View source for Dennis Northcutt

{{Short description|American football player (born 1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Dennis Northcutt
| image       = Dennis_Northcutt_Jacksonville_Jaguars.JPG
| alt         =
| caption     = Northcutt during his tenure with the Jaguars
| number      = 86
| position    = [[Wide receiver]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1977|12|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft   = 5
| height_in   = 11
| weight_lbs  = 172
| high_school = [[Susan Miller Dorsey High School|Dorsey]] {{nowrap|(Los Angeles)}}
| college     = [[Arizona Wildcats football|Arizona]]
| draftyear   = 2000
| draftround  = 2
| draftpick   = 32
| pastteams   = * [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|2000}}&ndash;{{NFL Year|2006}})
* [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] ({{NFL Year|2007}}&ndash;{{NFL Year|2008}})
* [[Detroit Lions]] ({{NFL Year|2009}})
| highlights  = * Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1999 College Football All-America Team|1999]])
* First-team [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference football teams|All-Pac-10]] ([[1999 All-Pacific-10 Conference football team|1999]])
* NFL leader: punt returns for touchdowns (2002)
| statlabel1  = [[Reception (American football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue1  = 399
| statlabel2  = [[Receiving yards]]
| statvalue2  = 4,941
| statlabel3  = [[Touchdown|Receiving touchdowns]]
| statvalue3  = 18
| statlabel4  = [[Rushing yards]]
| statvalue4  = 366
| statlabel5  = [[Touchdown|Rushing touchdowns]]
| statvalue5  = 1
| statlabel6  = [[Return yards]]
| statvalue6  = 2,684
| statlabel7  = [[Touchdown|Return touchdowns]]
| statvalue7  = 3
| pfr         = NortDe00 
}}

'''Dennis LaMont Northcutt''' (born December 22, 1977) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[wide receiver]] and [[punt returner]] for 10 seasons in the [[National Football League]] (NFL).  He played [[college football]] for the [[Arizona Wildcats football|Arizona Wildcats]], earning consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] honors and setting team career receiving records.  A second-round pick in the [[2000 NFL draft]], he played professionally for the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] and [[Detroit Lions]] of the NFL.

==Early life==
Northcutt was born in [[Los Angeles, California]].  He attended [[Washington Preparatory High School|Washington High School]] in Los Angeles,{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} then transferred to [[Dorsey High School]] in Los Angeles, California, and was a student and a letterman in football and track helping the Dons win the CIF LA 4-A CITY Football Championship. In football, as a senior, he was named the City Player of the Year, and made 74 rushing attempts for 900 yards (12.16 yards per rushing attempt avg.) and 23 touchdowns.

==College career==
He attended the University of Arizona, where he played for the [[Arizona Wildcats football]] team from 1996 to 1999.  He earned recognition as one of the best receivers and returners in Wildcats history, catching 223 passes for 3,252 yards.  Only two other [[Pac-10]] players have had more receptions and receiving yards in their careers.  Northcutt also caught passes in 43 straight games, a conference record. In his senior year, he set an Arizona records with 88 receptions for 1,422 yards. His punt-return average that year of 19 yards per return was second in the nation.  As a senior in 1999, he was recognized a consensus first-team All-American as an "all-purpose" athlete.

==Professional career==

===2000 NFL Combine===
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 5
|    height in = 10 3/8
|       weight = 175
|         dash = 4.44
|    ten split = 1.52
| twenty split = 2.59
|      shuttle = 4.04
|   cone drill = 6.96
|     vertical = 37.5
|     broad ft = 10
|     broad in = 3
|        bench =
|    wonderlic =
|     arm span = 29
|    hand span = 10 1/8
|         note = All values from [[NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1344&DraftYear=2000 |title=2000 Draft Scout Dennis Northcutt, Arizona NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |website=draftscout.com |access-date=September 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=4614 |title=Dennis Northcutt, Combine Results, WR - Arizona |website=nflcombineresults.com |access-date=September 29, 2022}}</ref>
}}

The [[Cleveland Browns]] chose Northcutt in the second round of the [[2000 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2000 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2000/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> After a good rookie season and an injury-plagued second one, he established himself as one of the team's most important weapons in [[2002 Cleveland Browns season|2002]]. He led the team that year with eight touchdowns, including two on punt returns, and finished third in the league with a 14.7 yard punt return average. According to ''[[Football Outsiders]]'', Northcutt's 2002 season is the most efficient season, play-for-play, of any wide receiver from 1991 to 2011, even though Northcutt caught a modest 38 passes.<ref>Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 ({{ISBN|978-1-4782-0152-6}}), p.357</ref> Despite his efficiency, Northcutt's 2002 season is most memorable for a critical drop on third down in the Browns playoff matchup against the rival [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].

In [[2003 Cleveland Browns season|2003]], Northcutt led the Browns with 62 receptions, and in 2004, he led the Browns with 55 receptions.  Northcutt left the Browns as the 10th best receiver in Browns history with 276 catches for 3,438 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was a good punt returner for the Browns, finishing his stint there with 202 returns for 2,149 yards. Three of his returns went for touchdowns, though seven were called back due to penalties.  He holds the record for most punt return yardage in Browns history.

