Who is Cameron Dicker? Meet 'Dicker the Kicker,' the Chargers' clutch fill-in for Dustin Hopkins

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Jacob Camenker
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Cameron Dicker
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The Chargers have long been known for having a kicker carousel, and they are enduring one through no fault of their own in 2022.

Los Angeles has used three different kickers during the 2022 NFL season. They have dealt with injuries to their top two options at the position and are onto their third-string kicker in Week 11 against the Chiefs.

That said, their third-stringer has been good thus far and he hasn't missed a kick while serving as a clutch fill-in for Dustin Hopkins.

So, who is the Chargers' kicker? That would be Cameron Dicker. No, that's not a typo.

"Dicker the Kicker" is an undrafted rookie playing his first NFL season, and he has found plenty of success in three games this season for the Chargers and Eagles. Here's everything to know about him as he looks to prove that he belongs as a starting NFL kicker in 2022 and beyond.

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Who is Cameron Dicker?

Dicker is a rookie kicker who is currently playing for the Chargers. The 22-year-old was born in Hong Kong and spent the first 11 years of his life in Shanghai. He then moved to Texas and eventually went to Lake Travis High School, which has produced notable NFL players including Baker Mayfield, Garrett Wilson and Garrett Gilbert.

After starring at Lake Travis, Dicker went on to kick for Texas. He gained notoriety as a freshman starter after he made a 40-yard, game-winning field goal in the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma.

From there, his "Dicker the Kicker" moniker became well known. He went on to kick four years at Texas. He made 60 of 79 career field goals and 206 of 210 extra points. 

After college, Dicker went undrafted. He has spent his rookie season bouncing around to several organizations. He originally signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent but also spent time on the Ravens' 90-man roster.

During the regular season, Dicker served as a one-game injury replacement for the Eagles earlier in the season before landing with the Chargers where he has since started twice.

To date, Dicker has not missed a kick, and his backstory and nickname have endeared him to NFL fans and his teammates alike.

Why did the Chargers sign Cameron Dicker?

The Chargers signed Dicker because they had two injured kickers on their roster.

The first was Dustin Hopkins. The team's normal top kicker was dealing with a hamstring injury, so he was unable to play.

Initially, it was assumed that Taylor Bertolet, a former USFL star who had replaced Hopkins when he couldn't play in two earlier games with a quad injury would replace him. However, Bertolet landed on the practice squad injured list with an undisclosed problem on Nov. 3.

At that point, the Chargers signed Dicker to the practice squad. He was activated ahead of Week 9, making him the third different kicker that the Chargers have used thus far in 2022.

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What is Dustin Hopkins' injury?

Hopkins is dealing with a hamstring injury that he initially suffered during the Chargers' 19-16 win over the Broncos in Week 6.

It isn't clear exactly when Hopkins suffered the injury, but it was clear that he was struggling with it throughout the night. Still, he gutted through an extra point four field goal attempts, including a game-winner.

That said, he fell down after every kick, seemingly showcasing that he wasn't 100 percent.

Coach Brandon Staley gave more details about Hopkins' injury after the game.

“He had a hamstring cramp/strain. It just didn’t feel right. You can’t say enough about him hanging in there," Staley explained, per Sports Illustrated. "Then, you can’t say enough about JK Scott coming in and doing an outstanding job kicking off for us so that Dustin can save himself for field goals and PATs."

His effort proved costly, however, as he has not been able to suit up since Week 6. Staley seemed optimistic that he will have a chance to return in Week 12, but the Chargers may not need to rush him back considering Dicker's strong performance to date.

MORE: Inside Dustin Hopkins' huge night on "Monday Night Football" playing through injury

Cameron Dicker stats

Dicker has done well through two games with the Chargers. He hasn't missed a kick to date and made a 47-yard field goal in their Week 10 loss to the 49ers.

More impressively, Dicker made a 37-yard game-winning field goal against the Falcons to earn the Chargers a 20-17 Week 9 win as time expired. It marked his second game-winning kick of the season, as he had made a 23-yard kick to beat the Cardinals in Week 5 while filling in for Jake Elliott with the Eagles.

Below is a look at Dicker's stats during his solid 2022 campaign with the Eagles and Chargers:

Team FG made FG attempts % Made Long XP made XP attempts
Eagles 2 2 100 42 2 2
Chargers 5 5 100 47 3 3
Total 7 7 100 47 5 5

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Cameron Dicker highlights

As mentioned, Dicker has had a couple of highlight kicks during his time in the NFL this season.

His most notable one came for the Chargers in their win over the Falcons. He converted a 37-yard kick as time expired to give Los Angeles a 20-17 win.

Dicker's other game-winning kick came from a much closer range. He hit a 23-yard field goal in his lone game with the Eagles to give them a win against the Cardinals. Strangely enough, the final score in that one was also 20-17.

Dicker won the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award for his lone outing with the Eagles and took home the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award thanks to his game-winning kick with the Chargers. He is the only player to win the award playing for two different teams this season.

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Jacob Camenker Photo
Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker is a senior content producer at The Sporting News.