Place-kickers can be the most scrutinized players in football. Making a last-second field goal is what separates the good ones from the bad ones. Giving a team confidence that they're going to make the kick at the end of a tight game is what defines the great ones.

A great one is what the Buffalo Bills had for nine years in Steve Christie. Christie, who grew up in Oakville, Ont., was well prepared to kick in the windy, snowy and cold conditions common in Ralph Wilson Stadium and he was clutch. Being counted on to succeed in pressure situations is what he loved most about being a kicker.

"It's a situation you know you're getting into," Christie said. "But when you make it on the road and the whole stadium is silent, it's just as loud as when you're at home and you make it. Part of the job is coping with possible failure, and the biggest part is how you react after you miss."

That attitude and his ability to come through in tough circumstances are what helped Christie get selected for induction into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 4.

Christie -- or his shoe, at least -- is already a part of another Hall. His right shoe from the AFC wild-card playoff game on Jan. 3, 1993, is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That shoe was a part of the biggest comeback in NFL history, when Christie's 32-yard field goal just over three minutes into overtime gave the Bills a 41-38 victory over the Houston Oilers after Buffalo had trailed, 35-3, early in the second half. It sent them on their way to Super Bowl XXVII.

"[Nate] Odomes made a huge interception," Christie said. "Right before the kick I was nervous while on the sideline, but once I hit the field, reality set in. We all figured that that was our shot to win it. When the ball went through we were all very excited."

A contributor to two Buffalo Super Bowl teams, Christie holds the Super Bowl record for longest field goal made at 54 yards in Super Bowl XXVIII. He holds the Bills' team record as well, standing at 59 yards.

Christie is also the Bills' all-time leading scorer with 1,108 points, converting on 234 field goals. Twenty-one of those either tied or won the game.

Soccer was actually the first sport Christie grew an interest in, going as far as participating on the Canadian Junior World Cup soccer team. He excelled as a placekicker and punter at the College of William and Mary, setting records for most career points (279 yards) and longest punt (69 yards). He also earned spots on the Division I-AA All-American team as a punter, while making the second-team as a kicker in 1989.

Christie was drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in the first round in 1990, but signed with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent instead. He spent two seasons there, acquiring team MVP honors in 1990, before signing with the Bills in 1992.

Christie left Buffalo after the end of the 2000 season, lending his services to the San Diego Chargers, New York Giants and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL before ending his career with the Bills after signing a one-day contract in 2008.

Christie is working in player development under Gil Scott Sports Management in Toronto. He has provided color commentary on University at Buffalo football games on radio and was an analyst on The Score Television Network in Toronto.

Away from football, Christie served Western New York as part of the Board of Directors for the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, and helped to raise thousands of dollars for Camp Good Days and Special Times.

The 20th annual Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame awards dinner will be held at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo on Nov. 4. For more information, contact Melissa Gearhart at 855-4863 or e-mail Melissa.gearhart@hyatt.com.