Former Virginia Tech kicker boots franchise record field goal Sunday

When he was signed by the New England Patriots in May, former Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye was brought on board in Foxborough to push youngster Chad Ryland in training camp. Last seaosn Ryland struggled for the Patriots and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo was hoping for some camp competition.

The veteran linebacker got that and then some as Slye ended up beating out the former New England draft pick and won the job. In Week 1 in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Slye hit three field goals and then Sunday, he kicked a long field goal to close out the first half for the Patriots.

Joey Slye hits franchise-record field goal for the Patriots

It was a disastrous first half for the Patriots against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. They trailed 20-0 with two seconds remaining in the half and with nothing to really lose, Mayo called a time-out and sent the former Hokie out to attempt a 63-yard field goal.

Slye, who hit from beyond midfield before the game in warmups according to the FOX broadcast, drilled the 63-yard field goal and in fact, he hit it so good that it would have been good from 65 yards if needed.

It was a franchise-record field goal for Slye and it puts him ahead of some of the franchise's best kickers of all time. Adam Vinatieri had the famous Snow Bowl kick in the playoffs back in January of 2002 following the famous Tuck Rule against the Oakland Raiders. Sunday, Slye moved into the franchise record books and kicked the longest field goal in the franchise's history on a day when just about nothing was going right for New England in the opening half in California.