Aussie punters continue to blow the NFL world away.
The Australian takeover in American football is only growing and the highlight plays keep on building.
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This time around it was six-year veteran Cameron Johnston who showed off his insanely impressive leg.
The Houston Texans punter took to the field shortly before halftime with his team pinned deep in their own territory.
Johnston, 31, stood in the endzone waiting for the snap before getting the ball and launching it high into the sky.
The kick sailed through the air as Carolina Panthers punt returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette backtracked, before eventually hauling in the catch just inside his own 20-yard line.
His momentum however saw him stumble back to the 15-yard line before he attempted to scramble past Texans players.
He was ultimately brought down shy of the 20-yard line with the commentary crew left in disbelief over the punt from Johnston.
“Man what a punt,” one commentator said.
A second added: “A booming punt. My goodness. Think about that, Johnston punted it from his endzone and they’re going to be pinned inside of the 20.”
The 74-yard punt is the longest punt ever recorded in the history of the Houston Texans.
Johnston’s punt entered the Texans record books.Source: Supplied
Johnston isn’t the first Aussie punter to create waves in America after former Collingwood player Flynn Appleby delivered an impressive outing against college powerhouse Michigan.
Taking the snap and then sprinting forward while arcing out to his right to get more distance – which Americans have taken to calling an “Aussie rollout punt” – Appleby boomed a punt downfield which rolled and ended up travelling 75 yards, or three-quarters of the entire field, which is about 69 metres.
“Rutgers just pulled off one of the great Aussie rollout punts you’ll ever see on an American field. Just mesmerising,” college football writer and podcaster Alex Kirshner proclaimed on Twitter.
Former NFL punter turned media personality Pat McAfee quoted the video with a gif which summed up his feelings: “Dear God.”
The Aussies are taking over. John McCoy/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
The play of Australian punters has even taken Hollywood by storm with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turning out to be one of the biggest fans of little-known Aussie Lou Hedley who has become one of the newest cult heroes in the NFL.
Hedley, a former scaffolder from Mandurah in Western Australia who ten years ago was playing fullback for the Peel Thunder reserves in the WAFL, has become the NFL’s newest Australian after being picked up as a punter for the New Orleans Saints.
Hedley first came to Johnson’s attention when he joined the University of Miami in 2019, wearing jersey No. 94 – Johnson, before beginning his acting career or pursuing wrestling, was a defensive tackle wearing No. 94 for the Hurricanes between 1990 and 1994.
“Love seeing this,” Johnson wrote on Twitter in response to news that Hedley had signed an NFL deal.
“Congrats brother. Hardest workers in the room.”
2023-10-31 05:35:55
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