The Detroit Lions have released kicker Havard Rugland, otherwise known as "Kickalicious," as part of their moves to trim their roster to 75 players by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Rugland became an Internet sensation after producing a YouTube video with a lot of quirky trick shots that included kicking a football to a friend on a boat in a lake, in a moving car and on a skateboard. As of Tuesday the video had more than 4 million views.
Rugland has said some of the trick kicks took only a few takes, while the one where he swishes the football through a basketball hoop "could easily have been 40."
The Lions signed the Norwegian in April to give veteran kicker David Akers some competition.
Rugland made each of his three field goal attempts in the preseason. Akers made seven of his eight attempts, the lone miss on a 31-yard attempt last week against the New England Patriots.
Akers believes Rugland could have a bright future.
"Exposure means a lot in this league," Akers said. "If he can catch on to gain experience, the sky's the limit."
Rugland made an impression on the Lions' players during training camp.
"That big boot? He's legit," receiver Nate Burleson said last month. "Kickalicious is for real. He isn't just an Internet sensation."
A year ago, Rugland was working at a child protective services facility in Norway. The 28-year-old had tryouts with the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Detroit. The Lions were the only team to offer him a contract.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
