History of Johnny Hekker in Timeline
John Hekker is a prominent American football punter currently playing for the Carolina Panthers. Previously with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams after joining as an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of Oregon State, Hekker has achieved significant recognition in the NFL. He's been named a First-team All-Pro four times and selected for the Pro Bowl on four occasions. Notably, Hekker holds the NFL record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history, a 65-yard kick during Super Bowl LIII.
February 8, 1990: John Hekker's Birth
On February 8, 1990, John Robert Hekker was born. He would later become a punter in the NFL.
2008: Graduation from Bothell High School
In 2008, Hekker graduated from Bothell High School, where he was the starting quarterback and punter, leading the team to a State Championship game.
2008: Sun Bowl Special Teams MVP
In 2008, Hekker was named the Sun Bowl Special Teams MVP for Oregon State after averaging 45 yards on 10 punts in a 3-0 win.
2009: Ray Guy Award Semi-Finalist
In 2009, Hekker was a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award and the Phil Steele All-Pac-10 Second-team.
2010: 74-Yard Punt Against USC
In 2010, Hekker had a memorable kick which was the second-longest punt in school history, going for 74 yards against USC.
2010: Punts of 50+ Yards
In 2010, Hekker had at least one punt of 50+ yards in every game but one.
2011: Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention
In 2011, Hekker earned Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention with 87 career punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
2011: Single-Game School Record
In 2011, as a Beaver, Hekker set a single-game school record with a 52.5 average (six punts for 315 yards) against the Utah Utes.
2012: Signed with the St. Louis Rams
In 2012, Hekker was signed as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams.
December 29, 2013: Broke Single Season Record
On December 29, 2013, Hekker officially broke the single season record for net punt yards (44.2).
2013: Dude Perfect Video Appearance
In 2013, Hekker was featured in a Dude Perfect YouTube video titled "NFL Kicking Edition | Dude Perfect".
October 19, 2014: Pass on a Fake Punt
On October 19, 2014, Hekker threw a pass to Benny Cunningham on a fake punt with 1:14 left in a game against the Seahawks.
December 5, 2014: Contract Extension with Rams
On December 5, 2014, Hekker agreed to a six-year, $18 million contract extension with $9 million guaranteed with the Rams.
December 27, 2015: Unnecessary Roughness Penalty
On December 27, 2015, Hekker received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness for shoving Cliff Avril during a game against the Seahawks.
2015: All-Pro Selection
In 2015, Hekker led the league in net punting average and was named as an All-Pro by the Associated Press for the second time and named to the Pro Bowl.
2016: NFL Records Set
In 2016, Hekker set NFL records for punts downed inside the 20 (51), had only one touchback, and broke his own record for net punting yardage (46.0).
2016: Third Pro Bowl and All-Pro Selection
In 2016, Hekker was named to his third Pro Bowl and his third First-team All-Pro, finishing with a league-leading 4,680 net yards.
September 11, 2017: Contract Extension with the Rams
On September 11, 2017, Hekker signed a two-year contract extension with the Rams through the 2022 season.
December 19, 2017: Fourth Pro Bowl Selection
On December 19, 2017, Hekker was named to his fourth Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors.
2017: Playoff Debut
In 2017, the Rams made the playoffs, and Hekker made his playoff debut with five punts for 218 net yards in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
2018: Nailed It Guest Judge
In 2018, Hekker appeared on the Netflix cooking show Nailed It as a guest judge for season 2 episode 3, "Tailgate, Failgate."
2018: Career-Low Punts
In 2018, Hekker punted a career-low 43 times due to the Rams' prolific offense and missed Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors for the first time since 2014.
2020: 2020 Season Performance
In the 2020 season, Hekker punted 68 times for 3,099 net yards for a 45.57 average.
2021: Super Bowl LVI Win
In 2021, Hekker totaled 51 punts for 2,252 yards and won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.
March 16, 2022: Released by the Rams
On March 16, 2022, Hekker was released by the Rams.
March 18, 2022: Signed with the Carolina Panthers
On March 18, 2022, Hekker signed a three-year, $7.6 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
2023: 2023 Season Performance
In the 2023 season, Hekker had 82 punts for 3,838 total yards for a 46.80 average with the Carolina Panthers.
2024: 2024 Season Performance
In the 2024 season, Hekker had 73 punts for 3,338 total yards for a 45.73 average with the Carolina Panthers.
