- Aussie impressing American fans with kicking style
- Michael Dickson is one of the NFL’s best punters
- Dickson grew up in Sydney playing Aussie Rules
American NFL fans have been left gobsmacked by Aussie punter Michael Dickson’s unorthodox kicking style.
The 28-year-old Seattle Seahawks star has been wowing the league for years with his unorthodox – and effective – punting skills born out of a failed Aussie Rules career; and he did it again over the weekend.
During Seattle’s loss to the Packers, Dickson unleashed an almighty torpedo kick that punt returner Jayden Reed struggled to hang on to.
‘That was a tough to catch wobbler,’ remarked the commentary team.
‘That was one of those… Australian kicks, right. You swing across your body with that kick and it’s got that wild spin on it that you just don’t see that often.’
Dickson, who grew up in Sydney, has been one of the best punters in the NFL for the past seven seasons.
Michael Dickson has been impressing NFL fans for years with his punting skills
Teammate Leonard Williams recently commented on what an enormous impact the Aussie has on games.
‘It was an unexpected surprise,’ the Seahawks defensive end told the Seattle Times.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention to that position too much, but because he’s so great at it, it kind of makes you pay attention to his job more.
‘You also notice how much of an impact he has on the game, which I never noticed before.’
Dickson was a member of the Swans talent academy as a youngster, and spent time playing in the club’s reserves team as he looked to be picked up in the AFL draft.
Fortunately, despite the AFL door closing – an even more exciting window opened up.
Dickson and his prodigious right leg were recruited by Pro Kick Australia, with the ex-Sydneysider starring at the University of Texas, where he met partner Gianni Outram, a cheerleader.
Such was the skill he showed so early on, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, uncharacteristically high for punters, by Seattle…and the rest was history.
The Aussie aimed to make it into the AFL as a youngster but instead made it big in the NFL with his thunderous kicks
Dickson, pictured with girlfriend Gianni Outram, was drafted in 2018
He made an immediate impact at NFL level, and in 2021 signed a $21.9million deal to make him the highest paid punter in the league.
He’s so good, he provided one of the most viral moments of the 2021 season when he put his Aussie Rules background to full use during the iconic ‘Double Punt’ play.
Playing against eventual Super Bowl champions the LA Rams, one of Dickson’s punts was blocked while he was deep in his team’s territory.
Instead of just diving on the loose ball to prevent the opposition taking possession, Dickson drew on his Aussie Rules background and scooped it up with one hand and punted again – something many experts were not sure was legal – and sent the ball almost 70 yards down the field.
It sent the entire football world wild, and has since become an iconic moment; so much so there are now t-shirts and caps emblazoned with it on them.