On March 4, 2007, Northcutt signed a five-year, $17 million deal with the [[2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]] as an unrestricted free agent.  Signing with a different team gave him the opportunity to start out fresh.  He quickly rose to the top of the WR depth chart in his first season with the team.  During his first year on the team, he placed second on the team in both receptions and yards receiving, and finished tied for second on the team in touchdown receptions.  He also served as an occasional punt returner during the season.

On June 26, 2009, he was traded to the [[2009 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] in exchange for safety [[Gerald Alexander]].  Northcutt played in all 16 games of the 2009 season for the Lions, starting in two games.  On September 5, 2010, Northcutt was waived in the Lions' final cuts before the start of the regular season. He has since joined a recreational flag football league at the North Ave turf fields.

==NFL statistics==
===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Year
! rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |GP
! colspan="6" |Receiving
! colspan="6" |Rushing
! colspan="5" |Punt returns
! colspan="4" |Kickoff returns
|-
! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! FD !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! FD !! Ret !! Yds !! Lng !! TD !! FC !! Ret !! Yds !! Lng !! TD 
|-
! [[2000 NFL season|2000]] !! [[2000 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 15 || 39 || 422 || 10.8 || 37 || 0 || 24 || 9 || 33 || 3.7 || 13 || 0 || 1 || 27 || 289 || 30 || 0 || 12 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 11 || 18 || 211 || 11.7 || 26 || 0 || 7 || 3 || 26 || 8.7 || 12 || 0 || 1 || 15 || 86 || 32 || 0 || 9 || 1 || 26 || 26 || 0
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 13 || 38 || 601 || '''15.8''' || 43 || '''5''' || 31 || 8 || '''104''' || 13.0 || '''36''' || '''1''' || '''4''' || 25 || 367 || '''87''' || '''2''' || 10 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2003 NFL season|2003]] !! [[2003 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 15 || '''62''' || 729 || 11.8 || 44 || 2 || '''43''' || '''12''' || 83 || 6.9 || 23 || 0 || '''4''' || '''36''' || 295 || 38 || 0 || 10 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2004 NFL season|2004]] !! [[2004 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| '''16''' || 55 || '''806''' || 14.7 || '''58''' || 2 || 25 || 8 || 19 || 2.4 || 8 || 0 || 1 || '''36''' || '''432''' || 44 || 0 || 12 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2005 NFL season|2005]] !! [[2005 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| '''16''' || 42 || 441 || 10.5 || '''58''' || 2 || 19 || 2 || 33 || '''16.5''' || 31 || 0 || 1 || 35 || 368 || 62 || 1 || 13 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2006 NFL season|2006]] !! [[2006 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 13 || 22 || 228 || 10.4 || 43 || 0 || 10 || 3 || 32 || 10.7 || 16 || 0 || 1 || 28 || 312 || 81 || 0 || 13 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2007 NFL season|2007]] !! [[2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season|JAX]]
| 15 || 44 || 601 || 13.7 || 55 || 4 || 30 || 6 || 27 || 4.5 || 8 || 0 || 0 || 26 || 240 || 37 || 0 || 13 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2008 NFL season|2008]] !! [[2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season|JAX]]
| 14 || 44 || 545 || 12.4 || 41 || 2 || 25 || 1 || 9 || 9.0 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 14 || 9 || 0 || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2009 NFL season|2009]] !! [[2009 Detroit Lions season|DET]]
| '''16''' || 35 || 357 || 10.2 || 47 || 1 || 18 || — || — || — || — || — || — || 22 || 189 || 43 || 0 || '''15''' || '''3''' || '''66''' || '''34''' || 0
|-
! colspan="2" |Career<ref name=ESPN>{{cite web|title=Dennis Northcutt Stats|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/2163/dennis-northcutt|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=19 May 2014}}</ref> !! 144 !! 399 !! 4,941 !! 12.4 !! 58 !! 18 !! 232 !! 52 !! 366 !! 7.0 !! 36 !! 1 !! 13 !! 255 !! 2,592 !! 87 !! 3 !! 114 !! 4 !! 92 !! 34 !! 0 
|}

===Postseason===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Year
! rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |GP
! colspan="6" |Receiving
! colspan="6" |Rushing
! colspan="5" |Punt returns
|-
! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! FD !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! FD !! Ret !! Yds !! Lng !! TD !! FC
|-
! [[2002–03 NFL playoffs|2002]] !! [[2002 Cleveland Browns season|CLE]]
| 1 || '''6''' || '''92''' || '''15.3''' || '''32''' || '''2''' || '''6''' || 1 || 5 || 5.0 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 2 || '''70''' || '''59''' || 0 || '''4'''
|-
! [[2007–08 NFL playoffs|2007]] !! [[2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season|JAX]]
| '''2''' || 5 || 59 || 11.8 || 19 || 0 || 3 || — || — || — || — || — || — || '''3''' || 31 || 16 || 0 || 0
|-
! colspan="2" |Career !! 3 !! 11 !! 151 !! 13.7 !! 32 !! 2 !! 9 !! 1 !! 5 !! 5.0 !! 5 !! 0 !! 0 !! 5 !! 101 !! 59 !! 0 !! 4
|}

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060317123931/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player_stats2.php?id=59 Career statistics from Clevelandbrowns.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060317123939/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player_bio.php?id=59 Biography from Clevelandbrowns.com]

{{1999 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Browns2000DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northcutt, Dennis}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football return specialists]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats football players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Browns players]]
[[Category:Detroit Lions players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Susan Miller Dorsey High School alumni]]