Zenon Andrusyshyn (February 25, 1947 – August 7, 2023) was a German-born Canadian punter and

kicker Kicker or The Kicker may refer to: Sports * Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football * ''Kicker'' (magazine), sports magazine in Germany * Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player * Kicker, the wor ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL) from – and –, primarily for the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

. He also was a member of the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

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) and the

Tampa Bay Bandits The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team in the United States Football League (USFL) which was based in Tampa, Florida. The Bandits were a charter member of the USFL and was the only franchise to have the same principal ...

in the

United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

(USFL). 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 ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

Early life

Zenon Andrusyshyn was born in Germany to Ukrainian parents. His family moved to

Ontario, Canada Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

where he attended

Oakville Trafalgar High School Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS, often referred to as OT) is a secondary school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The school receives most of its students from nearby feeder schools, including Maple Grove Public School, École E.J. James P ...

. He set a high school javelin record that lasted for 35 years. Andrusyshyn participated with the Canadian team in the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

and discus during the

1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. The event was followed by the 1966 Commonweal ...

. He held the Canadian javelin record with a throw of 242 feet 6 inches. Andrusyshyn received a

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

scholarship from

to compete in the

, but suffered an elbow injury while preparing for the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

and decided to walk-on to the

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 ...

team after kicking in a tryout 14 field goals in a row from 45 yards out. In one practice he kicked field goals of 57 and 62 yards. Andrusyshyn was used both as a punter and

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 ...

. As a sophomore, he led the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

in punting with a 44.2 average and also made 11 of 24 field goal attempts. Against the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

in a contest that was called " the game of the century", he missed one field goal, had two blocked, and failed a critical

extra point Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

that gave them the victory and the eventual 1967 National championship. Then USC head coach John McKay, remarked that "Andrusyshyn kicks with low leverage," and that is why he employed 6-foot-8

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

Bill Hayhoe to affect his kicking game. As a senior, he made 8 of 12 field goals, 33 of 44 extra points and had a 42.1-yard punting average. He was a two-time

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

punter (

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

) and was voted to UCLA's All Century Team.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Andrusyshyn was selected by 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 ...

in the ninth round (231st overall) of the

1970 NFL draft The 1970 NFL draft was the 35th National Football League draft and the first of the league's modern era, following the merger of the National Football League with the American Football League. It was held on January 27–28, 1970, at the Belmont ...

. He was waived before the start of the season on September 2.

Toronto Argonauts (first stint)

On May 5, 1971, he signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

of the

. On October 23, 1977, he recorded a 108-yard punt against the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

, which still stands as the longest punt in professional football history.

Kansas City Chiefs

On April 14, 1978, he signed as a

with the

. He was named the team's starting punter, registering 79 punts for 3,247 yards (41.1-yard avg.), a long of 61 yards and one blocked punt. On August 21, 1979, he was waived after being passed on the depth chart by

Bob Grupp Robert William Grupp (born May 8, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a punter for three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Profes ...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On September 7, 1979, he was signed as a

by the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

of the

. He appeared in the last 8 games handling both the punting and kicking roles. He made 10 of 20 field goals, 15 of 16 extra points and averaged 43.2 yards on 51 punts. On June 15, 1980, he was traded to the

in exchange for

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

man Al MacLean.

Toronto Argonauts (second stint)

In 1980, he was named the starting kicker and punter over

Ian Sunter Ian Sunter (born December 21, 1952) is a Scottish-Canadian Canadian football place kicker who also played two seasons in the NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed ...

. He was named CFL East All-Star in two straight seasons. On September 14, 1980, against the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

, he kicked a career-longest 57-yard field goal. He was passed on the depth chart by

Dean Dorsey Dean Dorsey (born March 13, 1957) is a former Canadian football placekicker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played university football at the University of Toronto. Dorsey took over kicking duti ...

and was released in September 1982.

Edmonton Eskimos

In September 1982, he was claimed off waivers by the

to replace

Hank Ilesic Henry Ilesic (born September 7, 1959) is a former all-star punter in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He also handled place kicking and kickoffs. He was twice an all-star punter and played in the CFL for 19 seasons. He played on seven Grey Cu ...

, unavailable due to a contract dispute.

Tampa Bay Bandits

On December 29, 1982, he signed as a

with the

of the

. He was the starter at kicker and punter for three seasons until the team folded in 1986.

Montreal Alouettes

On October 1, 1986, he signed as a

with the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

to replace an injured Roy Kurtz. He was not re-signed after the season.

Personal life and death

In 1969, Andrusyshyn met his wife on the television show ''

The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...

''. That year, he also had a small part in the television show '' Medical Center''. Andrusyshyn was ordained a minister in the

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...

denomination in 1990 in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. He also graduated from

Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system of dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension ...

in 1995 with a Master in Arts, Biblical Studies (MABS). Andrusyshyn was the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Tampa Area Director from March 1987, completing 20 years with FCA in 2007. In October 2007, Zenon Andrusyshyn formed his own ministry with his wife Sue. Known as Zenon Ministries Inc., it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit youth ministry. Andrusyshyn has been on over 15 mission trips which include delivering medical supplies to Cuna Indians- Panama (three times), to Cancer Hospitals for Children in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

and

Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

(four times), Missions abroad in England (three times), Germany (three times) and Mexico (three times). He served as Youth Chairman for the

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

Crusade-1998

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, and as Youth Chairman for

Luis Palau Luis Palau Jr. (November 27, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an Argentine-American international Christian evangelist. He was born in Argentina but moved to Portland, Oregon, in his mid-twenties to enroll in a graduate program in Biblical studies. ...

's TampaBayFest 2007. Zenon Andrusyshyn died on August 7, 2023, at the age of 76.

References

External links

UCLA's Zenon Andrusyshyn kick-started his life after 1967 loss to USCRetro Profile: Zenon Andrusyshyn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrusyshyn, Zenon 1947 births 2023 deaths American football placekickers American football punters Canadian football placekickers Canadian football punters Canadian people of Ukrainian descent Canadian male javelin throwers Canadian male shot putters Canadian male discus throwers Edmonton Elks players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Kansas City Chiefs players Montreal Alouettes players Southern Baptist ministers Tampa Bay Bandits players Toronto Argonauts players UCLA Bruins football players Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada Players of American football from Ontario Canadian Track and Field Championships winners Players of Canadian football from Ontario 20th-century Canadian sportsmen