with the Eagles after beating out Parkey in training camp.
On September 10, 2017, in the season opening 30–17 victory over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
, Sturgis converted three field goals, a 50-yarder, a 42-yarder, and a 37-yarder. However, Sturgis suffered a hip injury in the game and was placed on injured reserve on September 12, 2017. Without Sturgis, the Eagles won
Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Confere ...
against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
.
Los Angeles Chargers
On March 16, 2018, Sturgis signed a two-year contract with the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
. He won the Chargers starting kicking job after beating out Roberto Aguayo. Sturgis was released by the Chargers on November 5, 2018, after missing a field goal and two extra points in Week 9.
Personal life
Sturgis married Kimberly Davidson, a former University of Florida cheerleader, in July 2014. Sturgis has five siblings. His older brother, Nathan, plays in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
. One of his younger brothers, Mark, was also a placekicker at Saint Augustine High, following in his brother's footsteps. His father, Smiley Sturgis, is a pastor.
As of 2018, Sturgis coached at Kohl's Kicking Camps, a training camp.
List of Florida Gators in the NFL Draft
The Florida Gators football program is a college football team which represents the University of Florida. The Florida Gators compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a ...