Matt Dodge
Matthew Dean Dodge[1] (born May 30, 1987) is a former American football punter. He was a Second Team All-American while a Senior at East Carolina University as he ranked second in the NCAA in yards per punt (45.8)[2] He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft. He was out of the league one year later.
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| Position: | Punter | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 30, 1987 Morehead City, North Carolina | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | East Carolina | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2010 / Round: 7 / Pick: 221 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Dodge was born in Morehead City, North Carolina, where he played at West Carteret High School before attending Appalachian State University. As a freshman, Dodge was the punter for the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA National Champion Appalachian State football team . He later transferred to East Carolina University and become their punter for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Dodge was projected to be drafted in the seventh round or signed as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2010 NFL Draft.[3]
| Height | Weight | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
224 lb (102 kg) |
34 in (0.86 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 23 reps | ||||||||
| All values from Pro Day on March 25, 2010.[3] | ||||||||||||
New York Giants
Dodge was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round (221st overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft to replace long-time Giants punter Jeff Feagles, who had just retired. Dodge beat out Jy Bond for the punting job on June 21 when Bond was waived from the team.[4] Dodge was signed to a four-year contract on June 23.[5]
Dodge's first professional punt was blocked in a Monday night preseason game against the New York Jets. During a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 19, 2010, Dodge had a 36-yard punt that was returned by DeSean Jackson for a touchdown as time expired, giving the Eagles a 38−31 win in a game later called the "Miracle at the New Meadowlands". Shortly after the winning touchdown, Dodge was publicly criticized by his head coach, Tom Coughlin, for failing to punt the ball out-of-bounds.[6]
On September 3, 2011, Dodge was released from the Giants[7] in favor of former New York Jet punter Steve Weatherford.
References
- "Matt Dodge Pro Football Reference". pro-football-reference.com/. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- "2009 Punting Stats | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- "Matt Dodge, East Carolina, P, 2010". Draft Scout. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Garafolo, Mike (June 21, 2010). "Giants waive five players, including punter Jy Bond". NJ.com. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Garafolo, Mike (June 23, 2010). "Giants agree to terms with draft picks Mitch Petrus and Matt Dodge". NJ.com. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Vacciano, Ralph (December 20, 2010). "DeSean Jackson's punt return touchdown caps Eagles comeback, led by Michael Vick, against Giants". NY Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Schwartz, Paul (September 3, 2011). "'Tough, tough decision' to cut Giants punter Dodge". New York Post. Retrieved February 26, 2020.