Marv Bateman

Marvin Fredrick Bateman (born April 5, 1950 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is a former American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He was All-Pro in the 1976 season as a member of the Bills. He played college football for the University of Utah.

Bateman attended Highland High School and the University of Utah. In college he led the nation in punting twice and became the first and only Utah football player to receive first team All-America honors two years in a row. He was also an All-WAC performer and as a senior averaged 48.1 yards per punt and had a school record 59 yard field goal.

In 1987, he was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Utah Crimson Club Hall of Fame.

Dallas Cowboys

Bateman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round of the 1972 NFL Draft and became the team starter, after the team traded Pro Bowl punter Ron Widby to the Green Bay Packers.

He averaged 38.2 yards per punt in 1972, received NFL All-Rookie honors. He improved to 41.6 yards per punt in 1973, but was eventually released because of poor performance in 1974 and replaced with Duane Carrell.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills signed him after his release. He led the NFL two years in a row in net yards per punt and was named to the All-Pro team in 1976, the same year he had a 78-yard punt, which still stands as the longest punt in team history. He was released by the Bills on August 21, 1978.

San Francisco 49ers

In 1979, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers but retired before the start of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals

In 1980, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and was released on August 26.