Michael Dickson

Michael Dickson Bio

Michael Dickson is an Australian professional American football punter and holder for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Regarded as one of the best punters in the league, his career punt average ranked as the highest in NFL history at one point.

Early Life and Background

Michael Dickson was born on January 4, 1996, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He first played soccer in his youth before switching to Australian rules football at the age of nine. In his first year of playing Australian rules football, he earned the Golden Boot award for having the best kicking. He excelled in Australian football while playing for the University of New South Wales-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs in the local Sydney AFL competition and was subsequently placed in the Sydney Swans talent academy as a teenager. Dickson continued to play for UNSW-ES and the Swans reserves in the North East Australian Football League in an attempt to be drafted to a professional AFL team but was overlooked at the 2014 AFL draft. His Australian football career highlight occurred when he was chosen to play for the Swans in the 2014 NEAFL Grand Final, where the Swans were defeated by a two-point margin. 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. Through his Prokick Australia experience, he was picked up by the University of Texas as a punter by head coach Charlie Strong.

Path to American Football

Michael Dickson began his college career with the Texas Longhorns in 2015. In his first season, he had 77 punts for 3,179 net yards, averaging 41.3 yards per punt. In the 2016 season, he improved his performance with 65 punts for 3,079 net yards, averaging 47.4 yards per punt. His junior season in 2017 was particularly noteworthy as he won the Ray Guy Award and was named a unanimous All-American. He was also named MVP of the 2017 Texas Bowl. Dickson’s impressive statistics during his college career included 84 punts for 3,984 net yards, maintaining an average of 47.4 yards per punt. In late December 2017, he announced that he would forgo his senior year at Texas to enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

Michael Dickson Career

Early Career (2018-Present)

Michael Dickson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round, 149th overall, of the 2018 NFL Draft. He won the punting job after the Seahawks released longtime veteran Jon Ryan during the preseason. Dickson made his NFL debut during the season opening 27–24 road loss to the Denver Broncos, punting six times for 354 net yards. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Week 8 against the Detroit Lions. One of his notable plays during his rookie season was dubbed “The Aussie Sweep,” where he ran for a first down instead of punting the ball. Dickson punted 78 times for 3,759 yards in the 2018 season, with an average of 48.2 yards per punt, ranking as the second-highest in the league. He was voted into the 2019 Pro Bowl, becoming the first rookie punter to participate since Dale Hatcher in 1985. He was also named a first-team All-Pro and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Breakthrough (2019-2021)

In the 2019 season, Dickson had 74 punts for 3,341 yards, averaging 45.2 yards per punt. The following year, in Week 2 of the 2020 season, he had an impressive performance against the New England Patriots, punting four times with a 50-yard average, landing all four inside the 20-yard line. He earned another NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor for that performance. During the 2020 season, Dickson punted 61 times for 3,028 yards, with an average of 49.6 yards, marking the second-highest in the league and the ninth highest single-season average of all time. In June 2021, he signed a four-year, $14.5 million contract extension with the Seahawks.

Notable Works and Milestones

Michael Dickson is recognized for his signature play, the “double punt,” where he chased down a blocked punt and kicked it again, showcasing his unique skills. He punted a career-high 83 times for 3,895 yards during the 2021 season, averaging 46.9 yards per punt and pinning 40 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, the most in the league that season.

Michael Dickson Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Michael Dickson has received several nominations, including being named to the Pro Bowl and the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2018.

Michael Dickson Awards Won

Michael Dickson has won numerous awards, including the Ray Guy Award in 2017, and has been recognized as a first-team All-Pro and a unanimous All-American. He has also been honored as the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year twice and has made the first-team All-Big 12 twice.