Introduction
Christopher Donald Boniol (born December 9, 1971) is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1994 to 1996, the Philadelphia Eagles from 1997 to 1998, and the Chicago Bears in 1999. He won Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys. In 1996, he tied the NFL record for most field goals in a game with seven. He played college football at Louisiana Tech University.
Early years
Boniol attended Alexandria High School, Louisiana, where he was the placekicker for the football team and the catcher for the baseball team.
He received a scholarship to play football at Louisiana Tech University. In 1990, he was named All-Louisiana and the Louisiana Freshman of the Year after making 17 of 24 field goals. He finished his college career third on the school's all-time scoring list.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Boniol was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 1994, helping the team win Super Bowl XXX during his rookie season. He was a very successful kicker during his 3 seasons with the team, becoming the first Cowboy to have three consecutive 100-point seasons. In 1995 he set a club record for the longest streak of consecutive field goals made with 26. His 96.4 percent (27 field goals out of 28 attempts) season kicking percentage was the highest in club history and his 127 points where the fourth-most points in franchise history.
In 1996, he broke his own club record for the longest streak of consecutive field goals made with 27 (it was broken by Dan Bailey in 2014). He also tied an NFL record with 7 field goals made in a game, during a Monday night contest against the Green Bay Packers. That year, he became the first player in team history to win the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week two times in a season, with the second award coming after the Wild Card Playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Philadelphia Eagles
Boniol was signed as a restricted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997, after the salary cap-strapped Cowboys could not match the Eagles' four-year offer. He played in Philadelphia for 2 seasons, before being waived because of inconsistency making field goals over 40 yards.
Chicago Bears
He finished his career with the Chicago Bears, being waived in 1999 after missing four of nine field goal attempts, including a possible game-winner in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings. Boniol played in the NFL for 6 seasons, making 128 of 163 field goals and 183 of 189 extra points for 567 points.
Coaching career
Boniol was an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2013, and focused on kickers and punters. In 2014, he was hired by the Oakland Raiders as an assistant to special teams coordinator Bobby April.