A year into his NFL career, Jason Elam's parents were stunned to learn their youngest child was taking flying lessons with the thought of getting a commercial pilot's license.

"Why?" his father, Ralph, wondered.

Future security the then-23-year-old explained. In the NFL, as Jason said, you're only as good as your last kick. After all, he never knew when he might need, as he put it, "to find a real job."

In the NFL — famously described as standing for "Not For Long" by Jerry Glanville — Elam turned out to be around for a remarkably long time, 17 seasons, until he was cut this week by the Atlanta Falcons.

It is the longest, most decorated NFL career of any former UH player — with an emphasis on long. Elam's shoes have already made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his record-tying 63-yard field goal and it is only a matter of time until the rest of his career is honored in Canton, too.

The 39-year-old's body of work includes 23 game-winning field goals, an NFL record for 16 consecutive seasons with at least 100 points scored and three Pro Bowls.

Elam was bankable: an 80 percent conversion rate on field-goal attempts, including 60 percent from 50 yards and beyond. Ninety-nine percent on extra points. His record-tying 63-yard field goal cleared the bar by 6 feet. He barely missed at 66 yards.

During his 15 seasons in Denver, one of the best shows came before the game when early arrivers lined the sideline barriers to watch a solitary figure, Elam, with a kick stand, at work, sort of like the way people turn out to watch baseball power hitters take batting practice.

UH coaches knew the polite youngster with the Georgia twang was something special as soon as he laced up his shoe. In his 1988 freshman preseason camp, head coach Bob Wagner issued the "Jason Elam Rule" — forbidding any excited talk about their wonder recruit lest it place impossible expectations on his young back.

That lasted until the season opener when Elam kicked field goals of 47 and 23 yards, the latter with 1 minute, 36 seconds remaining, to beat ninth-ranked Iowa, 27-24.

Through the Holiday Bowl championship season of 1992, Elam had Rolex reliability. One of the few things he missed was the NCAA career record for field goals, falling just one short of the mark of 80. In a gesture of appreciation, teammates had him kick a symbolic one after the final game.