| No. -- Free Agent | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: July 13, 1975 | |
| Place of birth: Iowa City, Iowa | |
| Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Weight: 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Iowa | |
| NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 4 / Pick: 114 | |
| Debuted in 1998 for the Atlanta Falcons | |
| Career history | |
As player:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Timothy Deutch Dwight, Jr. (born July 13, 1975 in Iowa City, Iowa) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.
Dwight is perhaps best known for his 94-yard touchdown return on a kickoff in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Denver Broncos. He has also played for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders in his career.
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College career
Dwight (aka "White Lightning") finished his college career with Big Ten records for punt return yardage (1,102) and punts returned for touchdowns (5); his yardage mark has since been eclipsed by three others and Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. has surpassed his touchdown mark. Dwight also holds University of Iowa football records for career receiving yards (2,271) and career receiving touchdowns (21). In 1997, was a consensus All-American and finished seventh for the Heisman Trophy. He also competed in track events; in 1999, he was Big Ten Champion in the 100 meter dash, and he also was part of the 1999 Big Ten Champion 4 x 400 meter relay, the 1999 Big Ten Champion 4 x 100 meter relay, and the 1998 Big Ten Champion 4 x 100 meter relay.
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons
Dwight was drafted in the fourth round (114th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. In Super Bowl XXXIII, he returned five kickoffs, including one for 94 yards and a touchdown. He is second all-time in Super Bowl kick return yardage for a single game (210), and his 42.0 yards per return in the game was a Super Bowl career record.
San Diego Chargers
After three seasons with Atlanta, Dwight was traded on April 20, 2001 to the San Diego Chargers as part of the deal that enabled the Falcons to select quarterback Michael Vick with the 2001 draft's top selection (which the Chargers originally held pursuant to their 1-15 record in 2000).
New England Patriots
Dwight became a free agent following the 2004 season, and on March 11, 2005 he signed with the New England Patriots. As a New England Patriot, Dwight caught 19 passes for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns and also gained 523 yards returning punts and kickoffs.
New York Jets
After the 2005 NFL season, Dwight signed a four-year, $4.2-million contract to play for the New York Jets, and was expected to play as the fourth wide receiver and perform return duties. But on August 27, 2006, Dwight was released by the Jets after spending all summer on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
Oakland Raiders
Dwight signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders in October, 2007. He returned one kickoff, and totaled 98 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. He became a free agent after that season but did not play in the NFL in 2008.
Accomplishments and reputation
Despite being only 5'8" tall and weighing 185 pounds, Dwight was a prolific punt and kick returner during his career. He was labeled "injury-prone" because he rarely played a season without missing a significant number of games. The 2005 season was the only season in which Dwight appeared in all 16 of his team's games. Dwight's most productive seasons as a wide receiver have been 1999, when he caught 32 passes for 669 yards (a 20.9-yard average per catch) with seven touchdowns, and 2002, when he caught 50 passes for 623 yards. He also scored five return touchdowns in the NFL — three on punts and two on kickoffs.
Dwight has a number of interests outside football. He founded the Tim Dwight Foundation to help needy kids with scholarships and provide assistance to the Children's Hospital of Iowa. He also owns his own yoga studio in Iowa.
In 2007, The Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette sports staff voted Dwight the all-time greatest athlete from that newspaper's circulation area, topping other notables like NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson.
Trivia
- On July 9, 2001 ESPN The Magazine published a photograph of him in the act of shaving his entire body with a razor. He explained that he does this on a regular basis (he also shaves his head completely).
- He also holds an annual football camp in Iowa City, Iowa called The Tim Dwight Football Camp.
External links
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