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PRO: The Cowboys opened up the punting job during the 2004 training camp and invited free agent Mat McBriar to battle for the spot. McBriar won the job and steadily improved throughout his rookie season, finishing the year with the highest gross average by a Cowboys punter in four years (42.4). His second season in Dallas was more of the same as he continued to provide the club a consistently strong leg in the kicking game, posting a 37.1 net average in year two, the best by a Dallas punter in over 10 years. McBriar's upside is tremendous considering the fact that he just began kicking in the United States six years ago after playing football in Australia prior to college. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2003, but was traded to Seattle during training camp. He punted in one preseason game for the Seahawks before being released prior to the start of the 2003 season.
2005: McBriar finished his second season in Dallas with a 42.5-yard average on 81 punts, good for eighth in the NFC, 20th in the NFL. His 37.1 net average was fourth best in the NFC, 12th in the NFL, and was the best by a Dallas punter since 1993. In was only the fourth time since 1969 that a Dallas punter had topped the 37-yard mark. One reason for McBriar's success was the fact that 18 of his 81 punts were downed without a return, the second best figure in the NFL. His length came despite McBriar's success at pinning opponents deep in their own territory. He tied for second in the NFC, fifth in the NFL, with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line - tying Mike Saxon for the second best total in club history. In the home opener against Washington (9/19), he recorded a 48.2-yard average on six punts with a 40.0 net. In that game he placed three of his six kicks at or inside the Redskins 10-yard line. The following week at San Francisco (9/25) he finished with a 42.0-yard average on three kicks despite two low snaps and the coverage team's inability to down a ball inside the five-yard line. He averaged 44.8 yards on five punts with kicks of 56 and 55 yards at Oakland (10/2), including a 44-yard kick to the Oakland eight-yard line that was returned just one yard. Against the N.Y. Giants (10/16), he had a 40.3 net average on three punts with two downed inside the 20. His other punt was a 51-yarder from the Dallas one-yard line as he kicked out of its own end zone. McBriar tied the club record by downing five of his career-high tying nine punts at Seattle (10/23) inside the Seahawks 20-yard line. Against Arizona (10/30), he recorded a 53.3-yard average on three punts with kicks of 55, 53 and 52 yards on the afternoon. He also recorded his first special teams tackle of the season. At Philadelphia (11/14) he tied his career-high with nine punts for a 42.7-yard average, twice pinning the Eagles inside their 20-yard line. In the fourth quarter he got off kicks of 56, 62, and 52 yards as Dallas fought back for the 21-20 win. Against Detroit (11/20), he placed all three of his punts inside the Lions 20-yard line with a 34.3 net average. Eddie Drummond was limited to one return for -6 yards on the afternoon. He had a season-high 42.0 net average on five punts against Denver (11/24), including two downed inside the 20 - one at the two-yard line. He also had a 50-yard punt from the Cowboys end zone that was fair caught. At the N.Y. Giants (12/4), McBriar had a 39.1 net average with three of his seven punts downed inside the Giants 20-yard line. Against Kansas City (12/11), he had four punts for a 44.3-yard average including a 52-yard punt that was downed at the 12-yard line and a 51-yard boot to the 11-yard line that was returned to the Chiefs six-yard line for a five-yard loss. He averaged a season-best 48.6 yards on seven punts with kicks of 63 (season-long), 53, 52 and 51 yards at Carolina (12/24).
2004: After a slow start, McBriar came on strong over the final three months of his rookie campaign and finished with a 42.4 gross average - 35.1 net - on 75 punts with 22 downed inside the 20-yard line. His 42.4 gross average was the highest average by a Cowboys punter since Micah Knorr posted a 42.8-yard average in 2000. McBriar made his NFL debut in the season opener at Minnesota (9/12) and averaged 32.7 yards on three punts with two kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. The following week against Cleveland (9/19), he posted a 39.7-yard average on three punts while having two downed inside the 20, including one that was downed at the one-yard line, leading to a safety when the Browns were called for holding in the end zone. He punted eight times for a 39.3-yard average at Washington (9/27). He averaged a career-high 50.3 yards on four punts against Pittsburgh (10/17), with a career-high 45.0 net average. It was the best gross and net average by a Dallas punter since Toby Gowin averaged 53.3 gross and 45.3 net on Oct. 24, 1999. McBriar followed that career performance by averaging 36.4 net yards on five punts with two downed inside the 20 at Green Bay (10/24), where none of his five punts were returned. He downed two-of-four punts inside the 20-yard line at Cincinnati (11/7) while averaging 48.0 yards. He punted seven times against Philadelphia (11/15) for a 44.1-yard average, including a career-long 68-yarder as well as a 57-yarder. It was the longest punt since Gowin logged a 72-yard boot against Chicago on Sept. 28, 1997. He also pinned the Eagles inside their own 20-yard line three times. He booted a career-high nine punts against Chicago (11/25) on Thanksgiving Day for a 43.1-yard average. He kicked four consecutive 50+ yard punts in the first and second quarters against the Bears and finished the day with five punts over 50 yards. He opened the final month of the season by averaging 49.0 gross yards and 37.4 net yards on five punts against New Orleans (12/12). He also recorded his first career special teams tackle against the Saints. He recorded his second special teams tackle in three weeks against Washington (12/26) when he prevented a touchdown by forcing Antonio Brown out of bounds at the Cowboys 23-yard line. The defense then held the Redskins to a field goal in Dallas's 13-10 come-from-behind victory.
2003: McBriar signed with the Denver Broncos as a rookie free agent and recorded six punts for a 41.5-yard average during preseason action. He was traded by Denver to the Seattle Seahawks for a conditional draft pick on Aug. 22, and he averaged 44.8 yards on five punts in his lone preseason game with Seattle. He was released Aug. 31 and spent the fall out of football.
COLLEGE: McBriar was the Hawaii Rainbows punter for three years, averaging 42.2 yards on 131 career punts, with 32 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior after averaging 44.8 yards on 48 punts (2,148 yards) with 12 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. As a junior, he earned second-team All-WAC honors after averaging 43.4 yards on 40 punts with 10 downed inside the 20-yard line. He began his collegiate football career in 2000 by punting 43 times for 1,647 yards (38.3 avg.) with 10 kicks downed inside the 20. He attended Deakin University in Australia for three semesters before venturing to Hawaii.
PERSONAL: McBriar graduated from Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia in 1997 where he earned full color (lettered) four times in football and rowing. The Melbourne, Australia, native credits former San Diego Chargers punter Darren Bennett for assisting him to pursue a college football career. Bennett introduced him to Hawaii head coach June Jones, and later McBriar stayed with Bennett in San Diego after being released by Seattle in 2003. McBriar is the second Australian to play for the Cowboys, joining former punter/kicker Colin Ridgway (1965), and is just the fourth player in NFL history from Down Under (Bennett, Ridgway and defensive tackle Colin Scotts with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987). McBriar has become active in the Dallas-Fort Worth community since joining the team including attending the MDA Muscle Team Bash hosted by former Cowboy and FOX Sports announcer Daryl Johnston, participating in the Cowboys annual Draft Day Party hosted in appreciation of the team's loyal fans and attending the first annual Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party hosted by teammate La'Roi Glover and Abacus restaurant benefiting The North Texas Food Bank. | 