Mat McBriar
An Australian who mastered the art of the American football punt, becoming a cornerstone for the Dallas Cowboys special teams.
Born 1979 (age 47)·Australian gridiron football player·Birthday: July 8·Generation X
Biography
Mat McBriar's path to the NFL was an unconventional one, beginning on Australian Rules football fields before he found his calling punting an oblong ball. His powerful left leg earned him a shot at the University of Hawaii and, eventually, a decade-long career in the world's most competitive football league. While he had stints with several teams, his identity is inextricably linked to the Dallas Cowboys, where he served as a model of consistency and field-position weapon for eight seasons. McBriar's booming kicks, which twice led the NFL in gross punting average, were a strategic asset, often pinning opponents deep in their own territory and flipping the game's momentum.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mat was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mat Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Mat's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the NFL in gross punting average in 2006 and 2010.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2010 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
- Averaged over 45 yards per punt for his career with the Dallas Cowboys.
Did You Know?
He did not play American football until he was 19 years old.
He was a standout in Australian Rules football before switching codes.
He won the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award multiple times.
“I learned to punt a football on the other side of the world, and it took me to the NFL.”
