Seattle Seahawks’ rookie Australian punter, Michael Dickson has taken the NFL by storm this season.
Michael Dickson – The Aussie Revolutionizing the punt
The Seahawks moved up in the draft to take the former Texas Longhorns punter in the 5th round with the 149th overall pick. Many people thought Pete Carroll was crazy, but the results speak for themselves.
Dickson is leading the NFC Pro Bowl voting for punters and his performance on the field is gaining worldwide attention.
From his 48 punts through 10 games, he has amassed 2,322 yards at an incredible average of 48.4. Only two other punters in the league are better, fellow Aussie and Philadelphia Eagle Cameron Johnston (48.6) and Arizona Cardinal Andy Lee (48.8).
It’s common knowledge that the Seahawks want to rebuild. This often means quarterback Russell Wilson struggles to get the football away when his offensive line can’t hold the pass rush.
This is where Dickson shines
The ability to be able to kick the ball 50 yards downfield on nearly every punt is a great asset. His longest punt is 69 yards, well above any other punter. This helps Seattle get out of trouble and pin their opposition deep in their own territory.
Not only is Dickson a quality punter, but he can drop kick the football too.
In recent weeks, he has taken to “drop kicking” the football to kick off. The football world was shocked when it happened. But now, it’s just what the Aussie does.
But the skill set doesn’t end there. In Week Seven the Seahawks led 28-14 against in Detroit against the Lions. On fourth down, deep in their own end, Dickson was told to take a knee in the end zone to avoid a blocked punt. As the ball was snapped to him, he saw a huge opening on the right side, so he tucked the ball in and ran for a first down.
Not overawed by the situation, Dickson took a huge hit to end the play. They build them tough in Australia.
The ability to be able to kick the ball 50 yards downfield on nearly every punt is a great asset. His longest punt is 69 yards, well above any other punter.
Coach Pete Carroll spoke about it after the game, “Mike has a big set of balls on him, we now call it the Aussie sweep,” he joked.
This kid is going to be a mainstay in the NFL for many years to come. Expect him to rack up 20 seasons if he wants to.
Congratulations Mike, you are doing Australia proud.