KICKING AND SCREAMING; DENVER'S ELAM HITS 63-YARDER TO TIE NFL'S FIELD-GOAL RECORD.

Byline: John Mossman Associated Press

Jason Elam thought the kick would be just another long field-goal attempt. Instead, it made history.

Elam kicked a 63-yarder on Sunday in the thin air of Mile High Stadium, tying Tom Dempsey's 28-year-old NFL record. Elam ran onto the field at the end of the half ready to try a 58-yarder, but a penalty pushed the ball back 5 yards.

``I swung about as hard as I can swing at it,'' he said. ``I hit it really clean and it jumped off my foot quickly. I knew it had a shot, but I wasn't that sure.

``Those goal posts look pretty skinny from back there. I tried not to look at them much; it can be intimidating. . . . It was a very special moment for me, something I'll remember, I know, for the rest of my life.''

Elam matched the record Dempsey set for the New Orleans Saints against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970.

Dempsey was watching the game on television from the New Orleans area and said he cheered when the ball went through the goal posts.

``It was a great kick, a great effort. You have to admire it,'' he said. ``As good as people are getting now, I knew it was just a matter of time. People are kicking them longer and longer.''

Elam's field goal gave Denver a 27-10 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos went on to win 37-24.

Elam would not have had a chance to tie the record if not for confusion on the Broncos' sideline.

Denver faced a fourth-and-3 at the Jacksonville 40-yard line with no timeouts left and time expiring at the end of the half. But instead of kicking immediately, the Broncos stayed in the huddle and were called for a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty with four seconds left. That meant Elam faced a 63-yard kick instead of a 58-yarder.

He told coach Mike Shanahan, ``Coach, I can make it,'' and went running onto the field expecting to attempt the shorter kick.

``Then they backed us up,'' Elam said. ``So, I looked over at Mike again and he just motioned for me to stay on the field.''

His kick was down the middle, barely clearing the crossbar. A beaming Elam clutched the ball as he sprinted into the locker room.

He had kicked 56-yarders at three levels of competition - with the Broncos, in college at Hawaii and in high school. He said Denver's thin air helped ``a little bit, but you still have to hit it good.''

``The biggest thing with a kick that long is just getting an opportunity. I'd say three-quarters of the guys in the league have the ability to hit that ball,'' Elam said.

Dempsey said long attempts are more rare nowadays because of the new rule that puts the ball at the spot of the kick instead of at the line of scrimmage after missed field goals.

``It still might be broken,'' Dempsey said. ``It will have to be at the end of the half or the end of the game, though. That's the only time a coach will take a chance like that. It's too risky to do it any other time. . . . Mine was at the end of the game.''

THE LONGEST KICK

Jason Elam's 63-yard field goal tied Tom Dempsey's NFL record set in 1970. Here's a look at the longest field goals in NFL history:

63 Tom Dempsey, New Orleans vs. Detroit, Nov. 8, 1970

63 Jason Elam, Denver vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 25, 1998

60 Morten Andersen, New Orleans vs. Chicago, Oct. 27, 1991

60 Steve Cox, Cleveland vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 21, 1984

59 Pete Stoyanovich, Miami at N.Y. Jets, Nov. 12, 1989

59 Tony Franklin, Philadelphia vs. Dallas, Nov. 12, 1979

59 Steve Christie, Buffalo vs. Miami, Sept. 26, 1993

59 Morten Andersen, Atlanta vs. San Francisco, Dec. 24, 1995

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) BIG FOOT

Denver's Jason Elam ties a 28-year-old NFL record by kicking a 63-yard field goal against Jacksonville. Page 5.

Associated Press

(2) Broncos kicker Jason Elam celebrates after tying Tom Dempsey's 28-year old field-goal record Sunday in Denver.

Bryan Chieftain/Associated Press

BOX: THE LONGEST KICK (see text)