Michael Dickson: From Sydney to Seattle

There are 32 rostered punters in the NFL heading into every year, but this season, a record-breaking 7 hail from down under, not least of those, the league’s highest paid one – Michael Dickson.

Having recently tasted Super Bowl success and now gearing up for his 9^th season in Seattle, Dickson’s journey follows a similar storyline to those of his compatriots, but his has its unique elements, and it didn’t always look like he’d get to experience his dream of playing a sport at the highest level.

Born in Sydney, Dickson was discovered early as a talented young Australian rules football player with a booming kick, when he joined the Sydney Swans’ academy, with genuine aspiration of being drafted to the Australian Football League. Alas, in 2014, that dream was cut short, as each of the league’s 18 teams passed on Dickson in the national draft.

Devastation naturally was the raw emotion for the 18-year-old Dickson at the time, but he was to have no idea what opportunities it may open for his future.

Shortly after his draft snub, Nathan Chapman, former AFL player and founder of Prokick Australia – who work to convert Australian athletes into punters – reached out and offered Dickson a chance to move to Melbourne and give punting a go, where he learnt his craft quickly, despite considerable differences in technique.

Having reinvented himself, the University of Texas reached out to Dickson, offering him an irresistible scholarship ahead of the 2015 college football season. It was only instinctual that he packed his bags and flew across the world to try keep his dream alive.

By the 2017 season, the name ‘Michael Dickson’ was known nationally in the USA, as he was considered the best punter in college football. To remind you, he’d been punting for no more than 3 years at this stage. He received the Texas Bowl MVP against Missouri, and more notably, the highest honour for a punter in college football, the Ray Guy award, while also being named first-team All-American. He’d suddenly become a legitimate NFL prospect.

Then came draft night in 2018. By his own admission, knowing that punters are rarely taken before the 6^th or 7^th round only increased his tension, as he hoped to overcome the demons of the 2014 AFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks originally held the 156^th overall pick in the draft but traded up on draft night to 149^th overall, where they selected Dickson – the first selection of a punter inside the top 150 picks since 2012 at the time. Seattle had fallen in love with the uniqueness of Dickson’s repertoire, particularly his ability to make the ball spin awkwardly, reminiscent of a ‘drop punt’ Australian football kick.

Dickson replaced long-term Seahawks punter Jon Ryan for his rookie season and had potentially the best rookie punting season of all time, where he was named All-Pro first team and a Pro Bowler.

Fast forward to 2025, where Dickson had established himself as the league’s best punter and was rightfully rewarded with a 4-year, $16.05 million extension, making him the NFL’s highest paid punter ever. Less than a year later, Dickson was a Super Bowl champion, as he punted 7 times for 335 yards on the league’s biggest stage, with Seattle defeating New England 29-13. As a result, Dickson became Australia’s 3^rd NFL champion – preceded by Jordan Mailata (2025, Philadelphia Eagles) and Jesse Williams (2014, also Seattle Seahawks).

A true story of resilience, as Dickson leads the way as a major icon for Australian punters throughout the league, and one of the league’s great humans.

Dickson’s Seahawks aren’t travelling to Melbourne for Australia’s inaugural NFL game, which he hid his disappointment about in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, but he’s made it abundantly clear how much it means to him and the other Australians in the league to see the game expanding into their home country, and he hopes Seattle can feature in Australia before time expires on his career.

Don’t miss Dickson and the Seahawks as they take on New England in a massive Super Bowl rematch in the Emerald City. Tonight at 8:20 ET.