Bills Ex Steve Christie's Clutch Kicks Remembered at Super Bowl 30 Years Later

Kickers on both side of Super Bowl LVIII managed to break Buffalo Bills' alumnus Steve Christie's record, evoking memories of the Canadian-born kicker's clutch moments from the 1990s.

It's widely known that the Buffalo Bills missed a game-winning field goal attempt on the final play in Super Bowl XXV, but did you know a Bills' kicker was also responsible for the longest made three-pointer in Super Bowl history?

The record that lived for 30 years was finally broken, twice, during Super Bowl LVIII. On any of the 57 prior Super Sundays, no player had made a longer field goal than the 54-yarder that Steve Christie nailed during the first quarter of Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta.

Three full decades after Christie etched his name into the record book, Harrison Butker and Jake Moody both eclipsed the Bills' alumnus in the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday.

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Moody delivered the game's first points by pushing through a 55-yard field goal, giving the 49ers a 3-0 advantage 12 seconds into the second quarter. With the Chiefs trailing, 10-3, in the third quarter, Butker overshadowed Moody by steering a 57-yard boot through the uprights.

Flashback to January 30, 1994 when Christie put the Bills on the scoreboard in what was the team's fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance. It turned out to be Christie's lone field goal attempt of the game, helping Buffalo build a 13-6 by halftime. Unfortunately, the record was set in a losing effort as a disastrous second half resulted in a 30-13 defeat for the Bills, who have not returned to the Super Bowl since.

The loss capped what was Christie's second of nine seasons as a Bill. The Canadian-born kicker was as clutch as any in Bills' history and he still holds the franchise career record for most field goals made (234).

Christie made a great first impression on Buffalo fans in his first two seasons. With the Bills deciding to move on from Scott Norwood after the 1991 season, Christie joined the Bills right in the middle of their unprecedented Super Bowl run.

Making his first postseason appearance, it was Christie who completed the greatest comeback in NFL Playoff history by hitting a 32-yarder to defeat the Houston Oilers in the 1992 AFC Wildcard Round.

Prior to his record-setting kick in Super Bowl XXVIII, Christie went 3-for-3 on field goals in the 1993 AFC Championship Game — a 30-13 win over the Chiefs in Orchard Park. Earlier that season, he set the franchise record for longest field goal (59) in a September setback to the Miami Dolphins. 

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Christie's last game as a Bill will always be remembered as the "Music City Miracle" in Nashville. The Bills' kicker appeared to send his team to a last-minute win in the 1999 AFC Wildcard Round, hitting a 41-yard field goal that gave Buffalo a 16-15 lead over the Tennessee Titans with only 00:16 remaining.

In a connection to the modern-day Bills, Christie shares the same alma mater as head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Joe Brady. From Hamilton, Ontario, Christie landed at William & Mary where he went on to become a three-time All-ECAC honoree. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2001.