Rick Donnelly
No. 3
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1962-05-17) May 17, 1962 (age 61)
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
  • 2x All-Pro 2nd team selection (1987, 1988)
  • Led NFL in punts (1988)
Career NFL statistics
Punts:376
Punting Yards:15,828
Punting Avg:42.1
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

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

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

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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ English, Reid (September 21, 1984). "Wyoming has powerful punter". Statesman Journal. p. 3C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Shrine selects Poke punter". Casper Star-Tribune. November 29, 1984. p. D1. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Transactions". Hartford Courant. June 22, 1985. p. D7. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Falcons sign Rick Donnelly". The Olathe Daily News. August 24, 1985. p. 5B. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Hinton, Ed (November 18, 1985). "Kenn, Donnelly lost for season". The Atlanta Journal. p. 6C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Punting for dollars". The Atlanta Constitution. December 28, 1987. p. 6B. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Donnelly out for the season". The Macon Telegraph. August 29, 1989. p. 3C. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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