Victoria
South Australia
Australia’s six NFL players have created a “support system” amongst one another to exchange stories, tips and shared experiences, according to New York Jets punter Lachlan Edwards.
Along with Edwards, other Australians on an NFL roster include Michael Dickson (Seattle), Cameron Johnston (Philadelphia), Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia), Adam Gotsis (Denver) and Jordan Berry (Pittsburgh).
Of the contingent, Dickson has received the most headlines, becoming the first rookie in over 30 years to earn a Pro Bowl roster spot.
Over the offseason, Dickson resides in Austin, Texas, the same location as Edwards. Berry also came and stayed with Edwards during this past offseason, while Johnston and Edwards share the same agent.
The connections have led to a number of shared workouts and a sense of family away from home, and Edwards explained how that helps him get through the NFL grind.
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“I’ve worked out a bunch with those guys and we all get together and not really share secrets but we will try and work out together and test each other,” Edwards told SEN.com.au.
“It’s great to have those guys as a support system, as well as competing against each other. It’s a good mix-up from the drag of just going out there kicking balls by yourself.
“It kind of helps with shared experiences. You can sort of bounce things off each other that they’ve found funny or they’ve struggled with and it’s always good to do that with a person who understands that.
“Darren Bennett has been that for me as well, having him in my corner basically as a surrogate family over here has been fantastic.
“It’s always good to have some guys around there who know what you’re going through because they’re going through the same stuff.”
When asked what the key ingredient was that has seen an influx in Australian punters across the NFL and college football, Edwards credited the Prokick system and skills acquired at a young age while playing Australian football.
“They’ve (Prokick) got the market share on that and you can see why,” Edwards said.
“They do a great job. Australian kickers and punters are taking over the college football system for good reason.
“We are working our skills in Aussie rules since we are five, we can pick up the ball and kick it. There is no sport over here (America) which translates into the punting mechanism.
“It’s sort of a no-brainer. If I was a coach, I would go out and get me an Australian too in college.
“The guys are doing really well and it’s more of an attest to all of the Australian guys who have been here, have done well, because coaches have seen that.
“If we came over and were just no good, they wouldn’t keep getting us. It’s really good for Australian sport.”
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