Dodge was born in Morehead City, North Carolina, where he played multiple sports including football and soccer at West Carteret High School before attending Appalachian State University.

[2] As a freshman at Appalachian State, Dodge was the punter for the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship-winning team.

[9] Dodge's first professional punt was blocked in a Monday night preseason game against the New York Jets.

Shortly after the winning touchdown, Dodge was publicly criticized by his head coach, Tom Coughlin, for failing to punt the ball out of bounds.

[2] During his NFL team tryouts, Dodge resumed bodybuilding and entered various competitions along with working as a personal trainer.