PRO: An undrafted rookie free agent in 2003, Mat McBriar has become one of the NFL's premier punters in just five seasons. He has six of the club's top-10 single-game highs for gross average and the second-best single-game net average. With his selection to the Pro Bowl following the 2006 season, McBriar became just the third Cowboys punter to make the NFL's all-star game, joining Sam Baker in 1963 and Ron Widby in 1971. He narrowly missed a trip to the Pro Bowl following 2007, as he was selected as a reserve for the NFC squad. His Pro Bowl season was highlighted by a 48.2-yard gross punting average, tied for fifth-best in NFL history. He broke Baker's team record of 45.4 yards-per-punt, set in 1962, and became the first punter to average over 48 yards-per-punt since Yale Lary of the Lions in 1963. Entering 2008 with 275 consecutive punts without a block - good for second in team history - McBriar suffered his first career block on punt 300 at Arizona (10/12). The blocked punt also resulted in a broken right foot which landed him on Reserve/Injured three days later. He returns to camp healthy in 2009 as an integral part of the Dallas Cowboys special teams unit.
TRANSACTION SUMMARY:
10/15/08: Placed on Reserve/Injured with a broken right foot.
3/1/07: Signed a contract extension.
2/13/06: Re-signed with Dallas.
1/5/04: Signed to the Dallas active roster.
9/01/03: Released by Seattle.
8/22/03: Traded to Seattle for a 2004 conditional pick.
4/28/03: Signed with Denver.
2008:
Played in just six games after breaking his right foot on his first career blocked punt that resulted in the game- winning touchdown in overtime at Arizona (10/12).
On 24 punts, averaged 47.0 yards-per-punt with a net of 40.5 and five downed inside the 20-yard line
Had a gross average of 48.5 with a net of 37.0 and a long of 52 yards in the season opener at Cleveland (9/7).
Punted three times for a 46.7 gross, a long of 55 yards and one downed inside the 20 in the home-opening win against Philadelphia (9/15).
Averaged 47.3 yards on three punts with a long of 65 yards and one downed inside the 20 at Green Bay (9/21).
Finished with six punts with a gross of 49.2 against Washington (9/28).
Registered a season-long punt of 66 yards with an average of 55.3 on three punts against Cincinnati (10/5).
Before suffering his first career block and a broken foot, punted a season-high seven times with a gross of 47.9 and net of 38.1 at Arizona (10/12).
Placed on Reserve/Injured on Oct. 15 where he spent the remainder of the season recovering and rehabbing the broken foot.
2007:
Finished fourth in the NFL with a 47.1 gross average and seventh with a 38.5 net average.
Had a season-best gross average of 56.5 yards in the win at Buffalo (10/8).
With a 53.8 average on five punts against New England (10/14), had the third-best single-game average in club history.
Posted the fourth-best gross average in club history the next week against Minnesota (10/21) with a 53.3-yard average.
Also had a net average of 50.5 against the Vikings, the second-best single-game net average in franchise history.
Against Green Bay (11/29), logged his 254th consecutive punt without a block, surpassing John Jett for the second-longest streak in club history.
Had a season-high with seven punts against Philadelphia (12/16) and again at Washington (12/30).
Averaged 47.3 yards in the Divisional Playoff Game against the N.Y. Giants - good for the second-highest gross average in club playoff history.
Also had three punts downed inside the Giants 20-yard line which tied for the second-most punts downed inside the 20-yard line in Dallas postseason history.
2006:
Earned his first career trip to the Pro Bowl after posting an NFL-best 48.2-yard gross punting average, tying Sammy Baugh's 1942 average for the fifth-best in NFL history.
Trailed only Sammy Baugh's 51.4 in 1940, Yale Lary's 48.9 in 1963, Baugh's 48.7 in 1941, and Lary's 48.4 in 1961.
Set a club record, breaking the previous mark of 45.4, set by Baker in 1962.
Was fourth in the league with a 38.6-yard net average, also the fourth-best ever by a Dallas punter - the best average by a Dallas punter since Baker's 40.6 in 1963.
Became just the third Cowboys punter to make the Pro Bowl, joining Baker in 1963 and Widby in 1971.
Also a second-team All-Pro choice by The Associated Press and a first-team All-NFC pick by the Pro Football Writers.
Twenty-seven of his 56 punts in 2006 went 50-or-more yards, including seven that went 60-or-more yards.
Had 15 of his punts downed inside the opponents 20-yard line, and his 75-yard punt against Houston (10/15) was the longest in the NFL in 2006.
Set a then career-high with a 53.2-yard average on five punts in the season opener at Jacksonville (9/10).
Set a club record in the win over Houston (10/15) with a 56.8-yard average on four punts - 47, 75, 56, and 49 yards - and had a career-high 46.0 net average.
His 75-yard punt went out of bounds at the Houston two-yard line and was tied for the second-longest punt in club history.
Notched a season-high 58.0-yard gross average and tied his season-high with a 46.0-yard net average on two punts.
Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after posting a 46.7-yard average on three punts, including two inside the 20-yard line in the win over Indianapolis (11/19).
Averaged 48.4 yards on five punts in his postseason debut at Seattle (1/6/07) - the highest punting average in a playoff game in team history.
Had a 62-yard punt in the fourth quarter, the second-longest punt in Cowboys postseason history.
2005:
Finished his second season in Dallas with a 42.5-yard average on 81 punts, which ranked eighth in the NFC and 20th in the NFL.
His 37.1-yard net average was fourth-best in the NFC, 12th-best in the NFL, and the best by a Dallas punter since 1993, marking the fourth time since 1969 that a Dallas punter had a net average over 37 yards.
Eighteen of his 81 punts were downed without a return, the second-best total in the NFL and 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.
Had a 48.2-yard average on six punts and a 40.0-yard net average with three punts that landed at or inside the Redskins 10-yard line in the home opener against Washington (9/19).
Tied a career-high with nine punts at Seattle (10/23), and five were downed inside the Seahawks 20-yard line, a team record.
Against Arizona (10/30), had a 53.3-yard average on three punts - 55, 53, and 52 yards along with his first special teams tackle of the season.
Tied his career-high with nine punts for a 42.7-yard average at Philadelphia (11/14).
All three of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line against Detroit (11/20).
Had a season-high 42.0-yard net average on five punts against Denver (11/24).
At Carolina (12/24), averaged a season-best 48.6 yards on seven punts, including one for a season-long 63 yards.
2004:
Played in all 16 games in his first pro season, finishing with a 42.4-yard gross average on 75 punts and a 35.1-yard net average.
Twenty-two of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line and his 42.4-yard gross average was the highest by a Cowboys punter since 2000, when Micah Knorr posted a 42.8-yard average.
Made his NFL debut in the season opener at Minnesota (9/12) and averaged 32.7 yards on three punts, including two that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Two of his three punts against Cleveland (9/19) were downed inside the 20, including one at the one-yard line, which led to a safety when the Browns were called for holding in the end zone.
On four punts against Pittsburgh (10/17), averaged a career-high 50.3 yards with a then career-high 45.0-yard net average, marking the best gross and net average by a Dallas punter since Oct. 24, 1999, when Toby Gowin had a 53.3-yard gross average and a 45.3-yard net average.
Punted seven times for a 44.1-yard average against Philadelphia (11/15), including a 57-yard punt and a career-long 68-yard punt, the longest since Gowin's 72-yard punt against Chicago on Sept. 28, 1997.
Had a career-high nine punts against Chicago (11/25) on Thanksgiving Day, averaging 43.1 yards-per-punt with four consecutive punts of 50-or-more yards in the first and second quarters.
Against New Orleans (12/12), had his first career special teams tackle.
Added his second career special teams tackle against Washington (12/26), preventing a touchdown by forcing Antonio Brown out of bounds at the Cowboys 23-yard line.
2003:
Signed with the Denver Broncos as a rookie free agent and had six punts for a 41.5-yard average in the preseason.
Was traded to Seattle on Aug. 22 for a conditional draft pick and averaged 44.8 yards on five punts in his lone preseason game with Seattle.
Was released Aug. 31 and spent the fall out of football.
Signed to the Cowboys practice squad Dec. 24.
COLLEGE:
Punted three years at Hawaii, averaging 42.2 yards on 131 career punts, including 32 that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior after averaging 44.8 yards on 48 punts (2,148 yards) with 12 downed inside the 20-yard line.
As a junior, earned second-team All-WAC honors after averaging 43.4 yards on 40 punts, with 10 that were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Began his college football career in 2000, punting 43 times for 1,647 yards (38.3 yards-per-punt), including 10 punts that were downed inside the 20.
Attended Deakin University in Australia for three semesters before moving to Hawaii.
PERSONAL:
Matthew James McBriar graduated from Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, in 1997 and earned full color (lettered) four times in football and rowing.
Credits former San Diego Chargers punter Darren Bennett for helping him pursue a college football career. Bennett introduced him to Hawaii head coach June Jones. McBriar later stayed with Bennett in San Diego after being released by Seattle in 2003.
Is the second Australian to play for the Cowboys, joining former punter/kicker Colin Ridgway (1965), and just the fourth Australian to play in the NFL, joining Bennett, Ridgway, and defensive tackle Colin Scotts, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987.
He and his wife, Erin, were married February 15, 2008.
COMMUNITY:
MDA Muscle Team Bash.
Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party for North Texas Food Bank.
Dallas Cowboys Draft Day/Fan Appreciation Party.
2008-09 Poker for Pets for SPCA of Texas.
Annual team Holiday Hospital Visits.
Salvation Army Angel Tree Christmas Program.
Dallas Cowboys Kickoff Luncheon and Cowboys Family Cookbook benefitting Happy Hill Farm.
2009 Stars of Texas�Racing Against the Odds for American Diabetes Association.
