VIDEO- 'Protecting the Nest' Atlanta Falcons & COVID-19: Saints K Tom Dempsey passes away, Cam Newton's search for a new home
Falcon Report's 'Protecting the Nest' Atlanta Falcons & COVID-19 is back for its second week. Every Wednesday, our video covers the latest impacts the coronavirus is having on the Falcons and the NFL.
On Sunday, former Saints kicker Tom Dempsey died from complications of the coronavirus. He was 73.
Dempsey played 11 years in the NFL and is most notable for setting a league record with a 63-yard field goal in 1970. Furthermore, Dempsey is known for kicking his entire career with no toes, which he was born without on his right foot. Dempsey made the record-setting field goal outdoors below sea level in New Orleans as well.
No kicker even matched Dempsey's record until Jason Elam in 1998. Matt Prater finally broke the record with a 64-yard field goal in 2013. Both Elam and Prater made their long field goals in Denver at elevation. Dempsey remains one of just two kickers to make a 63-yard field goal in an NFL regular season game somewhere other than Denver.
It's such a same he died prematurely because of coronavirus.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is also feeling the wrath of the virus in a different way. Newton isn't sick, but he says he can't receive medical clearance because no doctor is available to see him. That's the first step to Newton finding a new team in free agency, so essentially, his NFL career is on hold until he can see a doctor and prove he's healthy.
As of Tuesday night, more than 12,000 people have died in the United States from COVID-19. To stop the spread of coronavirus, follow the CDC guidelines.
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