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Tim Dwight started three of the nine games he played in for the Chargers in 2003, catching 14 passes for 193 yards and gaining 88 yards on nine carries. He also returned 22 kickoffs for 488 yards. Dwight proved to be a valuable contributor for the Chargers in 2002. A versatile athlete who joined the Chargers in a pre-draft trade in 2001, Dwight was a force as a wide receiver, ball-carrier, blocker and a demon on special teams as both a kickoff and punt returner. However, the play that Dwight will be most remembered for was the downfield block he threw to spring LaDainian Tomlinson on a 58-yard touchdown scamper which provided the winning margin in the Chargers' 21-14 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots on Sept. 14.
Dwight lives life close to the edge both on and off the football field. He is an extreme sports enthusiast who lists surfing, wakeboarding, bungee jumping, riding Jet Skis and motorcycles, white-water rafting, yoga and learning to play his electric guitar among his hobbies. In November 2002, Dwight returned to Iowa City and opened a yoga studio.
While in San Diego, Dwight lives in Pacific Beach, where he can be found riding his bike to the beach with one of his three surfboards in tow as he heads to Tourmaline Street, one of the area's premier longboarding spots. He owns a condominium in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where he spends time during the offseason enjoying the fresh mountain air while perfecting his prowess as a snowboarder. He also plans to take one of his newer toys to Lake Tahoe, a 21-foot MasterCraft wakeboarding boat.
Dwight has taken advantage of his platform in the NFL to help others. In June, he hosted a three-day football camp in Iowa City that was attended by more than 300 youngsters. Half of the proceeds from the camp helped support the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Children's Hospital of Iowa. Dwight's sister Christine is a cancer survivor. The remainder of the funds from the camp went toward the Tim Dwight Scholarship Fund. It was the second year Dwight hosted the football camp.
2003:
Saw action in nine games with three starts...caught 14 passes for 193 yards and gained 88 yards on nine carries...returned 22 kickoffs for 488 yards...placed on injured reserve on Nov. 26 after suffering partially collapsed lung at Denver on Nov. 16...had season-high 48 receiving yards and tied season-high with three catches against Minnesota Nov. 9...accounted for season-high 174 total yards against Denver on Sept. 14 with 28 rushing, 19 receiving and 127 on kickoff returns.
2002:
Racked up 50 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns...carried 12 times on reverses for 108 yards and one touchdown...returned 19 punts for 12.2-yard average (231 yards) and eight kickoffs for 20.8-yard average (166 yards)...turned in solid effort at Kansas City Dec. 22 that included season-high six catches for 63 yards and touchdown...caught acrobatic nine-yard touchdown pass to begin comeback from 21-6 deficit to Chiefs...had three punt returns for season-high 70 yards...led team with five catches and 81 yards, including season-long 42-yard catch, at Buffalo Dec. 15...had season-long 37-yard punt return against Oakland Dec. 8...matched then season-high with five catches for 64 yards against San Francisco Nov. 17 including seven-yard catch on fourth down during game-tying drive late in fourth quarter and 19-yard catch on third down play on game-winning drive in overtime...led team with 75 yards receiving on four catches at Oakland Oct. 20...on Chargers' game-winning drive in overtime, caught passes of 25 and 11 yards on successive third-and-10 plays to set up LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown run...scored first two touchdowns of season against Kansas City Oct. 13...scored 19-yard touchdown on reverse on Chargers first series of game and caught 11-yard touchdown pass in fourth quarter...had two rushes against Chiefs for career-best 37 yards...had career-long 20-yard rushes on reverses at Cincinnati Sept. 8 and against Houston Sept. 15.
2001:
Caught 25 passes for 406 yards...named AFC Special Teams Player of Week after registering 84-yard punt return for touchdown vs. Redskins Sept. 9...tied for sixth-longest punt return in team history...has scored three-career touchdowns on returns, including two punt returns and one kickoff return...scored first rushing touchdown of season and second of career at Dallas Sept. 23 on career-long 16-yard run...also had career-long 78-yard catch and run against Cowboys...did not play against Denver Nov. 11, Oakland Nov. 18 or Arizona Nov. 25 while recovering from collapsed lung suffered vs. Kansas City Nov. 4...played during Chiefs game despite suffering injury...returned against Seattle Dec. 2 after missing three games due to injury and led team with five catches and 59 yards...suffered relapse of collapsed lung following game at Philadelphia Dec. 9 and missed final three games of season.
