Morten Andersen will get another kick at the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being named among the 15 finalists for the third straight year.

So far, the longtime NFL kicker has yet to make it past the first cut down to 10 players. But as Andersen proved during his remarkable 25-year career, he is built to last.

The "Great Dane," who was born in Copenhagen and spent most of his career with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, played in more games (382) and scored more points (2,544) than any player in league history.

“It’s special every year,” Andersen said. “When you’re considered among the 15 finalists, it is unique, and you have to recognize that. I don’t take it for granted. So every year for me, it’s a gift. I’m joyful and thrilled that people think enough of me and what I did to consider me in that very elite company. And we’ll see how it goes.”

The hardest part about stating Andersen’s Hall of Fame case is trying to decide which detail is the most impressive.

He scored more than twice as many points as the NFL’s all-time touchdown leader, Jerry Rice.

His 360-game scoring streak is the longest in NFL history by nearly 100 games.

He was so good for so long that he was a member of both the 1980s and 1990s all-decade teams, while being selected to seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams.

And my personal favorite: Andersen remains the leading scorer in both Saints history and Falcons history.

Andersen is perhaps most associated with New Orleans, where he began his career from 1982-1994 and where he was inducted last month as the fourth member of the Saints' Ring of Honor. Andersen's biggest kick, however, was the 38-yard overtime field goal against the Minnesota Vikings that sent the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII. He also spent time with the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Vikings.

Although Andersen stands out among the NFL’s all-time greatest kickers, he is also in many ways representing the whole lot of them, something he takes to heart. Only one true kicker is in the Hall of Fame -- Jan Stenerud, who was enshrined way back in 1991.

Andersen has joked in the past that Stenerud needs a “drinking buddy.”