_(cropped).jpg) King with theArlington Renegades in 2024 | |||||||||||||
| No. 7 –Arlington Renegades | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Punter | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1988-10-26)October 26, 1988 (age 36) Macon, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Rutland (Macon, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Fort Valley State (2008–2011) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2012 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Marquette King Jr.[1] (born October 26, 1988) is anAmerican footballpunter for theArlington Renegades of theUnited Football League (UFL). He playedcollege football atFort Valley State and was signed by theOakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2012.[2] King led the NFL in punting yards in 2014.
King was born and raised inMacon, Georgia, by his parents, Audrey and Marquette King Sr. He has a younger sister named Jasmine. He began punting inhigh school. As a child, he loved football and wanted to become a wide receiver. King practiced after his football practices atRutland High School and asked teammates to join. After having his teammates decline his invitation, he decided to try punting during his free time, challenging himself to see how far he could kick. His high school coach soon learned of his ability and named him—in addition to his role as wide receiver—the team's punter.[3]
King attendedFort Valley State University where he was originally recruited as awide receiver. However, he could not find playing time at the position. During his junior year, when his new head coach learned that King practiced punting in his spare time, he threatened to revoke King'sscholarship unless he focused on becoming a full-time punter.[4] King recounted this, and said "When [the coach] threatened to take my scholarship away from me to focus on being a punter I was like, 'All right, well, if you want to take my scholarship away from me, well, I'm [going to] find a way to make this position look fun.'"[5] In his senior year, King was an All-First-teamSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member and the 2011 FVSU Wildcats Most Valuable Player. During the 2011 season, King punted 80 yards againstBethune-Cookman University. During the 2011 season, King led the SIAC Conference in punting with a 43 yards per punt average, with 21 punts landing inside his opponents' 20-yard-line. Sixteen of his punts yielded 50 yards or more. King competed in the first annualNFLPA Collegiate Bowl in 2012.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄8 in (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 4.67 s | ||||||||||
| All values fromPro Day[6] | ||||||||||||
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After going undrafted in the2012 NFL draft, theOakland Raiders had King try out for the team. On April 29, 2012, the Oakland Raiders signed King to a three-year, $1.36 million contract.[7] In training camp, King took most of the punting snaps due to an earlier injury to veteranShane Lechler. King impressed the coaches enough to be kept on the roster but was placed oninjured reserve for the entire2012 NFL season.[8]
With Lechler signing a free-agent contract with theHouston Texans, King competed for theOakland Raiders punting job during the 2013 preseason with experienced veteranChris Kluwe. King won the punting job, and Kluwe was cut at the conclusion of the preseason. During the 2013 season, King led the league in gross yards per punt, with 48.9.[9][10]
In 2014, King led the league in punting yards and total punts, with 4,930 on 109 punts.[11] These numbers also set single-seasonOakland Raiders franchise records.[10]
On March 11, 2015, King signed a one-year, $1.54 million contract to remain with the Raiders. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 15.[12]
On February 29, 2016, the Raiders signed King to a five-year, $16.50 million extension with $12.50 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $250,000.[7][13] On September 23, 2016, King was fined $18,231 for a touchdown savinghorse-collar tackle onEric Weems during a Week 2 game against theAtlanta Falcons.[14] During the 2016 season, King was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 7.[15]
During King's career, he became noted by sports media outlets for his attention-grabbing celebrations and dances following punts.[15][16]
On March 30, 2018, the Raiders released King.[17] Leading up to and upon his release, several of his teammates were publicly critical of King, especiallyBruce Irvin andCordarrelle Patterson.[18]
On April 5, 2018, theDenver Broncos signed King to a three-year contract worth $7 million.[19] He was placed on injured reserve on October 6, 2018, with a thigh injury. Two days later, the Broncos reached an injury settlement with King and he was released.[20]
King was selected by theSt. Louis Battlehawks in the2020 XFL Supplemental Draft on November 22, 2019.[21] He played in 5 games with them, and had 19 punts for 868 yards.[22] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[23]
King was selected in the2023 XFL Draft by theArlington Renegades.[24] He re-signed with the team on January 29, 2024.[25] He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024.[26] He re-signed with the Renegades on October 25, 2024.[27]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| General | Punting | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Punts | Yards | Y/P | Net | In20 | TB | ||
| 2012 | OAK | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||
| 2013 | OAK | 16 | 84 | 4,107 | 48.9 | 40.1 | 23 | 11 | ||
| 2014 | OAK | 16 | 109 | 4,930 | 45.2 | 40.0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2015 | OAK | 16 | 83 | 3,697 | 44.5 | 40.7 | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2016 | OAK | 16 | 81 | 3,937 | 48.6 | 41.4 | 34 | 9 | ||
| 2017 | OAK | 16 | 69 | 3,270 | 47.4 | 42.7 | 28 | 6 | ||
| 2018 | DEN | 4 | 20 | 881 | 44.1 | 39.7 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Career[28][29] | 84 | 446 | 20,822 | 46.7 | 41.1 | 163 | 34 | |||
