Case deBruijn

Case deBruijn (born April 11, 1960) is a Dutch former player of American football who was a punter and placekicker. He played one game in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs as well as two seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws. He played college football for the Idaho State Bengals and was selected in the eighth round of the 1982 NFL draft by the Chiefs.

Early life and education Case deBruijn was born on April 11, 1960, in The Hague, Netherlands. He was taught by his father, a well-known amateur soccer player, how to kick a soccer ball as a toddler. When young, his family moved to America, settling in a suburban community in Washington.

DeBruijn's high school coach, impressed by his kicking, sent several letters to college coaches about deBruijn after the latter graduated from the school. He was the 1978 national runner-up in average yards per-punt.

DeBruijn again was runner-up in punting average as a sophomore, but the 1979 Idaho State Bengals football team compiled a 0–11 record and deBruijn missed the all-conference team for the only time in his collegiate career.

Professional career The Kansas City Chiefs ended up selecting deBruijn with the 214th overall pick in the eighth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He officially signed his rookie contract, a one-year deal, on July 1. In training camp, deBruijn, a three-step kicker, was able to make several 60-yard kicks, after which he was taken aside by the coaching staff. He was not signed, with John James receiving the Oilers' punting job. DeBruijn was re-signed by the Chiefs in mid-December, four days before their game against the Denver Broncos, after the team released Gossett. "They brought me in four days before the game and said, 'OK, you're our punter.' I was nervous, but I felt all right," he said. One of his kicks was returned by Rick Upchurch for a touchdown. His play was considered such a "disaster" that, shortly after the match, Kansas City released deBruijn and re-signed Gossett.

DeBruijn went through six months of sporadic tryouts until in March , after a successful tryout with the Atlanta Falcons, he was given another NFL contract. Afterwards, he was signed by the New Orleans Saints, only to be released on August 29 during roster cuts.

After being released by the Saints, deBruijn moved to back to Virginia with his wife, intending to give the NFL one more shot in . He was the only player to punt for the team that year, appearing in all 18 games. however, the league folded before the season was to begin, ending his professional football career.

Later life After his football career, deBruijn moved to Elko, Nevada, and became an employee of the mining company Newmont. He also was a volunteer kicking coach for Elko High School.

DeBruijn was on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot in 2014 and again in 2022.