Rick Donnelly
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| Position: | Punter | ||||||
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| Born: | May 17, 1962 Miller Place, New York, U.S. | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Miller Place (NY) | ||||||
| College: | Wyoming | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 1985 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||
Rick Donnelly (born May 17, 1962) is a former punter in the National Football League. He played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks. He was an All-Pro in 1987 and 1988, and led the NFL in punts in 1988 with 98. He played college football at Wyoming.
Early life and high school career[edit]
Donnelly taught himself to kick footballs on the street in front of his house: "I'd get three footballs, go out into the road, kick them back and forth and run after them all day long."[1] He was inspired by his older brother, Joe, who played fullback at Post.[1]
Donnelly attended Miller Place High School in Miller Place, New York, where he played football and baseball.[1][2] He played kicker on the football team, though he was also the team's starting quarterback as a senior.[1] Donnelly committed to play college football at Wyoming over other schools such as Penn State and Syracuse.[3] "I was really just trying to get away from it all, get away from the East," he said. "I had grown up there, lived there all my life. I wanted something different."[3]
College career[edit]
Donnelly averaged 39.6 yards per punt as a freshman at Wyoming.[4] As a senior in 1984, he finished third in the nation with an average of 47.5 yards per punt.[5] He also went three for six on field goals and 30 for 30 on extra points, and was invited to play in the East–West Shrine Bowl.[5]
Professional career[edit]
After going undrafted in the 1985 NFL draft, Donnelly signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots in June.[6] He played in two preseason games, averaging 44.5 yards per punt, but he was waived in favor of veteran Rich Camarillo.[3][7] Donnelly was signed by the Atlanta Falcons on August 23, and the team soon released their veteran punter, Ralph Giacomarro.[7] Donnelly set a franchise record in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 10, when he averaged 52.1 yards on seven punts, besting Billy Lothridge' 50-yard average on September 17, 1967.c However, he suffered a season-ending knee injury the following week against the Los Angeles Rams.[8]
In 1987, Donnelly recorded a league-leading gross average of 44.0 yards per punt, finishing just ahead of Pro Bowl punter Jim Arnold.[9]
Donnelly missed the entire 1989 season after undergoing back surgery.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Borzi, Pat (November 1, 1979). "Miller Place's Kicker A Self-Taught Prodigy". Newsday. p. 146. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cassidy, Jerry (May 6, 1979). "Miller Place shapes up when it counts". New York Daily News. p. TNS32. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Mortensen, Chris (November 14, 1985). "Move over, Reggie Roby: Falcons can't kick about Donnelly's punts". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 3D. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ English, Reid (September 21, 1984). "Wyoming has powerful punter". Statesman Journal. p. 3C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Shrine selects Poke punter". Casper Star-Tribune. November 29, 1984. p. D1. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Transactions". Hartford Courant. June 22, 1985. p. D7. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Falcons sign Rick Donnelly". The Olathe Daily News. August 24, 1985. p. 5B. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hinton, Ed (November 18, 1985). "Kenn, Donnelly lost for season". The Atlanta Journal. p. 6C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Punting for dollars". The Atlanta Constitution. December 28, 1987. p. 6B. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Donnelly out for the season". The Macon Telegraph. August 29, 1989. p. 3C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.