Riley Dixon

Originally a 7th-round (228th pick overall) draft choice by the Denver Broncos in 2016…Traded to the Giants for a conditional 7th-round draft choice on April 23, 2018.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 7th-round (228th pick overall) draft choice by the Denver Broncos in 2016…Traded to the Giants for a conditional 7th-round draft choice on April 23, 2018.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Dixon has played in 80 regular-season games (32 for Denver and 48 for the Giants) and has 367 career punts for 16,714 yards, a 45.57-yard gross average…Also has a 40.9 net average, 21 touchbacks, and has placed 128 kicks inside the 20-yard line…Dixon's longest punt traveled 71 yards…He has also kicked off 5 times…In 3 seasons with the Giants, Dixon has a 45.4-yard average on 205 punts. That is the 2nd-highest average in franchise history (minimum 150 punts), trailing only Steve Weatherford's 46.3-yard average on 311 kicks from 2011-14.
• In 2020, Dixon punted for the Giants in all 16 games…He had a 44.8-yard gross average and a 38.8-yard net average on 65 punts…Placed 28 punts inside the opposition 20-yard line, tying him with the Rams' Johnny Hekker and the Bears' Pat O'Donnell for the NFL's 3rd-highest total…Tallied a career-high 5 special teams tackles.
• Dixon had perhaps his best game with the Giants vs. Philadelphia (11/15)…He punted 4 times in the Giants' 27-17 victory and his gross and net averages were an identical season-high 53.3 yards (minimum 4 punts)…Each of his punts was downed inside the 20-yard line and Philadelphia failed to score on every one of its ensuing possessions. Dixon's first punt was a season-long 71-yarder…Had one punt blocked at Seattle (12/6), where he also had one kickoff.
• Threw the 2nd pass attempt of his career vs. Cleveland (12/20)…On a 4th-and-5 from the Browns' 8-yard line on the game's first series, the Giants' field goal team went onto the field, lined up and then shifted. Kicker Graham Gano and one lineman went right, the other linemen went left. The ball was snapped to Dixon, the holder, who threw an incompletion into the end zone that was intended for center Nick Gates.
• In 2019, Dixon played in all 16 games…Punted 69 times and had a gross average of 46.1 yards and a net of 42.3 yards, both career highs. Dixon placed a career-best 29 punts inside the 20-yard line, had just 2 touchbacks and 2 of his kicks were blocked (at New England and at Washington).
• Dixon's 42.3-yard net average was a franchise record since the statistic was first kept in 1976. Dixon held the previous record with a 41.8-yard net average in his first season with the Giants in 2018.
• Dixon averaged 46.1 gross yards and 43.6 net yards on a season-high 9 punts at Philadelphia (12/9)…Had a season-high 53.7-yard gross average (minimum 4 punts) on 6 kicks at the Jets (11/10) and a season-best 51.2-yard net average on 5 punts at Chicago (11/24).
• In his first season with the Giants in 2018, Dixon set a then franchise record with a 41.8-yard net average on 71 punts. Brad Wing formerly held the record with a 40.9-yard average in 2016…Dixon had a 45.4-yard gross average on 71 punts, the longest a 60-yarder…He dropped 20 kicks inside the 20 and had 4 touchbacks…Kicked a season-high 7 punts in an overtime victory vs. Chicago (12/2)…Had a season-best 51.0-yard net average on 4 punts vs. New Orleans (9/30).
• On Dec. 16 vs. Tennessee, the Giants successfully executed a fake punt when Dixon rushed for 14 yards on a 4th-and-10 with 12 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter. The fake punt was the Giants' first since Nov. 19, 2017, when a direct snap to up-back Nat Berhe gained 2 yards on a 4th-and-1 vs. Kansas City. Dixon was the first Giants punter with a rushing attempt on a fake punt since Nov. 28, 2011, when Steve Weatherford took off on his own and was stopped for no gain on a 4th-and-7 in New Orleans.
• In 2017, Dixon booted 73 punts for the Broncos. He had a 45.6-yard gross average and a 40.2-yard net average…Had a season-high 8 punts at the Chargers (10/22) and at Oakland (11/26)…Finished with a 44.3-yard net average on 3 punts vs. the Giants (10/15)…Recorded a season-high 49.0-yard net average (minimum 3 punts) vs. the Chargers (9/11).
• In 2016, set an NFL rookie record for single-season net punting average (41.3 yards) on 89 kicks…Had a 45.7-yard gross average and placed 28 balls inside the 20-yard line…Completed a 16-yard pass on a fake punt at Tennessee (12/11)…Became the 2nd Broncos punter to ever complete a pass, and the first since Chris Norman vs. Kansas City on Nov. 16, 1986…Booted a career-high 11 punts at Jacksonville (12/4)…Registered a season-high 47.8-yard net average on 5 punts vs. San Diego (10/30).

COLLEGE:

• Began his career at Syracuse as a walk-on…Awarded a scholarship following his redshirt sophomore season…Played in 39 games and totaled 218 punts for 9,291 yards (42.9 avg.) with 72 punts inside the 20-yard line… As a senior in 2015, Dixon had a 43.7-yard gross average and 41.9-yard net average, and dropped 28 of his 65 punts inside the 20-yard line…Named one of the semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented to the nation's top punter…As a junior, played in 12 games and punted 75 times for 3,182 yards (42.4-yard avg.) with 23 punts inside the 20-yard line... Earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition and was a Burlsworth Trophy nominee (most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on)...Completed the eventual game-winning pass (1 yard) on a fake field goal in double overtime vs. Villanova (8/29/14)...Rushed for 42 yards on a fake punt vs. Notre Dame (9/27/14)...In 2013, played in all 13 games and punted 75 times for 3,161 yards (42.1-yard avg.)...Booted a school-record 75-yard punt vs. Clemson (10/5/13).

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Captain of the Team of Teams group that partnered with My Sisters' Place and the Mt. Vernon (N.Y.) High School football team during the 2020 season to promote racial equity in education…Represented My Sisters' Place during the NFL's Week 13 My Cause My Cleats NFL initiative.

PERSONAL:

• Earned a degree in accounting…Named to Syracuse's Athletic Director honor roll in 9 consecutive semesters in addition to making the 2013 and 2014 All-ACC Academic teams…Handled punting and kicking duties for Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y....Named to the 2010 Post-Standard All-Central New York first team...Also lettered in baseball.