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Australian punter a big hit with Cardinals
Source: Agencies |
December 26, 2009, Saturday
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THE Arizona Cardinals' punter from down under is on a roll, one that drops the football near the rival's goal line with uncanny consistency.
Heading into today's home game against the St Louis Rams, Ben Graham has 62 consecutive punts without a touchback, 32 of them inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
The ball has landed like a perfect 9-iron shot to the green, either bouncing straight up or a few yards backward.
"It's amazing because I think so few times do you think of a punter as a weapon," Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner said.
The 1.96-meter, 107-kilogram Australian said he's learned to kick that way, end-over-end with just the right distance, since he started to walk, growing up in the heart of Australian Rules.
Graham excelled at Rules, playing 12 seasons at the professional level in Melbourne -- all with Geelong -- before retiring in 2004.
"It's a pretty brutal sport," he said, "but I came out of it with my body intact."
In 2005, he signed with the New York Jets, at 31 years and 13 days, the second-oldest player to make his debut in an NFL game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
It was not an easy adjustment. "I didn't realize all the rules when I first got here. I didn't know that punting was a bad thing," Graham said. "I wanted to punt all the time. I was disappointed when I didn't' get to punt."
He spent three seasons with the Jets before being released in September 2008, then played one game with the New Orleans Saints before being cut again.
Disillusioned, Graham thought about taking his wife and three children back to Australia, but with his children enrolled in school, the family decided to hold on for one more season.
Graham needed a job, and Arizona needed a punter after releasing Dirk Johnson late in the season. Graham signed with the Cardinals on December 1, 2008, destined to play a significant role in the team's unlikely run to the Super Bowl.
Sore groin
In the first round of the playoffs against Atlanta, Graham had three punts inside the Falcons' 10-yard line, one leading to a safety. Despite a sore groin, he landed five punts inside the 20 in the NFC Championship game against Philadelphia, including one that went out of bounds at the Eagles' 7-yard line with nine seconds to play.
The first Australian to play in the Super Bowl, Graham had three punts inside the Pittsburgh 20, one at the 2-yard line that resulted in another safety. "When we brought him in last year and he became our punter, that was one of the things that we were greatly surprised, pleasantly surprised, that he was so good at doing," coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
Heading into today's home game against the St Louis Rams, Ben Graham has 62 consecutive punts without a touchback, 32 of them inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
The ball has landed like a perfect 9-iron shot to the green, either bouncing straight up or a few yards backward.
"It's amazing because I think so few times do you think of a punter as a weapon," Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner said.
The 1.96-meter, 107-kilogram Australian said he's learned to kick that way, end-over-end with just the right distance, since he started to walk, growing up in the heart of Australian Rules.
Graham excelled at Rules, playing 12 seasons at the professional level in Melbourne -- all with Geelong -- before retiring in 2004.
"It's a pretty brutal sport," he said, "but I came out of it with my body intact."
In 2005, he signed with the New York Jets, at 31 years and 13 days, the second-oldest player to make his debut in an NFL game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
It was not an easy adjustment. "I didn't realize all the rules when I first got here. I didn't know that punting was a bad thing," Graham said. "I wanted to punt all the time. I was disappointed when I didn't' get to punt."
He spent three seasons with the Jets before being released in September 2008, then played one game with the New Orleans Saints before being cut again.
Disillusioned, Graham thought about taking his wife and three children back to Australia, but with his children enrolled in school, the family decided to hold on for one more season.
Graham needed a job, and Arizona needed a punter after releasing Dirk Johnson late in the season. Graham signed with the Cardinals on December 1, 2008, destined to play a significant role in the team's unlikely run to the Super Bowl.
Sore groin
In the first round of the playoffs against Atlanta, Graham had three punts inside the Falcons' 10-yard line, one leading to a safety. Despite a sore groin, he landed five punts inside the 20 in the NFC Championship game against Philadelphia, including one that went out of bounds at the Eagles' 7-yard line with nine seconds to play.
The first Australian to play in the Super Bowl, Graham had three punts inside the Pittsburgh 20, one at the 2-yard line that resulted in another safety. "When we brought him in last year and he became our punter, that was one of the things that we were greatly surprised, pleasantly surprised, that he was so good at doing," coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
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