Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is a former American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the University of Illinois. Rackers was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, and also played for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, and Washington Redskins. Early years Rackers attended Aquinas-Mercy High School in St. Louis, Missouri and was a student and a letterman in football, soccer and baseball. In football, he was a two-year letterman and an All-Conference selection. In soccer, Rackers led his team to consecutive state titles and was an All-State selection. In baseball, he was an All-Conference selection. Professional career Cincinnati Bengals Rackers was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the 169th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played three seasons for the team, making 44 out of 67 field goals. Arizona Cardinals Rackers reached and or surpassed 20 touchbacks in a season twice in his career, and once had a streak of 31 consecutive field goals made before missing a 43-yarder in 2005 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On New Year's Day in 2006, Rackers kicked his 40th field goal of the season, an NFL record. He was rewarded with a spot in that year's Pro Bowl. He is also one of the few players in NFL history to attempt a fair catch kick. Houston Texans Rackers was signed by the Houston Texans on April 5, 2010, replaced Kris Brown later for the 2010 season, and made his first two field goals as a member of the Texans on September 12. Washington Redskins Rackers signed a one-year contract with the Washington Redskins on April 24, 2012 and competed with Graham Gano for a spot on the team. On August 27, the Redskins released Rackers. Retirement Billy Cundiff's charity confirmed that Rackers retired and would join his cause to cure ovarian cancer. Career regular season statistics Career high/best bolded Life away from football Rackers is the special teams coach at De Smet Jesuit in the St. Louis, Missouri area. He also owns Kick it Promos and is a radio announcer on 101 ESPN in St. Louis. References External links Neil Rackers on ESPN.com Current stats 1976 births Living people Players of American football from Missouri American football placekickers Illinois Fighting Illini football players