{{Short description|American football player (born 1987)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Matt Dodge | image = Matt Dodge.jpg | caption = Dodge with the New York Giants in 2010 | number = 6 | position = Punter | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|05|30}} | birth_place = Morehead City, North Carolina, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lbs = 224 | high_school = West Carteret (NC) | college = Appalachian State (2005)<br>East Carolina (2006–2009) | draftyear = 2010 | draftround = 7 | draftpick = 221 | highlights = * NCAA Division I-AA champion (2005) * Second-team All-American (2009) * First-team All-C-USA (2009) | pastteams = * New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2010}}) | statlabel1 = Punts | statvalue1 = 72 | statlabel2 = Punt yards | statvalue2 = 3,222 | statlabel3 = Punting yard average | statvalue3 = 44.8 | pfr = DodgMa99 }} '''Matthew Dean Dodge'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Matt Dodge Pro Football Reference |work=pro-football-reference.com/ |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DodgMa99.htm |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> (born May 30, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a punter for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Giants in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft.
==Early life and college== Dodge was born in Morehead City, North Carolina, where he played multiple sports including football and soccer at West Carteret High School before attending Appalachian State University. He also dabbled in bodybuilding.<ref name="Getting a kick out of life">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/after-botching-the-punt-ex-giant-matt-dodge-getting-a-kick-out-of-life|title=After botching the punt, ex-Giant Matt Dodge getting a kick out of life|work=Foxsports.com|publisher=Fox Sports|date=January 28, 2016|access-date=June 10, 2022}}</ref>
As a freshman at Appalachian State, Dodge was the punter for the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship-winning team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matt Dodge |url=http://ecupirates.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1442 |website=ECUPirates.com |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> He later transferred to East Carolina University and was their punter for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. As a senior, he was named Second-team All-American after ranking second in the NCAA in yards per punt (45.8).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2009-punting.html|title=2009 Punting Stats {{!}} College Football at Sports-Reference.com|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=January 21, 2018}}</ref>
==Professional career== Dodge was projected to be drafted in the seventh round or signed as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2010 NFL draft.<ref name="nfldraftscout">{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=77972&DraftYear=2010 |title=Matt Dodge, East Carolina, P, 2010 |publisher=Draft Scout |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref>
{{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 1 1/2 | weight = 224 | dash = | ten split = | twenty split = | shuttle = | cone drill = | vertical = 34 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 6 | bench = 23 | wonderlic = | arm span = 32 | hand span = 9 3/4 | note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/matt-dodge/3200444f-4433-9565-e5c7-b59b1fc48cbe |title=Matt Dodge Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref><ref name="nfldraftscout" /> }}
Dodge was selected 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2010 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2010/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Dodge beat out Jy Bond for the punting job on June 21 when Bond was waived from the team.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garafolo |first=Mike |url=https://www.nj.com/giants/2010/06/giants_waive_five_players_incl.html |title=Giants waive five players, including punter Jy Bond |date=June 21, 2010 |work=NJ.com |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref> Dodge was signed to a four-year contract on June 23.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garafolo |first=Mike |url=https://www.nj.com/giants/2010/06/giants_agree_to_terms_with_dra.html |title=Giants agree to terms with draft picks Mitch Petrus and Matt Dodge |date=June 23, 2010 |work=NJ.com |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref>
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 Punt" by Giants fans and "The Miracle at the New Meadowlands" by Eagles fans. Shortly after the winning touchdown, Dodge was seen publicly chastised by his head coach, Tom Coughlin, for failing to punt the ball out of bounds.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vacciano |first=Ralph |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/desean-jackson-punt-return-touchdown-caps-eagles-comeback-led-michael-vick-giants-article-1.471096 |title=DeSean Jackson's punt return touchdown caps Eagles comeback, led by Michael Vick, against Giants |date=December 20, 2010 |work=NY Daily News |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref>
On September 3, 2011, Dodge was released from the Giants<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Paul |url=https://nypost.com/2011/09/03/tough-tough-decision-to-cut-giants-punter-dodge/ |title='Tough, tough decision' to cut Giants punter Dodge |date=September 3, 2011 |work=New York Post |access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref> in favor of former New York Jets punter Steve Weatherford.
Dodge tried out with multiple NFL teams including the Chicago Bears until 2013, but did not receive a contract. Dodge recalled in 2016 that he "punted okay but they could tell that I wasn't sold out for it and they looked at me and were like, 'Matt, do you want to do this?' Like, they asked me straight up, 'Do you want to do this? Because you can't pretend.' At that time I was like, 'I really don't.' And it was a very freeing feeling. It released me from the grasp of the NFL machine as being the best part of my life."<ref name="Getting a kick out of life" />
===NFL career statistics=== {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="16"| Punting |- ! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! Punts !! {{abbr|Yds|Yards}} !! Net Yds !! {{abbr|Lng|Long punt}} !! {{abbr|Avg|Average}} !! Net Avg !! {{abbr|Blk|Blocked punts}} !! {{abbr|OOB|Out of bounds}} !! {{abbr|Dn|Downed punts}} !! {{abbr|Ins20|Inside 20 yard line}} !! {{abbr|TB|Touchbacks}} !! {{abbr|FC|Fair catch}} !! {{abbr|Ret|Returned punts}} !! {{abbr|RetY|Return yards}} !! {{abbr|TD|Touchdowns}} |- ! 2010 !! NYG | 16 || 72 || 3,222 || 3,222 || 69 || 44.8 || 34.8 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 36 || 535 || 1 |- ! colspan="2"| Career !! 16 !! 72 !! 3,222 !! 3,222 !! 69 !! 44.8 !! 34.8 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 36 !! 535 !! 1 |}
==Personal life== Dodge married his wife Allison in July 2015.<ref name="Getting a kick out of life" />
During his NFL team tryouts, Dodge resumed bodybuilding and entered various competitions along with working as a personal trainer. He later became a wealth management consultant and author.<ref name="Getting a kick out of life" />
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100107064316/http://www.ecupirates.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/dodge_matt00.html East Carolina Pirates bio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, Matt}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Morehead City, North Carolina Category:Players of American football from Carteret County, North Carolina Category:American football punters Category:Appalachian State Mountaineers football players Category:East Carolina Pirates football players Category:New York Giants players