-
AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
NFL Aussies in the NFL
- Thread starter Alphabet Man
- Start date
- Tagged users None
danielz_23
Premiership Player
Re: Vikings waive Darren Bennett
Cant believe he has gone from a pro bowler about 2-3 years ago (not sure) to being cut now. hmm
Cant believe he has gone from a pro bowler about 2-3 years ago (not sure) to being cut now. hmm
Woodson
Former AE commish
- Mar 20, 2001
- 30,752
- 11,763
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Steelers, NY Mets, Villa and SUFC
Re: Vikings waive Darren Bennett
Nothing strange about that. Take one of the NFL's greatest cornerbacks in Rod Woodson,
, who owns 11 Pro Bowl honours 
, last being in 2002 with his first season with the *puke* Raiders. Now, that's two seasons on and he has retired after injuries that eventually catch up after playing 17 seasons !
Darren Bennett has claimed three Pro Bowl honours ('96,00,01) in his illustrious 10 year career after starting as a 30 year old.
danielz_23 said:
Nothing strange about that. Take one of the NFL's greatest cornerbacks in Rod Woodson,
, who owns 11 Pro Bowl honours , last being in 2002 with his first season with the *puke* Raiders. Now, that's two seasons on and he has retired after injuries that eventually catch up after playing 17 seasons !Darren Bennett has claimed three Pro Bowl honours ('96,00,01) in his illustrious 10 year career after starting as a 30 year old.
Graham Meets Challenge and Sends One
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/sports/football/09jets.html
Graham Meets Challenge and Sends One
By KAREN CROUSE
Published: September 9, 2005
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Sept. 8 - After watching film of Dante Hall, the Kansas City Chiefs' resplendent return man, what did Jets punter Ben Graham think of him?
"My first impressions," Graham said, "were touchdown, touchdown, take it to the house, dance, dance."
Graham's summation elicited a laugh from rookie linebacker Dennis Haley, a special-teams guy who was dressing near Graham in the locker room.
It will not be easy Sunday in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium to blunt the skills of Hall, whose speed and elusiveness make him less a football player, in Jets Coach Herman Edwards's opinion, than a "video-game" figure.
But, Graham's road to the N.F.L. has not exactly been a paved highway.
"Kind of mind-boggling" is how Edwards describes Graham's months-long journey from Australian Football League star to oldest rookie, at 31, to start a season in the N.F.L. What Graham has pulled off, Edwards said, "is hard to do."
If jumping feetfirst into a new sport was not easy, neither was procuring the proper work visa to permit Graham to take the plunge.
Before Graham won a spot on the Jets' roster, he worried about obtaining a P-1 work permit. When former Australian player Darren Bennett was punting for the San Diego Chargers, someone from the team had to write a letter to satisfy immigration authorities vouching that there was no American citizen more qualified for the job.
In Graham's case, that was obvious to anybody who observed the strength of his leg and the confounding spin that he puts on the ball. But in the post-9/11 world, where there is more scrutiny of non-citizens entering the United States, other complications arose.
"I can't explain why, but it was a real nightmare," Graham said of getting his work visa. "It caused some worries."
Graham had heard of other prominent Australian personalities being denied entry into the United States because their visas were not in order. He could not forget the story of Ian (Molly) Meldrum, the Australian pop-music personality, who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport last year without the proper paperwork and was handcuffed and detained for 12 hours before being put on a plane back to Melbourne.
"I wanted to avoid anything like that happening," Graham said.
So in June, with his spot on the Jets still not assured, Graham decided to get his paperwork in order just in case. His return to New York was delayed a few days, he said, because complications arose in getting his visa finalized.
It reads now like just another twist in the Hollywood plot that is Graham's second career. But "at the time," he said, "it seemed like a lot to go through."
With all that behind him, Graham is free to look ahead to his historic debut Sunday. The Chiefs' Hall should know that Graham is on the record as saying he cannot wait to hit someone.
