First off, what are your offseason plans before camp kicks in?
Well, we went back to Australia a couple of weeks ago to visit my family. That was a lot of fun. It was out son Max’s first birthday so my parents got the chance to meet him for the first time. That was a nice time.
Why sign with the Steelers? Did you talk about what the Steelers want from a punter versus, say, Philly or Houston?
I think teams are pretty consistent all-around with what they want. I just wanted to be a part of such an incredible organization. That was a massive draw. And my wife is from Ohio so being closer to home was a big draw too.
Also- getting the chance to play for Danny Smith – I’m super-excited about that.
Your wife is from Ohio – did she have issues with you signing with Pittsburgh?
Her mom and family are big Browns fans but my wife was super-excited to be closer to home. Her mom is the tougher one – she’s a really big Browns fan. She’s given me some grief – we had a good laugh about it before I signed with the Steelers.
Any thoughts on the fan excitement coming in as the new punter and the whole Bill Burr stuff?
Ha! It’s just incredible to be able to play for them. At the end of the day my focus is to just do my job and try not to be noticed. When no one is talking about you that’s good news – that’s the goal! I just want to come in and help them win.
Who were your mentors starting out as an NFL punter?
Nathan Chapman at Pro Kick Australia – he was a big reason I got into punting. I played Australian rules football but that didn’t work out for me. But I found out about his program afterwards and have relied on him now for the past 11-to-12 years. Without him I wouldn’t be here. His mentorship and coaching – he’s done a wonderful job with the program and there are so many guys he’s sent now to the NFL.
The Steelers have a little history with Australian punters – Brad Wing and Jordan Berry as well. Did you talk to those others guys and any reason why there’s an affinity to Australian punters? Is it the toughness as many seem to play Australian rules football?
I spoke to Jordan Berry – he is an incredible punter. I think the punting background – its similar to Australian Rules Football where you punt to advance the ball. There are more and more guys who know about that pathway from Australia to the NFL now.
On the physicality and toughness – I’m not sure about that one. You spend so many years on the mechanical part of punting when you play Australian football. I played since I was four years old – so punting that long instead of throwing the ball builds those mechanics – it makes it easier.
I don’t know about the toughness part though – I’m not touching that one!
How different are the asks between teams from your experience – what are the different asks, if any?
At the end of the day it’s all similar. They may differ on some small things – some may want you to cut it loose for distance more. But at the end of the day you want to have a good net yards number. Some coordinators may want more distance over hangtime but net is the key.
You mentioned Danny Smith earlier. Have you met him and spoken with him yet? What did he say to you?
I met him the other week when I signed with the team. He’s so high energy and has been doing this for a long time. I’m super excited to work with him and to take any small things away from him to improve my game.
You’re known for a strong leg but your directional punting is also very good. How do you work on that balance?
It’s just practicing schematically. Practicing the different aspects and situations of punting and knowing what it requires in a game. A lot of training and reps, really.
When you look back on your career so far, what stands out to you?
I think just getting this opportunity to play in the NFL. I moved over to the states when I was 21 and went to college. I was fortunate after to have two coaches – in Houston and Philadelphia – who gave me an opportunity. Now, I get to keep it rolling in Pittsburgh with the Steelers.
Lastly, what should we know about you – what makes you tick that’s not football related?
Every year, my wife and I do this with the NFL where we work with dog shelters. We did it with one in Philly and one in Houston where, every time I have a punt inside the 20, we pay for the adoption fees for a dog. So far we paid for over 150 dogs to be adopted.
We hope to find a shelter to work with in Pittsburgh next. It’s been a lot of fun to do that. We adopted two dogs ourselves when we were in Philadelphia.
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