Michael Dickson (American football)

Michael Dickson
refer to caption
Dickson at 2017 Big 12 Media Days
No. 4 – Seattle Seahawks
Position: Punter
Personal information
Born: (1996-01-04) 4 January 1996
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school: Kirrawee High School
(Sydney, NSW, Australia)
College: Texas
NFL Draft: 2018 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2018
Punts: 29
Punting yards: 1,348
Average punt: 46.5
Longest punt: 69
Inside 20: 10
Player stats at NFL.com

Michael Dickson (born 4 January 1996) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas.

Early life

Born in Sydney, Dickson first played soccer in his youth before switching to Australian rules football at the age of 12.[1] He excelled in Australian football while playing for the University of New South Wales[2] in the local Sydney AFL competition and was subsequently placed in the Sydney Swans talent academy as a teenager.[3] He continued to play for UNSW and the Swans reserves[4] in the North East Australian Football League in an attempt to be drafted to a professional AFL team[5] but was overlooked at the 2014 AFL draft. Dickson's Australian football career highlight occurred when he was chosen to play for the Swans in the 2014 NEAFL Grand Final.[6] The Swans were defeated by a minor two-point margin in the final.

In 2015, at the age of 19, he moved to Melbourne to trial with Prokick Australia, a coaching program designed to help aspiring kickers and punters cross the Pacific and crack American Football.[7] Through his Prokick Australia experience, he was picked up by the University of Texas as a punter.[8]

College career

In 2017, Dickson won the Ray Guy Award and was a unanimous All-American.[9] Dickson was named MVP of the 2017 Texas Bowl.[10] In late December 2017, it was announced that Dickson would forego his senior year at Texas in favor of the 2018 NFL Draft.[11]

Professional career

Dickson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round, 149th overall, of the 2018 NFL Draft.[12] Dickson won the punting job after the Seahawks released longtime veteran Jon Ryan.[13]

He made his NFL debut in the Seahawks' season opener against the Denver Broncos. In the 27–24 loss, he had six punts for 354 net yards.[14] In addition to punting, Dickson completed both a drop kick kickoff and a drop kick onside kick in the Seahawks' week two game against the Chicago Bears.[15]

References

  1. ↑ FORMER SWANS HOPEFUL’S SHOT AT NFL DREAM
  2. ↑ Longhorns take a punt on Dickson
  3. ↑ Former NEAFL player Michael Dickson snapped up in NFL Draft
  4. ↑ LHN All Access: Michael Dickson [Nov. 28, 2015]
  5. ↑ AFL names academy players eligible for draft
  6. ↑ Dickson eyes the big time
  7. ↑ Academy: Dickson joins Seahawks
  8. ↑ Australian punter Michael Dickson committed to Texas
  9. ↑ "Texas punter declares early for NFL draft".
  10. ↑ "Texas punter Michael Dickson named Texas Bowl MVP".
  11. ↑ "Horns punter Dickson declares for NFL draft".
  12. ↑ Boyle, John (28 April 2018). "Seahawks Draft University Of Texas Punter Michael Dickson In Fifth Round Of 2018 NFL Draft". Seahawks.com. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  13. ↑ Boyle, John (20 August 2018). "Seahawks Release Longtime Punter And Franchise Icon Jon Ryan". Seahawks.com.
  14. ↑ "Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos - September 9th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  15. ↑ "Michael Dickson does drop-kick kickoff and onside kick in Seahawks' loss to Bears". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
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