David Buehler

David Jonathan Buehler (born February 5, 1987) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys.

He also was the first USC kicker to be drafted since Cole Ford in 1995.

He handled the team's kickoffs and missed his only field goal attempt in the Cowboys' opening regular season game against the Washington Redskins.

Because he had a longer range than the Trojans' starting kicker, Mario Danelo, Buehler was used as for one, long field goal attempt, a successful 49-yard kick against California; it was the Trojans' longest field goal since 1998.

Buehler had not expected to kick during the game, he made the kick while wearing the heavier equipment of a fullback and tied the score at 9 as the Trojans went on their way to a conference-clinching victory.

He graduated in 2005.

Buehler enrolled at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, California, for the 2005–2006 school year.

In football, he played placekicker, safety, goal-line running back and a gunner on punts.

He was named to the All-Mission Conference National Division first-team.

He tallied 24 tackles, one interception, 9 carries for 50 yards (5.6-yard avg.), 6 touchdowns and had 25 touchbacks on his 58 kickoffs.

At the junior college scouting combine he had the fastest 40-yard dash time.

USC coaches saw Buehler's potential at multiple positions, and head coach Pete Carroll offered him a scholarship in the summer of 2006.

Buehler was recruited to USC for multiple positions, and in his first season with the Trojans (2006) was designated as a third-string placekicker, fullback and safety while playing coverage on special teams.

He appeared in 11 games, primarily on special teams.

He had one kickoff during the 2006 Stanford game and, after starting kicker Troy Van Blarcom was dismissed from the team for academic reasons at the end of the regular season, Buehler handled kickoff duties during the 2007 Rose Bowl.

Of his 8 kickoffs that season, 6 pinned opponents within the 20-yard line, with 3 touchbacks.

Days after the 2007 Rose Bowl, Danelo, the two-year starting placekicker died in an accident.

Danelo had been expected to start during the 2007 season; with his death and the dismissal of Van Blarcom the previous month, Buehler became the starting kicker and dropped his other positions.

He started all 13 games, successfully making 16-of-19 field goals and 52-of-54 extra points, plus he made 3 special teams tackles.

Thirty-five of his 84 kickoffs kept opponents within their 20-yard line, with 18 touchbacks.

Buehler started all 13 games as a senior in the 2008 season, making 9 of 13 field goals and 65 of 66 extra points.

Three of his four missed field goals during the season came in the regular season finale against rival UCLA, where he missed all three attempts in a 28–7 Trojans victory.

Buehler blamed himself for trying to do a different routine before the contest.

Buehler finished the 2008 season with 5,976 yards on 88 kickoffs.

He also registered 48 total touchbacks on those 88 kickoffs.

He was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

He played college football at the University of Southern California.

Buehler attended Canyon High School in Anaheim, California, where he lettered in football, volleyball, golf, and track.

In football, he played linebacker and running back.

He wore jersey #37 and was an All-Century League football selection as a senior.

He was able to bounce back during the 2009 Rose Bowl, making his one field goal attempt and successfully kicking all five extra points in a 38–24 victory over Penn State.

Buehler was one of twelve USC players invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, where he opted to participate in areas not required of kickers.

He recorded results on strength and speed tests that were better than other regarded linebackers and offensive linemen.

He recorded 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press test, better than USC teammate Rey Maualuga, linemen Michael Oher and Eugene Monroe, and equal to Aaron Curry, and ran 4.56 and 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, better than teammates Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews III.

Buehler was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round (172nd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.

He was the first kicker taken after an impressive showing at the NFL combine.

He made his only attempt (from 39 yards) in a pre-season game against Oakland Raiders on August 13, 2009.

He also took the field on the kick and punt return teams.

In May 2009, when the Dallas Cowboys' training facility collapsed during rookie mini-camp, Buehler was one of the few players injured.

Standing on the sideline at the time of the collapse, he ran out a side door and was sprinting across a practice field when a pole from the structure crashed into him.