Florian Gerard Kempf (born May 25, 1956) is an American former professional

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 ...

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 ...

who played four seasons 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) with the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

and

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 National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. He played

college soccer College soccer, called college football in some countries, is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. While it is most widespread in the United States, it is also prominent in Japan, South Kore ...

at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. Kempf also played professional soccer for the Philadelphia Fury of the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

(NASL) and the

Pennsylvania Stoners The Pennsylvania Stoners were an American soccer team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007, the team played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, i ...

of the American Soccer League.

Early life and college

Florian Gerard Kempf was born on May 25, 1956, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He attended

Cardinal Dougherty High School file:Muziekconcours te Kerkrade, tijdens de marswedstrijden, Bestanddeelnr 919-3609.jpg, upright=1.35, CDHS marching band at the World Music Championship 1966 Cardinal Dougherty High School (CDHS) was a private school, private, Roman Catholic hig ...

in Philadelphia and graduated in 1974. He attended the

from 1974 to 1977. He played soccer for the

Penn Quakers The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing. Sponsored teams Men's varsit ...

, earning All-

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...

honors. He was a

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

in 1977.

Professional soccer career

Kempf played in four games for the Philadelphia Fury of the

(NASL) in 1978 as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

and recorded 274 minutes. He was also a member of the Fury in 1979 but did not record any statistics. He then played in four games for the

of the American Soccer League (ASL) in 1979 and made one goal.

Professional football career

Kempf signed with the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

of the

on May 10, 1981. This was the first time in Kempf's life that he had ever been on a football team. He was released on August 18, 1981. Kempf was signed by the

on February 20, 1982. He played in nine games for the Oilers that season, converting four of six field goals and 16 of 18 extra points. He appeared in all 16 games in 1983, converting 17 of 21 field goals and 33 of 34 extra points. He also recorded a seven-yard reception. Kempf played in nine games in 1984, making four of six field goals and 14 of 14 extra points, before being placed on injured reserve on November 24, 1984. He became a free agent after the season and re-signed with the Oilers on July 4, 1985. He was released by the Oilers on August 20, 1985. He signed with the Oilers again two years later on July 27, 1987, but was released on August 24, 1987. Kempf 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

on August 26, 1987, but was released on September 2, 1987. On September 23, 1987, he signed with the Oilers during the

1987 NFL players strike The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. and president ...

. He did not play in any games for the Oilers that season and was soon released. Kempf then signed with the

in 1987 and played in one game for the team during the players strike, converting four of five field goals and one of one extra points. He was released by the Saints on October 19, 1987, after the strike ended. He was later re-signed by the Saints on June 19, 1988, but was released on August 15, 1988. He signed with the Saints again the next year on June 6, 1989, but was released again on August 24, 1989.

References

External links

NASL/ASL stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kempf, Florian Living people 1956 births Players of American football from Philadelphia American football placekickers Footballers who switched code Penn Quakers men's soccer players Pennsylvania Stoners players Philadelphia Fury (1978–1980) players Penn Quakers football players Houston Oilers players New Orleans Saints players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Soccer players from Philadelphia Men's association football midfielders American men's soccer players NFL replacement players Men's association football players that played in the NFL 20th-century American sportsmen New England Patriots players Philadelphia Eagles players