Bryan Anger Bio
Bryan Corey Anger is an American professional football punter for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Born on October 6, 1988, in Camarillo, California, he played college football for the California Golden Bears of the Pac-10 and Pac-12 conferences. Anger was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and has since played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans before joining Dallas. Renowned for his powerful leg and consistent placement, Anger has earned two Pro Bowl selections and two Second-team All-Pro honors.
Early Life and Background
Bryan Corey Anger was born on October 6, 1988, in Camarillo, California. He grew up in his hometown and attended Camarillo High School, where he developed into one of the top high school punters in the country. As a senior, Anger posted a 41.8-yard punting average, downed 11 punts inside the 20-yard line, and added 42 receptions for 678 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver.
His senior performance drew national recognition, including USA Today All-American, EA Sports All-American, SuperPrep All-Far West, Prepstar All-West Region, and Cal-Hi Sports first-team All-State honors. Rivals listed him as the No. 2 punter in the country, which helped him secure a football scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley.
Path to Professional Football
At California, Anger quickly became a fixture in the punting game and never missed a game across four seasons, appearing in all 51 contests. As a redshirt freshman, he registered a 43.1-yard average and booted a 76-yard punt against Stanford, then the second-longest in school history. His strong placement also produced 26 punts downed inside the 20 during that debut season.
As a junior, Anger set the California single-season punt average record at 45.6 yards, ranking second in the Pac-10 and sixth nationally. He repeated his all-conference form as a senior with a 44.2 average, finishing second in school history and sixth in Pac-12 history in career gross punting average. Anger became only the second Cal player to earn first-team all-conference honors for three straight seasons, joining Alex Mack. He closed his college career with 255 punts for 11,094 yards, a 43.5-yard average, and a 38.2 net average, then attended the 2012 East-West Shrine Game.
Bryan Anger Career
Early Career (2012-2015)
Anger entered the NFL when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the third round, 70th overall, of the 2012 NFL draft, making him the highest drafted punter since Todd Sauerbrun in 1995. As a rookie, he punted 91 times for 4,353 yards and a 47.8-yard average, the second-best figure in the league, and earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He also received an Associated Press vote for the 2012 All-Pro Team.
In his second season, Anger led the NFL in punts (95) and punting yards (4,338), and followed it up in 2014 with a career-high 4,464 punting yards and a league-leading 47.5-yard average. His Jacksonville tenure ended after the 2015 season, when he punted 80 times for 3,700 yards and a 46.3-yard average.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018)
On March 22, 2016, Anger signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won the starting job after the team released Jake Schum. He closed 2016 by punting five times for 229 yards against the Carolina Panthers in the regular-season finale, landing every punt inside the 20-yard line in a 17-16 Buccaneers win, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The next day he signed a five-year, $17 million extension covering him through 2021.
Anger remained a steady presence in Tampa Bay, punting 65 times for 2,857 yards in 2017 and 57 times for 2,567 yards in 2018. The Buccaneers released him on March 13, 2019, ending his three-season run with the franchise.
Houston Texans (2019-2020)
On July 23, 2019, Anger signed with the Houston Texans and was released on August 30, 2019, before being re-signed on September 17, 2019 after the team cut Trevor Daniel. He finished the 2019 season with 45 punts for 2,094 yards and signed a three-year contract extension on December 28, 2019.
In 2020, Anger punted 54 times for 2,505 yards, averaging 46.38 yards per punt, while serving as Houston’s primary punter. The Texans released him on March 18, 2021.
Dallas Cowboys Era (2021-Present)
On April 7, 2021, Anger signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys, where he has remained since. He responded with 65 punts for 3,143 yards and a 48.4-yard average in 2021, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and Second-team All-Pro honors. On March 22, 2022, he re-signed with the Cowboys on a three-year, $9 million contract, the deal running through the 2025 season.
Anger posted 68 punts for 3,291 yards and a 48.4-yard average in 2022, then followed it with a 51.41-yard average on 44 punts in 2023, the highest single-season mark of his career. He added 62 punts for 3,005 yards in 2024 and continued producing in 2025 with 41 punts for 1,994 yards and a 48.6-yard average.
Driving Style and Strengths
Anger is known for his powerful leg and combination of distance with directional placement, allowing him to flip field position on a regular basis. His track-record highlights include multiple seasons leading the league in punting average and a career-long punt of 83 yards. He pairs a strong directional game with steady inside-the-20 placement, making him one of the most complete punters of his era.
Notable Events and Milestones
Anger became the highest drafted punter since 1995 when the Jacksonville Jaguars took him 70th overall in 2012, a selection that drew extra attention when Seattle took Russell Wilson later in the same round. He later earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2021 and 2023, and his nickname Banger was coined by Jacksonville teammates in recognition of his booming kicks.
Bryan Anger Career Wins
Across his NFL career, Bryan Anger has built a reputation as a top-tier punter rather than a win-loss leader, but his statistical achievements speak to sustained excellence. He has twice been named to the Pro Bowl, twice earned Second-team All-Pro, and led the NFL in punting yards in 2013 with 4,338 yards.
NFL Highlights
Anger earned his first Pro Bowl selection after the 2021 season with the Dallas Cowboys and added a second Pro Bowl nod after the 2023 campaign, when he posted a career-best 51.41-yard average. He also received Second-team All-Pro honors in both 2021 and 2023, and was voted to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2012 after finishing second in the league in punting average.
His most recent standout performance came in 2024, when he averaged 48.5 yards on 62 punts, and he carried that form into 2025 with a 48.6-yard average through the early-season totals. Over his career, Anger has logged 931 punts for 43,788 yards with 338 punts placed inside the 20, a 47-yard average, and a career-long punt of 83 yards.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL career | N/A | 2 Pro Bowl selections | 2 Second-team All-Pro |
Bryan Anger Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public records on Bryan Anger’s parents and broader family background are limited, and detailed lineage information has not been widely published. What is known is that he grew up in Camarillo, California, and attended Camarillo High School, where his punting took shape.
Personal Life
Anger is not publicly known to be married and there are no widely reported details about a spouse or children. During his Jacksonville tenure his teammates gave him the nickname Banger in tribute to his powerful leg, and shortly after the 2012 draft he appeared on NFL Network host Rich Eisen’s podcast, where Eisen presented him with a shirt reading Punters are people too.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has seen Bryan Anger continue his high-level play for the Dallas Cowboys, averaging 48.6 yards on 41 punts through the early-season reporting period. That figure is consistent with the elite placement and distance he has shown since arriving in Dallas, including his 51.41-yard average of 2023 and his 48.5-yard average of 2024.
Anger remains on the three-year, $9 million contract he signed with the Cowboys on March 22, 2022, and the deal runs through the end of the 2025 campaign. With a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, another in 2023, and All-Pro recognition in both years, he has established himself as one of the league’s most reliable special-teams anchors.
Looking ahead, Anger will look to finish 2025 strong and potentially extend his career beyond the current deal, given his continued production at age 37. His combination of distance, placement, and durability makes him a likely candidate to remain a fixture in Dallas or attract interest from other clubs seeking a proven veteran punter.