17 Facts About Toni Fritsch

Anton K "Toni" Fritsch was an Austrian footballer who later started a successful career in American football in the United States.

Toni Fritsch is distinguished as being the first Austrian to play in the National Football League.

Toni Fritsch is the only player in history to win professional titles in both association football and American football: he won the Austrian League in 1964,1967 and 1968, and the Super Bowl in 1972.

Toni Fritsch was described as a small, but extremely fast striker.

Toni Fritsch played for the Austria national football team nine times.

Toni Fritsch was an association football player who had never played a down of American football that the Dallas Cowboys converted into a place kicker.

Toni Fritsch was discovered by the team's scouts during a 1971 European tour in which they were looking for soccer-style kickers, which at the time was becoming popular in the National Football League.

Toni Fritsch did get a Super Bowl ring that season though, as he was on the roster of the Super Bowl VI-winning team.

The next year Herrera was placed on the injured reserve list and Toni Fritsch came back to lead the NFL in points and field goals.

Toni Fritsch was a part of the franchise's "Luv Ya Blue" period.

Toni Fritsch was cut on 3 September 1982, after being beaten by Florian Kempf.

Toni Fritsch was signed as a free agent by the New Orleans Saints in 1982, to replace an injured rookie Morten Andersen and reuniting with his former head coach Bum Phillips.

Toni Fritsch finished with 758 points in 125 games during his 11-year NFL career, among those 317 for Dallas.

Toni Fritsch led the NFL in field goal percentage three times.

Toni Fritsch converted 42 of 50 field goals and 126 of 131 extra points for a total of 252 points in two seasons.

On 13 September 2005, Toni Fritsch suddenly collapsed on a Vienna street after a meal at a restaurant.

Toni Fritsch died of heart failure at the age of 60.