Robert Malone
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Career Summary
Robert Malone was a Fresno State punter who played 31 NFL games for Tampa Bay, Detroit, and the New York Jets.
NFL statistics credit Malone with 157 punts for 6,993 yards, a 45.6-yard average, and a long punt of 84 yards over four seasons.
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Early Life
Malone was born in Orange, California, and attended Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
Fresno State identifies Malone’s hometown as Riverside, California, his high school as Martin Luther King, and his birth date as February 4, 1988.
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High School
Malone was a multi-position athlete at Martin Luther King High School.
Fresno State reported that he played tight end and defensive end in addition to punting, with 20 catches for 471 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 39.2 yards per punt.
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College Career
Malone developed into one of Fresno State’s top punters from 2006 through 2009.
He totaled 117 punts for 4,978 yards and a 42.5-yard average, placing 43 punts inside the 20. His senior season averaged 45.1 yards per punt.
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Path to the NFL
Malone entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2010 and joined Tampa Bay that October.
Tampa Bay’s transaction page lists Malone’s October 12, 2010 signing, and the club noted he had entered the league earlier that spring with Jacksonville.
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NFL Career
Malone played for Tampa Bay, Detroit, and the Jets from 2010 through 2013.
NFL statistics list 52 punts for Tampa Bay in 2010, five for Detroit in 2011, 84 for the Jets in 2012, and 16 for the Jets in 2013.
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Career Accomplishments
Malone earned first-team All-WAC and second-team Academic All-America honors in 2009.
Fresno State’s bowl guide listed him as a first-team All-WAC punter and second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American; the university called him one of three program Academic All-Americans at the time.
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Playing Style
Malone was a strong-legged punter whose accuracy improved at Fresno State.
Fresno State described him as having a strong leg with improved accuracy and consistency. In 2008 he downed 20 of 54 punts inside the 20, including three inside the five.
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Legacy
Malone’s Fresno State legacy combines academic recognition with a record-setting punting performance.
Fresno State lists his 54.0-yard average on four punts against San Jose State in 2009 as a Bulldog Stadium individual record.
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Post-Career
The reviewed official football sources do not provide a sufficiently detailed post-playing-career account.
The reviewed official NFL, team, and Fresno State sources document Malone’s football career but do not provide a substantiated post-playing-career account suitable for this profile.
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22728, 00-0027509, 1988-02-04, Robert Malone, Robert, Malone
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