2000:
Led Falcons with 15.6 yards per catch average...caught 26 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns...returned 33 punts for 309 yards and one score and 32 kickoffs for 680 yards...added eight rushing yards for total of 1,403 all-purpose yards...missed two games at Carolina (Sept. 17) and vs. St. Louis (Sept. 24) with appendicitis that required laparoscopic surgery...in first game back in action after surgery, tied career long with 70-yard punt return for touchdown at Philadelphia Oct. 1...caught 52-yard touchdown pass against New Orleans Oct. 22, Falcons longest scoring pass play of season...amassed career-high 264 all-purpose yards at Denver Sept. 10 with six kickoff returns for 149 yards, three punt returns for 50 yards, two catches for 60 yards and two rushes for five yards ...made only start of season against New York Giants Oct. 8.
1999:
Registered career-best 32 receptions for 669 yards and team-leading seven touchdowns...average of 20.9 yards per catch was second-highest single-season total in team history...also had punt return touchdown and rushing touchdown for team-leading nine scores...accounted for two 100-yard receiving games and two two-touchdown performances...tallied 44 kickoff returns for 944 yards and 20 punt returns for 220 yards...caught 45-yard touchdown pass at Dallas Sept. 20...started first-career game at Pittsburgh Oct. 25 ...recorded first-career two-touchdown game with 35-yard and four-yard scoring catches in win over Carolina Oct. 31...scored first-career rushing touchdown on eight-yard carry at Tampa Bay Nov. 21...had first career 100-yard receiving game with five catches for 102 yards at Carolina Nov. 28...snagged 48-yard touchdown catch against New Orleans Dec. 5...racked up career-high seven catches for 162 receiving yards, including scores from four and career-long 60 yards, plus 70-yard punt return for touchdown in 34-29 win over San Francisco on Monday Night Football Jan. 3, 2001...named NFC Special Teams Player of Week following 49ers contest.
1998:
Capped off outstanding rookie season with 94-yard kickoff return for touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIII versus Denver Jan. 31, 1999...fourth-longest return in Super Bowl history...210 kickoff return yards versus Broncos was fourth-most in Super Bowl history...final regular-season totals include 1,371 all-purpose yards on 973 kickoff return yards (36 ret., 1 TD), 263 punt return yards (31 ret.), 94 receiving yards (4 rec., 1 TD), 19 rush yards (8 att.) and 22 passing yards (1-2)...caught 44-yard touchdown pass in first-career game in season opener at Carolina Sept. 6... returned kickoff 93 yards for touchdown, seventh-longest in team history, against Carolina Oct. 4...named NFC Special Teams Player of Week for performance against Panthers...set team playoff record for longest punt return with 36-yarder versus San Francisco Jan. 9, 1999 in divisional playoff game.
College:
Finished seventh in balloting for Heisman Trophy in 1997...consensus All-America selection by Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Sporting News, and Football Writers Association...national leader with 19.3-yard punt return average in 1997...set Big Ten Conference career record with five punt return touchdowns and tied single-season mark with three in 1997...led conference in punt returns in three of four seasons and finished career as conference's career leader in punt return yards...school's all-time leader with 2,271 receiving yards and ranks third with 32 touchdowns and 139 catches...only player in Iowa history to surpass 1,000 career yards in receiving, punt and kickoff returns...lettered three years in track and field competing in sprints and long jump...captured titles in 100 meters, 400, 1,600 meter relays...named "Athlete of Meet" in 1999 conference Championships...earned degree in sports management.
Personal:
Born July 13, 1975 in Iowa City, Iowa...All-America selection at Iowa City High school...1993 Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of Year...first athlete to earn Mississippi Valley Conference Player of Year honors...led school to 4A state title as senior after setting state record with 43 rushing touchdowns...excelled in track winning 12 state, 10 Drake Relays and 15 conference titles as team won three-consecutive state championships...one of three prep athletes to win four-straight state titles in one event (200 meters)...named Gatorade Iowa Track Athlete of Year in 1992-93...single and resides in San Diego.