AJ Cole

TRANSACTION: Signed by Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent, May 6, 2019.

TRANSACTION: Signed by Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent, May 6, 2019.

AT A GLANCE

• Ranked fourth in the NFL in 2022, averaging 48.9 gross yards per punt on 59 attempts and downing 26 punts inside the 20-yard line en route to his second career Pro Bowl selection.
• Earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021, leading the NFL with a 50.0-yard average on 64 punts and placing 28 inside the 20-yard line.
• In 2019, set rookie club records in punting average (46.0), net average (39.4) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (33).

CAREER: Punter enters his fifth year with the Silver and Black, making the team after participating on a tryout basis at the team's rookie mini-camp in 2019…In 2022, finished fourth in the NFL with a 48.9 gross punting average on 59 punts and was named to his second career Pro Bowl…In 2021, earned his first Pro Bowl selection after leading the NFL with a 50.0 yard average on 64 punts and placing 28 inside the 20-yard line…In 2020, appeared in all 16 contests for the second consecutive season and set a career high with an average of 40.1 net yards per punt…As a rookie in 2019, set rookie club records for punting average (46.0), net average (39.4) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (33)…Career totals include 66 games played with 234 punts for 11,106 yards (47.5 avg.), a net average of 41.5 yards and 107 punts downed inside the 20-yard line with a long of 74 yards.

2022: Earned his second Pro Bowl selection, finishing fourth in the NFL with a 48.9 gross punting average on 59 punts, while his 43.9 net punting average ranked fifth in the league (min. 50 attempts)….Downed 20.3 percent of his punts (12) inside the 10-yard line this season, the fifth-best percentage in the NFL…His five punts downed inside the 5-yard line (8.5 percent) ranked second in the league…(9/11) at LAC: Netted 106 yards (53 avg.) on two punts, downing one punt inside the 20-yard line, with a 56-yard long...(9/18) vs. Ari.: Totaled three punts for 161 yards (53.7 avg.) with a 66-yard long...(9/25) at Ten.: Recorded 144 yards (48.0 avg.) on three punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line...(10/2) vs. Den.: Totaled 215 yards on four punts, averaging 53.8 yards…(10/10) at KC.: Punted two times for 104 yards (52 avg.) with a 60-yard long...(10/23) vs. Hou.: Averaged 46.5 yards on two punts with a 50-yard long...(10/30) at NO: Punted five times for 229 yards (45.8 avg.) with a 54-yard long...(11/6) at Jac.: Totaled 196 yards on four punts (49.0 avg.), downing three inside the 20-yard line...(11/13) vs. Ind.: Netted 294 yards (53.4 avg.) on five punts with a season-high 67-yard long...(11/20) at Den.: Averaged 46.8 yards on four punts...(11/27) at Sea.: Totaled 91 yards on two punts with a 50-yard long...(12/4) vs. LAC: Averages 34.5 yards on four punts, downing two inside the 20-yard line...(12/8) at LAR: Punted three times for 148 yards (49.3 avg.) with a 64-yard long...(12/18) vs. NE: Punted a season-high seven times for 324 yards (46.3 avg.)…Downed two punts inside the 20-yard line…(12/24) at Pit.: Averaged 41.6 yards on five punts...(1/1/23) vs. SF: Totaled 81 yards on two punts (40.5 avg.)…(1/7/23) vs. KC: Averaged 61.0 yards on two punts, downing one inside the 20-yard line.

