- Two weeks into the 2018 NFL season, Seahawks rookie punter Michael Dickson is already the most captivating special teams player in the league.
- Dickson didn't get his start in American football until 2015, but quickly rose to prominence in college and was eventually picked by Seattle in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
- Through two weeks, Dickson is amongst the league leaders in punting statistics and has also utilized his drop-kicking abilities on several occasions for the Seahawks.
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One of the most exciting rookies in the NFL is a punter
Michael Dickson was a standout special teams player in college, and has made a seamless transition to punting dominance in the NFL just two weeks into his professional career.
Special teams players, like referees, are usually doing their jobs best when they go relatively unnoticed.
For kickers, punters, and long snappers, the lights shine brightest in their moments of failure, and a long, anonymous career is an enjoyable, prosperous outcome of their time in the NFL.
A few special players break this mold — Justin Tucker has made a name for himself with his uncanny ability to hit field goals from 60+ yards out, and Marquette King's booming punts and dance moves brought him more attention than you might expect for a punter.
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Just two weeks into his professional career, the newest member of this list of standout special teamers is Michael Dickson, rookie punter for the Seattle Seahawks.
Dickson made a splash in college, most notably winning MVP of the Texas Bowl, as he helped lead the Longhorns to a
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Dickson has also proven to be one of the more versatile special teamers in the league, serving up a dropkick for Seattle against the Bears on Monday night — the first in the NFL since 2015.
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While Dickson's dropkick might not be the norm, it's a useful tool for the Seahawks to break out in certain situations.
In this case, Seattle was kicking off from midfield thanks to a penalty on an extra point attempt. Rather than a traditional kickoff, the Seahawks opted for the dropkick, which allows for a longer hang time and thus better downfield coverage on the return.
The most amazing aspect of Dickson's rise to special teams stardom is how much room he still has to grow. Born in Australia, Dickson honed his powerful leg playing Aussie rules football with his first attempt at kicking at American football not coming until 2015.
With the Seahawks open to using Dickson in unique ways — they even attempted an onside dropkick — there's a good chance these aren't the last highlights we get out of him through the 2018 season.
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