Hall of Fame
During Western Illinois’ 110-plus years of football, no one can come close to what Mike Scifres did punting the ball.
A three-time All-American, Scifres holds the WIU career record for punting average at 43.4 – a margin of three yards per punt better over his career than second place. He ended his collegiate career as the Missouri Valley Football Conference leader in punt average, and still ranks third in MVFC history. That’s not the only record the standout owns.
Scifres owns the top four and five of the top six single-game punt averages in Leatherneck history. His 61.5 average at Southern Utah in 2002 still ranks first on the WIU and MVFC list. He ranks third in Valley history with a 56.8 average against Youngstown State in 2002, and he’s tied for fifth at 56.3 against Sam Houston State (2001) and Drake (2002).
He launched a MVFC record 89-yard punt at Missouri State in 2000. He’s the only punter in WIU history with multiple punts of 70-plus yards in the same game (75/72 at Southern Utah) and holds five of the ‘Top 10’ longest punts in program history.
On the season list, Scifres’ 43.1 average in 2000 stands third in WIU history. He ranks seventh at 41.4 during his junior year, and his 48.0 average as a senior is the best by any punter in WIU or Valley Football history. In fact, his senior year average ranks as the third-highest in NCAA FCS history and his career mark stands ninth in FCS history. Of the 26 top-ranked punters in FCS history, only one other launched a longer punt than Scifres’ 89-yarder.
One of the most memorable kicks Scifres made wasn’t even a punt. With the game and Gateway Conference (now MVFC) regular season title on the line, Scifres lined up for a 56-yard field goal at Northern Iowa and drilled it as time expired for a 44-41 victory over the 18th-ranked Panthers. That kick still stands tied for the longest ever in WIU history and tied for sixth in the Valley record books.
Following his standout career, Scifres was a fifth round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers and spent 13 years in a Chargers uniform. He averaged 45.2 yards per punt in his storied career, the Chargers’ all-time leader and tying Scifres for the 12th-highest average in NFL history among punters with at least 250 career punts. Among punters with at least 750 punts, Scifres’ average ranks as the fourth-best in NFL history with the sixth-best career net punt average (38.6). His 61 touchbacks and 328 returns allowed are the fewest all-time among punters in the modern era (since 1976).
His career 34,152 punt yards was the equivalent of more than 19 miles worth of punts. He appeared in 195 career games, tied for fourth in Chargers history with the second-most punts in team history (756). He launched at least one 60-yard punt ever year of his career.
Scifres earned his bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from WIU in 2002. He and his wife Stacie have four children: Berkeley, Bristyn, Brodyn and Blakelyn. They currently reside in San Diego.