2021: Earned his first Pro Bowl selection, averaging 50.0 yards on 64 punts and placing 28 inside the 20-yard line...Led the NFL with 50.0 yard average, which also ranked eighth in NFL history...(9/13) vs. Bal.: Averaged 52.7 yards, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(9/19) at Pit.:Averaged 47.5 yards, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(9/26) vs. Mia.:Averaged 54.0 yards, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(10/4) at LAC: Averaged 51.2 yards and placed one punt inside the 20-yard line...(10/10) vs. Chi.:Averaged 56.0 yards in the contest...Also recorded a season-high three punts inside the 20-yard line...(10/17) at Den.:Averaged a career-high 57.0 yards, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...Recorded a 71-yard punt, marking the second-longest of his career...(10/24) vs. Phi.:Averaged 47.0 yards in the win, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(11/7) at NYG:Averaged 50.0 yards on the day...(11/14) vs. KC:Punted five times for 250 yards (50.0 avg.), placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...Added one tackle and one forced fumble...(11/21) vs. Cin.:Averaged 46.5 yards, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(11/25) at Dal.:Averaged 48.6 yards, placing four punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/5) vs. Was.:Averaged 50.5 yards and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/12) at KC:Averaged 50.0 yards on three punts...(12/20) at Cle.:Averaged 44.3 yards in the win, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(12/26) vs. Den.:Averaged 42.5 yards on two punt, both of which were placed inside the 20-yard line...(1/2/22) at Ind.:Averaged 52.0 yards on two punts with one punt placed inside the 20-yard line...(1/9/22) vs. LAC:Averaged 45.3 yards on four punts in the win, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...Postseason: (1/15/22) at Cin.:Averaged 49.5 yards on two punts in is first postseason appearance.

2020: Played in 16 games and recorded 44 punts for 1,939 yards (44.1 avg.)...Finished tied for 16th in the NFL with 20 punts placed inside the 20-yard line, while his percentage of punts downed inside the 20-yard line (45.5 percent) ranked fourth in the league...His 133 opponent punt return yards allowed ranked seventh-fewest in the NFL...(9/13) at Car.: Punted three times for 127 yards (42.3 avg.) with a long of 52 yards...(9/21) vs. NO: Punted two times for 80 yards with a long of 44 yards...(9/27) at NE: Punted three times for 136 yards (45.3 avg.), placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(10/4) vs. Buf.: Punted one time for 57 yards...(10/11) at KC: Punted two times for 106 yards (53.0 avg.), placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(10/25) vs. TB: Punted three times for 121 yards (40.3 avg.), placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(11/1) at Cle.: Punted one time for 56 yards, placing the punt inside the 20-yard line...(11/8) at LAC: Punted four times for 150 yards (37.5 avg.), placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(11/15) vs. Den.: Punted four times for 174 yards (43.5 avg.), placing a season-high three punts inside the 20-yard line...(11/22) vs. KC: Punted two times for 73 yards (36.5 avg.), placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(11/29) at Atl.: Punted a season-high five times for 243 yards (48.6 avg.) with a long of 63 yards...Tied his season-high by placing three punts inside the 20-yard line, while his 63-yard punt marked a new season-long...(12/6) at NYJ: Punted three times for 129 yards (43.0 avg.), placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/13) vs. Ind.: Punted one time for 47 yards...(12/17) vs. LAC: Punted two times for 75 yards (37.5 avg.) with a 56-yard long...(12/26) vs. Mia.: Punted four times for 168 yards (42.0 avg.) with a 58-yard long, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(1/3/21) at Den.: Punted four times for 199 yards (49.8 avg.), placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...His 49.8 average was his highest of the season in games with multiple punts.

