Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Graham played for 10 different NFL teams, tied with Tillie Voss for the most in league history.
Graham played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, winning Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 1999. An undrafted free agent, he began his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills in 2001. His longest stint was with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent seven seasons and received Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2005. Graham was named to the Cincinnati Bengals 40th Anniversary Team in 2007.
Graham attended Pulaski County High School in Dublin, Virginia, graduating in 1996. He holds many of the school's kicking records including most field goals in career (28, from 1992 to 1995), most field goals in a season (15, 1995), and longest field goal, a 54-yarder against Anacostia in 1995.
Graham played college football at Virginia Tech and was named to the first-team All-Big East Conference in all four seasons. In 1999, as a senior, Graham earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Year honors after leading the conference and breaking the school's single-season scoring record with 107 points on 56-of-57 extra points and 17-of-22 field goals. He was 68-of-93 (73.1%) in field goals for his Virginia Tech career and set a Virginia Tech and Big East record with 97 consecutive successful extra points. He left Virginia Tech as the all-time scoring leader in school history and Big East history with 371 points. His contributions at Tech led to his induction in the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
Following a tryout with the Cleveland Browns, it was announced in May 2000, that Graham would play in two games for the Richmond Speed of the AF2, and that he would use the time to practice for a future NFL tryout with the Tennessee Titans. As it turned out Graham played in only one game for the Speed, a 60 - 21 loss against the Arkansas Twisters on May 26, 2000. During the game, he missed two field goals, from 36 and 44-yards, and two of three extra points. After the game, Graham told the Roanoke Times: "It was a big adjustment. In the arena game, the holder puts the ball down, then the kicker starts forward. I've always been accustomed to starting with the snap. My rhythm was all messed up." Graham left the team and was replaced by special teams coach Dave DeArmas, who unretired and played in the following week's game against the Jacksonville Tomcats.
New Orleans Saints (first stint)
After going undrafted in the 2000 NFL draft, Graham signed with the New Orleans Saints on June 30, 2000. Graham was 1-for-1 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal during the preseason. He was waived on August 22.
Graham was signed by the Seattle Seahawks on April 27, 2001. He was 6-for-6 on extra points in the preseason but had his only field goal attempt blocked. He was waived on September 2. On October 30, Graham was invited back for a tryout after kicker Rian Lindell missed two field goals in a 24–20 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Graham did not get a contract and Lindell was retained as the Seahawks' kicker for the remainder of the 2001 season.
The Buffalo Bills signed Graham on November 27, 2001, to replace rookie kicker Jake Arians; Arians had missed several key field goals and a crucial extra point over the course of the season. Graham played in the Bills' final six games, going 6-for-8 on field goals. He was released on April 23, 2002, and replaced by Mike Hollis.
Seattle Seahawks (second stint)
Graham was re-signed by the Seahawks on May 13, 2002. He began training camp with Seattle before being waived on August 13.
Graham signed with the Carolina Panthers on September 28, 2002, after an injury to veteran John Kasay. Originally, Jon Hilbert replaced Kasay; however, after missing two field goals during the Week 3 game versus the Minnesota Vikings, Hilbert was replaced by Graham. The following week, in a game against the Green Bay Packers and after being on the team for only two days, Graham missed a 24-yard field goal inches to the right with 13 seconds remaining that would have tied the score. The Panthers ended up losing the game 17–14. In total he played in 11 of the Panthers' final 13 games, leading the team in scoring with 60 points. He was 13-of-18 on field goals and averaged 66 yards on his five kickoffs.
After spending the 2003 preseason with Carolina, Graham was waived on August 31, right before the season began.
The Cincinnati Bengals claimed Graham off waivers on September 1, 2003. With the Bengals in 2003, Graham played in all 16 games and set a franchise record by making 88% (22-of-25) of his field goals.
In the following offseason, Graham was tendered a restricted free agent offer sheet by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the offer was matched by the Bengals.
In 2004, Graham narrowly missed matching his previous season's accuracy mark, finishing the year 27-of-31 (87.1%) on field goals. In 2005, Graham made 28-of-32 field goals (87.5%), scored a franchise record 131 points, was selected to be the kicker for the AFC Pro Bowl squad, and helped the Bengals record their first winning season since 1990. Graham was the first kicker in franchise history ever to be selected to play in a Pro Bowl.
In 2005, Graham set the NFL record for tackles by a kicker with 11 combined (7 plus 4 assists.)
In 2006, Graham finished fourth in the AFC with 115 points and was 25-of-30 (83.3%) on field goals on the season.