Hunter Niswander
| No. 49 – Houston Roughnecks | |||||||||
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| Position: | Punter | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 26, 1994 Peninsula, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Woodridge (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) | ||||||||
| College: | Northwestern | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2018 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
James Hunter Niswander (born November 26, 1994) is an
Early years
Niswander attended Woodridge High School. As a freshman, he made a 35-yard field goal that sealed a state playoff appearance for the first time in school history.[1]
As a senior, he set the state record for most consecutive extra points made (111) and the school longest field goal made (53 yards). He received All-PTC and All-Ohio Division III honors.[1]
He also practiced
College career
Niswander accepted a football scholarship from the Northwestern University. As a redshirt freshman, he was a backup behind Chris Gradone and punted only five times during the season. As a sophomore, he was named the starter at punter. He averaged 42.8 yards per punt and appeared in every game.[1]
As a junior, he ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference with a 41.3 punt average. He had a 51-yard average in the season opener against Western Michigan University. He made a 62-yard punt against Illinois State University and Michigan State University.[1]
As a senior, he averaged 43 yards per punt. He had a career-high 51.5-yard average against Bowling Green State University. He tied for the fourth longest punt (80 yards) in school history against the University of Iowa. He received All-Academic Big Ten honors.[1]
Professional career
DC Defenders (XFL)
Niswander was out of football after being invited for a tryout at the
In March, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced that it would be cancelling the rest of the season.[4] On April 10, he had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations.[5]
Dallas Cowboys
On October 26, 2020, Niswander was signed to the
On April 7, 2021, punter
Houston Gamblers
Niswander signed with the
Niswander and all other Houston Gamblers players and coaches were all transferred to the Houston Roughnecks after it was announced that the Gamblers took on the identity of their XFL counterpart, the Roughnecks.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Hunter Niswander". Northwestern Wildcats. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Nader, Tom (November 16, 2019). "From Woodridge to XFL, Hunter Niswander's career is about never giving up on a dream". The Alliance Review. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Halprin, Dave (November 4, 2020). "Finding out about Hunter Niswander, the Cowboys new punter after the injury to Chris Jones". BloggingTheBoys.com. SB Nation. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "XFL Injured Reserve". XFL.com. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ Ulrich, Logan (October 26, 2020). "Cowboys Waive LB Rashad Smith, Sign P Hunter Niswander To PS". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "Nov. 7 Updates". DallasCowboys.com. November 7, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ Phillips, Rob (March 17, 2021). "Cowboys Release Longtime Punter Chris Jones". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Eatman, Nick (August 19, 2021). "New Kicker Signed; Niswander on Waived/Injured". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Bouda, Nate (April 14, 2022). "NFL Transactions: Thursday 4/14".
- ^ @USFLGamblers (May 4, 2023). "Free Agent Signings" (Tweet). Retrieved May 5, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "United Football League Reveals Team Markets and Head Coaches for 2024 Season". www.xfl.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.