Brownwood High School graduate Matt McCrane successfully booted all four of his field goal attempts in the D.C. Defenders’ UFL season opening against the San Antonio Brahmas Sunday afternoon, a 27-12 defeat.
Despite the setback, McCrane converted kicks from 50, 34, 48 and 28 yards to account for all of D.C.’s points. McCrane currently leads the league in points scored by a kicker, and his four field goals are two more than any other kicker in the league.
The Defenders host the Houston Renegades at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 7 in their home debut.
The Defenders advanced to the XFL championship game last year, and the XFL and USFL have merged to form the UFL this spring.
Prior to the UFL and XFL, McCrane, 29, spent time on either the active roster or practice squad of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, then-Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. In 2018, McCrane appeared in a total of five games, converting 8 of 12 field goal attempts – including a 29-yard game-winner in a 45-42 Raiders’ overtime victory over the Browns on Sept. 30, 2018 – and all five on his extra point tries.
A 2013 graduate of Brownwood High School, McCrane shares the school record for longest field goal at 52 yards and connected on 7 of 12 field goal attempts during his senior campaign under head coach Bob Shipley.
McCrane went on to attend Kansas State University where in 2017 he was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist and first-team All Big 12 – his third year as an all-conference selection. McCrane finished his KSU career as the all-time leader in field goals, with 57; field goal percentage, with an 86.4% success rate; and extra-point percentage, at 99.3%. His 304 points scored in his career ranks third in K-State history.