Zenon Andrusyshyn

Zenon Andrusyshyn (born February 25, 1947) is a German-Canadian former Canadian Football League punter and kicker from (1971–1977, 1979–1982) for the Toronto Argonauts. He played in 1978 for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He later played with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League from 1983–1985 and ended his career with the Montreal Alouettes in 1986.

Early years

Andrusyshyn was born in Germany before his family moved to Ontario, Canada. He attended Oakville Trafalgar High School where he practiced track and soccer. He participated with the Canadian team in the javelin throw during the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.^[1] He held the Canadian javelin record with a throw of 242 feet 6 inches.

He received a track and field scholarship for UCLA, but suffered an elbow injury while preparing for the 1968 Summer Olympics and decided to walk-on to the football team. In one practice he kicked field goals of 57 and 62 yards.^[2]

He led the NCAA in punting as a sophomore with a 44.2 average, but against USC he missed an extra point that gave them the victory and the eventual 1967 championship.^[3] He would become a two-time All-American punter (1967, 1969).

Coach John McKay of USC, UCLA's rival, remarked that "Andrusyshyn kicks with low leverage," and in the 1967 USC-UCLA game, the USC Trojans blocked two Andrusyshyn field goals and an extra point en route to a 21–20 victory. He was voted to UCLA's All Century Team.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Andrusyshyn was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the ninth round (231st overall) of the 1970 NFL Draft.^[4] He was waived before the start of the season.

Toronto Argonauts

On October 23, 1977, he recorded a 108-yard punt against the Edmonton Eskimos, which still stands as the longest punt in professional football history. On September 14, 1980 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he set the record for the longest field goal (57 yards) in CFL history.^[5]

Kansas City Chiefs

In 1978, he signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs.^[6] He was waived in August 1979.

Tampa Bay Bandits

He played three season (1983-1985) with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL.^[7]

Personal life

Andrusyshyn was ordained a minister in the Southern Baptist denomination in 1990 in Nashville, Tennessee. He also graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1995 with a Master in Arts, Biblical Studies (MABS).

He was the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Tampa Area Director since March 1987, completing 20 years with FCA in 2007. In October 2007, Zenon Andrusyshyn formed his own ministry with his wife Sue. Known as Zenon Ministries Inc., it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit youth ministry. Andrusyshyn has been on over 15 mission trips which includes delivering medical supplies to Cuna Indians- Panama (three times), to Cancer Hospitals for Children in Kiev and Odessa, Ukraine (four times), Missions abroad in England (three times), Germany (three Times) and Mexico (three times). He served as Youth Chairman for the Billy Graham Crusade-1998 Tampa, Florida, and as Youth Chairman for Luis Palau's TampaBayFest 2007.

Andrusyshyn has been married to wife Sue for 34 years and has two children Zoe and Zuriel.

References

External links

• Retro Profile: Zenon Andrusyshyn
• CFL bio
• Oakville Sports Hall of Fame bio