2019: Played all 16 games in his rookie season and set rookie club records in punting average (46.0), net average (39.4 avg.) and punts downed inside the 20-yard line (33)...Totaled 67 punts for 3,081 yards…Led the league from Weeks 11-17 with 18 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, while his 33 total for the year tied P Shane Lechler for third-most in franchise history and ranked fifth in the NFL...Also booted a 74-yard punt, the third-longest punt in team history, sixth-longest by a rookie in NFL history and third-longest overall in 2019...(9/9) vs. Den.: Averaged 44.7 yards on three punts with a 52-yard long, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line in his NFL debut...(9/15) vs. KC: Totaled 264 yards on six punts for a 44-yard average and a long of 60 yards...(9/22) at Min.: Averaged a season-best 54.3 yards on four punts with a net average of 49.0 yards per punt...Tied a career-long with a 60-yarder, placing two punts inside the 20-yard line...(9/29) at Ind.: Punted five times for 253 yards (50.6 avg.) with a long of 59 yards, placing three punts inside the 20-yard line...(10/6) vs. Chi.: Averaged 42.5 yards on four punts, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(10/20) at GB: Punted two times for 106 yards (53.0 avg.) with a long of 59 yards, placing both punts inside the 20-yard line...(10/27) at Hou.: Punted six times for 292 yards (48.7 avg.) with a long of 57 yards, placing three punts inside the 20-yard line...(11/3) vs. Det.: Punted two times for 96 yards (48.0 avg.) with a long of 52 yards...(11/7) vs. LAC: Punted four times for 170 yards (42.5 avg.) with a long of 50 yards, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(11/17) vs. Cin.: Averaged 42.3 yards on five punts with a 50-yard long, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(11/24) at NYJ: Punted a career-high seven times for 315 yards (45.0 avg.) with a long of 57 yards, while placing four punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/1) at KC: Averaged 38.5 yards on two punts, placing one punt inside the 20-yard line...(12/8) vs. Ten.: Totaled 221 yards on five punts for a 44.2 average, placing four punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/15) vs. Jac.: Punted four times for 167 yards (41.8 avg.) with a long of 52 yards, placing three punts inside the 20-yard line...(12/22) at LAC: Punted five times for 259 yards (51.8 avg.) with a career long of 74 yards, placing three punts inside the 20-yard line...His 74-yard punt was the third-longest in the NFL in 2019 and longest for Raiders players since Lechler's 76-yarder at KC on Dec. 24, 2011...(12/29) at Den.: Punted three times for 124 yards (41.3 avg.) with a long of 49 yards...Placed two punts inside the 20-yard line, tying Lechler for third-most punts inside the 20-yard line in a single season in franchise history (33).

COLLEGE: Four-year letterman at North Carolina State (2015-18), appearing in 52 career games...Finished collegiate career ranked second in program history in punting yards (9,288) and third in punts (220)…Also ranked third in the program record book with a 42.2-yard punting average…Had 89 career punts downed inside the 20-yard line…As a senior, punted 49 times for 2,076 yards (42.4 avg.), marking fourth-straight year eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark…Had 22 punts downed inside the 20-yard line…Semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented annually to the player "who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement"…As a junior, averaged 43.7 yards per punt, which ranked fifth in the ACC and marked the fifth-best single-season average in program history…Totaled 54 punts for 2,358 yards and set a career best by notching 18 punts of 50-or-more yards…Had two punts of 60-plus yards…Named to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award…Finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy…Named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team…CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-ACC selection…As a sophomore, punted 51 times for 2,104 yards (41.3 avg.)…As a freshman, set single-season personal standards in punts (66), yards (2,750), touchbacks (six), fair catches (25) and punts inside the 20-yard line (28)…Graduated with a degree in industrial engineering.

PERSONAL: Attended Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga. …As a senior, averaged 40.1 yards per punt and converted 7-of-9 FG attempts and 33-of-38 PAT attempts…Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Metro Team…Also named all-region and second-team all-state…Ranked as the No. 13 punter in the nation by Kohl's Kicking, the No. 5 kicker and No. 70 player in Georgia by Rivals.com and the No. 19 kicker in the nation by ESPN.com…Helped team to a 9-3 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the Georgia 3A playoffs…Also played tight end and defensive end.

ADDITIONAL STATISTICS: Special teams tackles – 1 in 2019.

SINGLE-GAME HIGHS: PUNTING: Punts – 7, twice, last: 12/18/22 vs NE. Gross average – 58.8, 11/13/22 vs. Ind. Net average – 53.4, 11/13/22 vs Ind. Punts inside 20 – five, four times; last: 10/30/22 at NO. Long – 74, 12/22/19 at LAC.