As pro football's first "soccer style" kicker, Pete Gogolak permanently influenced the game.

A native of Budapest, Hungary, Gogolak settled in Ogdensburg in 1956 when his family moved during the Hungarian Revolution. Just 14 years of age at the time, Gogolak hoped to play soccer in the United States. But there was one problem: His school, Ogdensburg Free Academy, didn't have a soccer team.

So, Gogolak put his skills to work in football and became an instant success, going on to play for Cornell University, the AFL's Buffalo Bills and the NFL's New York Giants. In his two seasons in Buffalo, Gogolak and the Bills won a pair of AFL championships.

Gogolak jumped to the rival NFL in 1966, a historic move that set a precedent for contentious player transactions between the two leagues and eventually led to the AFL-NFL merger.

Gogolak stayed with the Giants through 1974 and remains the team's all-time leading scorer (646 points). Among his other team records: most extra points made in one game (eight against Philadelphia in 1972).

Today, all pro kickers employ the soccer style, approaching the ball from an angle to make impact with the instep. The NFL's last conventional, straight-on kicker, Mark Moseley, retired after the 1986 season.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Watertown Daily Times' North Country's Greatest Athletes series will appear each Monday on Page C2 of the Times sports section. The 100 athletes selected by the Times are not ranked in any particular order.