Highlighted Year: Josh Bidwell, 2005

Punter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 29

6^th season in pro football, 2^nd with Buccaneers

College: Oregon

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Bidwell was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft but was forced to sit out his rookie season due to a bout with testicular cancer. He fortunately recovered and came back to win the punting job in 2000. While he struggled in his first year, he improved thereafter and spent four years with Green Bay, averaging 41.1 yards on 308 punts. Bidwell moved on to the Buccaneers as a free agent in 2004 and punted 82 times for a 42.3-yard average.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 90 [3]

Most punts, game – 8 at San Francisco 10/30

Yards – 4101 [2]

Average – 45.6 [3, 1^st in NFC]

Best average, game – 51.8 (on 5 punts) at NY Jets 10/9

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 61 yards

Postseason: 1G (NFC Wild Card playoff vs. Washington)

Punts – 5

Yards – 197

Average – 39.4

Blocked – 0

Longest punt – 45 yards

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Buccaneers went 11-5 to finish first in the NFC South. Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to Washington Redskins (17-10).  

Aftermath:

Bidwell spent another three seasons with the Buccaneers. While having a strong leg, he sometimes struggled with consistency and directional kicking, but he was adept at getting distance when needed and landing the ball inside the 20. Released in 2010 after missing all of the ’09 season due to a hip injury, he was active for four games with Washington but spent most of the year back on injured reserve in what was his last season. For his career, Bidwell punted 742 times for a 42.7 average, with 419 punts for a 44.0 average coming with Tampa Bay.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970