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Former San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl kicker Robbie Gould officially called it a career on Thursday with his story in the The Players’ Tribune.
Gould kicked for the Niners from 2017 to 2022, which included a Super Bowl appearance in 2020 when the team fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-20. The 18-year veteran became the 10th all-time leading scorer in league history during his career with three different teams.
“’All good things must come to an end.’ The meaning of that saying is pretty simple, really. Great things in life cannot last forever. Everything is temporary,” Gould wrote.
“To have the kind of playing-career experience that I had in the NFL was nothing short of amazing, and my level of gratitude for the journey — the ups, the downs, the in-between — is immeasurable. In short, my NFL story is hard to believe, and it’s filled with a plethora of ‘pinch-me’ moments,” Gould continued.
Niners fans enjoyed some of those moments as he hit 87.5% of his field goals. That included longs of 54, 53, 52, and 51 yards during Gould time by The Bay.
Gould detailed his time in San Francisco where he signed as a free agent in 2017 after a one-year stint with the New York Giants. He also played for the Chicago Bears for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015 after short-lived stints with the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens as he tried to make an NFL roster.
Robbie Gould Joined 49ers Because of Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Gould wrote that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan inspired him to come play in San Francisco despite a 2-14 record in 2016 under former head coach Chip Kelly.
“His personal talent as arguably the best coach in the business, combined with that offense? I had zero hesitation about wanting to be a part of that culture,” Gould wrote. “San Francisco may not have had the best record at the time, but the thought of what that team could become from a long-term perspective was impressive to me.”
Gould saw things improve as the 49ers went 6-10 in 2017 followed by a 4-12 record in 2018. San Francisco took the next big step in 2019 with a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance, and the 49ers remained consistent winners after that with two more NFC Championship Game appearances.
His “most memorable kick” came with the 49ers during a 2020 playoff win at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. Gould hit a 45-yard field goal as time expired for a 13-10 win in the Divisional Round at snowy Lambeau.
“The temperature was below zero, and it felt exactly the way it did when I played in the Windy City. Snow was falling, and the ground was soft,” Gould wrote.
“It wasn’t ideal, but none of that mattered; as a kicker, it was one of those moments I lived for every time I stepped on the field. And then….,” Gould continued. “We nailed it right down the middle. Just like that, the game was over.”
Robbie Gould Treasure His Children’s Involvement in 49ers Stint
Besides the on-field achievements in San Francisco, Gould cherished his children being around and being “old enough to enjoy the experience with me”.
“They quickly formed relationships with the equipment guys on game days, as they’d let my boys shine up helmets and fold towels,” Gould wrote. “We started a countdown for Thursday night ‘Pies with the Guys,’ and it became a tradition that my kids looked forward to each week.”
“They’d get high fives and fist bumps at the Niners facility from some of their newest pals [my teammates!],” Gould added. “Each person in that building treated my boys like family, and to this day, my kids still talk about those ‘remember whens.’ I owe those guys a lot for the lifelong memories they created for my family.”
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