{{short description|American football player (born 1998)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox NFL biography |name=Danny Kight |image= |caption= |current_team= |number=2, 7, 12<ref name="pfa">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/k/kigh00200.html | title=Danny Kight | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref> |position=Kickoff specialist |birth_date={{birth date and age|August 18, 1971}} |birth_place=Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |death_date= |death_place= |height_ft=6 |height_in=1 |weight_lbs=214 |high_school=Druid Hills {{nowrap|(Druid Hills, Georgia)}} |college=Augusta State (soccer) |undraftedyear= |pastteams= * San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|1996}})* * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1997}})* * Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1998}}) * → Rhein Fire (1998) * Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1999}})* * Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1999}})* * Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|1999|2000}}) * → Rhein Fire (2000) * Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2001}}) * New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2003}})* * Louisville Fire (2004–2005, 2007–2008) * Arizona Rattlers ({{AFL Year|2005}}) * Columbus Destroyers ({{AFL Year|2006}}) |highlights= |pfr=KighDa20 |afl=4983 }} '''Edward Oliver''' "'''Danny'''" '''Kight''' (born August 18, 1971) is an American former professional football kickoff specialist who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens. He played college soccer at Augusta State University.
==Early life== Edward Oliver Kight was born on August 18, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia.<ref name="pfa"/> He played soccer and football at Druid Hills High School in Druid Hills, Georgia.<ref name="bal"/><ref name="pfa"/> He was a kicker on the football team. He played college soccer at Division II Augusta State University.<ref name="bal"/>
==Professional career== Kight joined an Augusta, Georgia semi-pro football team in 1996 and received a tryout with the San Diego Chargers after making a 63-yard field goal.<ref name="bal">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun/176700291/ | title=Kight signed to boost kickoff coverage unit | work=The Baltimore Sun | date=October 27, 2001 | accessdate=15 July 2025 | author=McMullen, Paul | pages=7C}}</ref> He signed with the Chargers on April 23, 1996.<ref name="transactions">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/k/kigh00200.html | title=Danny Kight Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref> He was later released on August 14, 1996.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight signed with the Dallas Cowboys on April 15, 1997.<ref name="transactions"/> He was released on August 12, 1997.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight was signed by the Washington Redskins on February 11, 1998.<ref name="transactions"/> He was allocated to NFL Europe to play for the Rhein Fire.<ref name="transactions"/> He converted five of 12 field goals and also posted one special teams tackle for the Fire during the 1998 NFL Europe season.<ref name="pfa"/> On July 20, 1998, the Redskins placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list.<ref name="transactions"/> Kight was released by the Redskins on September 22, 1998.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 7, 1999, but was soon waived on April 19, 1999.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns on April 20, 1999.<ref name="transactions"/> He was later released on August 25, 1999.<ref name="transactions"/>
Through the first four games of the 1999 NFL season, Indianapolis Colts placekicker Mike Vanderjagt and punter Hunter Smith had shared kickoff duties.<ref name="colts">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star/176701847/ | title=Danny Kight | work=The Indianapolis Star | date=August 2, 2000 | accessdate=15 July 2025 | pages=D2}}</ref> On October 13, 1999, Kight signed with the Colts as a kickoff specialist and handled kickoff duties for the remainder of the season.<ref name="transactions"/><ref name="colts"/> He played in 12 games for the Colts that year, kicking off 66 times for 4,246 yards (64 yard average) and nine touchbacks while posting one assisted tackle.<ref name="pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KighDa20.htm | title=Danny Kight | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref> He also appeared in one playoff game that year and kicked off five times for 271 yards (54 yard average) and two touchbacks.<ref name="pfr"/> In 2000, he was allocated to NFL Europe to play for the Fire again.<ref name="transactions"/> He appeared in five games for Rhein during the 2000 NFL Europe season, converting three of five field goals (including a league record 56-yarder) before suffering a season-ending knee injury.<ref name="pfa"/><ref name="colts"/> Kight played in all 16 games for the Colts during the 2000 NFL season, recording 87 kickoffs for 5,619 yards (65 yard average) and 13 touchbacks.<ref name="pfr"/> ''The Baltimore Sun'' later reported that "39 of Kight's 85 [sic] kickoffs" reached the endzone in 2000, which was the second-best ratio in the NFL.<ref name="bal"/> He also kicked off six times for 403 yards (67 yard average) and two touchbacks in one playoff game.<ref name="pfr"/> Kight was released by the Colts the next year on August 21, 2001.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight signed with the Baltimore Ravens on October 23, 2001.<ref name="transactions"/> He played in ten games for the Ravens, kicking off 48 times for 2,909 yards (61 yard average) and six touchbacks.<ref name="pfr"/> He also appeared in two playoff games for the Ravens, kicking off eight times for 494 yards and a 62 yard average.<ref name="pfr"/> Kight became a free agent after the 2001 season and re-signed with the Ravens.<ref name="transactions"/> He was released on August 31, 2002.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight was signed by the New York Jets on May 2, 2003.<ref name="transactions"/> He was released on August 18, 2003.<ref name="transactions"/>
Kight played for the Louisville Fire of the af2 from 2004 to 2005 and again from 2007 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/saturday-night-af2-playoff-matchup/n-3074263 | title=Saturday night af2 playoff matchup | publisher=OurSportsCentral.com | date=August 13, 2004 | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&article=2004 | title=Fire Benefit From Mr. Kight | publisher=ArenaFan.com | date=April 18, 2005 | accessdate=15 July 2025 | author=Sedelmeier, Kevin}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/176701244/ | title=af2 playoffs | work=Green Bay Press-Gazette | date=August 11, 2007 | accessdate=15 July 2025 | pages=C5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/article43967976.html | title=Eviston's fumble proves costly | work=Lexington Herald-Leader | date=June 24, 2008 | accessdate=15 July 2025 | author=Bailey, Rick}}</ref>
Kight signed with the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League (AFL) on February 25, 2005.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=21 | title=Historical Team Transactions | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref> He played in one game for the Rattlers, converting one of three extra points while missing one field goal.<ref name="pfa"/><ref name="af">{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/players/Danny_Kight-4983/ | title=Danny Kight | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref>
On February 18, 2006, Kight signed with the AFL's Columbus Destroyers as an emergency kicker after Mark Lewis was placed on emergency hold.<ref name="col">{{cite web | url=https://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=103 | title=Historical Team Transactions | publisher=ArenaFan.com | accessdate=15 July 2025}}</ref> Kight was waived on February 20 after Lewis returned.<ref name="col"/> Kight re-signed with Columbus as an emergency kicker again on February 23, but was waived again on February 27.<ref name="col"/> He was signed as an emergency kicker for the third time on March 2, and was waived for the final time on March 6, 2006.<ref name="col"/> Overall, Kight played in three games for the Destroyers during the 2006 season, converting two of six field goals and 15 of 17 extra points while also posting one solo tackle.<ref name="pfa"/><ref name="af"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kight, Danny}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:Soccer players from Atlanta Category:Players of American football from Atlanta Category:American football placekickers Category:American football kickoff specialists Category:Augusta State University alumni Category:College men's soccer players in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:Washington Redskins players Category:Rhein Fire players Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Category:Cleveland Browns players Category:Indianapolis Colts players Category:Baltimore Ravens players Category:New York Jets players Category:Arizona Rattlers players Category:Louisville Fire players Category:Columbus Destroyers players