Australian NFL star Michael Dickson ‘forgets how to football’ during Seattle Seahawks loss to Saints

Aussie Michael Dickson might be the highest paid punter in the NFL at $21.9million – but a disastrous play has led to fans bemoaning the moment he ‘forgets how to football’.

The 26-year-old Seattle Seahawks star has wowed the league with his unorthodox – and effective – punting skills born out of a failed Aussie Rules career; but even he is not immune to the occasional brain fade.

During Seattle’s heartbreaking 39-32 loss against the Saints on Monday morning (AEST), Dickson was given the ball to punt on fourth down at the team’s own 20 yard line.

Usually, this would be a chance for the Aussie to showcase his booming leg that has sent many a Wilson ball into orbit – but for some reason the former Swans star completely froze. 

Seahawks punter, Aussie Michael Dickson (pictured with glamorous girlfriend Gianni Outram), has made headlines again for a viral play – but this time for the wrong reasons

Dickson collected the perfect snap on his own five yard line and ran around onto his right leg to perform a more Aussie Rules style kick.

But he didn’t kick it.

As Saints defenders closed in on him, instead of punting the ball away and gaining his team 50 yards or so, Dickson inexplicably held onto the ball and tried to hurdle 118kg wrecking ball Carl Granderson.

The ball fumbled and was recovered by the Saints’ star ‘Swiss Army Knife’ Taysom Hill, who then promptly scored a touchdown on the next drive. 

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson has gone viral the all the wrong reason

The Aussie was slammed by fans after a bizarre play that turned from a punt into an accidental run

So bizarre was the play that many fans wondered if it was some sort of failed fake punt – but furious Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed after the game it was not.

‘I know you want to know about the punt, that was not a fake punt,’ a seething Carroll told reporters in the post-match press conference. 

‘It was a roll-out punt, you might have to run something if things aren’t there, but we were supposed to kick the football. 

‘We had our chances, and all kinds of opportunities to get this done (the win), but there were too many things that went wrong and we made it too easy for them (Saints),’ Carroll said after the seven point loss.

Michael Dickson, pictured with girlfriend Gianni Outram, has been playing in the league for four years after being drafted in 2018

It was a play that left not only Carroll confused, but fans, pundits and the commentators, too.

‘What in the world? Michael Dickson the punter, on 4th and nine with nowhere to go tried to run it,’ incredulous commentator Brandon Gaudin on the broadcast. 

‘I have no idea what he was thinking … he thinks he has a hole there but it got closed fast,’ commentator Matt Millen, who spent 12 years in the NFL, said; with both of the belief it had to be a designed play.

Top football pundits and fans were quick to blast Dickson on social media for non-sensical play that cost his team seven points, which was the eventual margin in the match.

Dickson is regarded by many as the best punter in the league – and is paid accordingly

‘Did Michael Dickson forget the button to punt?’ top ESPN writer Bill Barnwell asked, in reference to the popular football game Madden.

Even former Seahawks Super Bowl winner Kam Chancellor chimed in: ‘Here we go with that extra stuff! Just KICK the ball!!’ 

‘Michael Dickson thought he was playing Aussie Rules football again. The only explanation for that nonsense,’ one fan wrote on Twitter, while the USA Today’s Seahawks Wire wrote ‘Seahawks Punter Michael Dickson forgets how to football’.

The feedback only got less kind from there, with Seattle fans livid over the play, with the prevailing sentiment somewhere around ‘what the f**k was he doing’.

No doubt it was a horrible play to watch, but it is an anomaly for someone who is regarded by many as the top punter in the league, despite only taking up the game in 2015. 

The Sydney-native 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.

He made an immediate impact at NFL level, and last year signed a $21.9million deal to make him the highest paid punter in the league. 

Michael Dickson has been sporting an Aussie flag on his helmet alongside the standard US sticker – the first time the league has allowed it

He’s so good, he has made punters relevant again, and provided one of the most viral moments of last 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 towards the end of the season, one of Dickson’s punts were 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.

Here’s hoping the next time Michael Dickson goes viral for an on-field moment, it is for the latter reason – not drawing the ire from the football world for trying to steamroll a defender instead of using his booming kick.