The Jump to Gotham

The NFL's salary cap wasn't intended to randomly uproot some of the league's most beloved, Hall-of-Fame-bound stars. It just happened that way to the likes of Art Monk, Phil Simms, and Nick

Lowery '78, the most accurate field-goal kicker (80.1 percent) in NFL history. Last April, after 15 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Nick was cut to

make room on the payroll. The Chiefs' idea was to hire him back at a bargain salary for one year, then go through the same process a year later—fine treatment for a certain Hall of Famer, a person active in the community, and regularly described as one of the NFL's best citizens. When the New York Jets offered a twoyear contract and a pleasant raise, Lowery moved to Long Island.

At 38 years old, Lowery hopes to play several more seasons when he'll overtake Jan Stenerud as the most prolific field-goal kicker in NFL history. Nick started the 1994 season with 320 career field goals, third place on the all-time list. He recently overtook George Blanda (336), and reasonably expects to approach Stenerud's 373 field goals in a year or two.

Lowery: A happy newNew Yorker.