"Definitely," Graham said, smiling.
Running back Derrick Blaylock, who blocked for Hall on returns before signing with the Jets as a free agent during the off-season, said of Hall, "He's a good returner but I don't know if he's seen anything like Ben's punts. It will be a big challenge for him to try to catch Ben's punts."
Very interesting article
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/sports/football/09jets.html
Graham Meets Challenge and Sends One
By KAREN CROUSE
Published: September 9, 2005
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Sept. 8 - After watching film of Dante Hall, the Kansas City Chiefs' resplendent return man, what did Jets punter Ben Graham think of him?
"My first impressions," Graham said, "were touchdown, touchdown, take it to the house, dance, dance."
Graham's summation elicited a laugh from rookie linebacker Dennis Haley, a special-teams guy who was dressing near Graham in the locker room.
It will not be easy Sunday in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium to blunt the skills of Hall, whose speed and elusiveness make him less a football player, in Jets Coach Herman Edwards's opinion, than a "video-game" figure.
But, Graham's road to the N.F.L. has not exactly been a paved highway.
"Kind of mind-boggling" is how Edwards describes Graham's months-long journey from Australian Football League star to oldest rookie, at 31, to start a season in the N.F.L. What Graham has pulled off, Edwards said, "is hard to do."
If jumping feetfirst into a new sport was not easy, neither was procuring the proper work visa to permit Graham to take the plunge.
Before Graham won a spot on the Jets' roster, he worried about obtaining a P-1 work permit. When former Australian player Darren Bennett was punting for the San Diego Chargers, someone from the team had to write a letter to satisfy immigration authorities vouching that there was no American citizen more qualified for the job.
In Graham's case, that was obvious to anybody who observed the strength of his leg and the confounding spin that he puts on the ball. But in the post-9/11 world, where there is more scrutiny of non-citizens entering the United States, other complications arose.
"I can't explain why, but it was a real nightmare," Graham said of getting his work visa. "It caused some worries."
Graham had heard of other prominent Australian personalities being denied entry into the United States because their visas were not in order. He could not forget the story of Ian (Molly) Meldrum, the Australian pop-music personality, who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport last year without the proper paperwork and was handcuffed and detained for 12 hours before being put on a plane back to Melbourne.
"I wanted to avoid anything like that happening," Graham said.
So in June, with his spot on the Jets still not assured, Graham decided to get his paperwork in order just in case. His return to New York was delayed a few days, he said, because complications arose in getting his visa finalized.
It reads now like just another twist in the Hollywood plot that is Graham's second career. But "at the time," he said, "it seemed like a lot to go through."
With all that behind him, Graham is free to look ahead to his historic debut Sunday. The Chiefs' Hall should know that Graham is on the record as saying he cannot wait to hit someone.
"Definitely," Graham said, smiling.
Running back Derrick Blaylock, who blocked for Hall on returns before signing with the Jets as a free agent during the off-season, said of Hall, "He's a good returner but I don't know if he's seen anything like Ben's punts. It will be a big challenge for him to try to catch Ben's punts."
Very interesting article
JeffDunne
TheBrownDog
Re: ben graham
In just over 4 hours the game kicks off.
In just over 4 hours the game kicks off.
JeffDunne
TheBrownDog
Re: ben graham
The Jets are playing Kansas City who don't have the best defense in the world. I'd imagine Ben won't get too many kicks as most drives will probably end well in Chiefs territory. From there the Jets usually turn it over or score.
Will be interesting to see how he goes but I'm not expecting to see much of him today.
The Jets are playing Kansas City who don't have the best defense in the world. I'd imagine Ben won't get too many kicks as most drives will probably end well in Chiefs territory. From there the Jets usually turn it over or score.
Will be interesting to see how he goes but I'm not expecting to see much of him today.
YOTC
Brownlow Medallist
Re: ben graham
It's Half time....KC 17-0 Jets.
C. Pennington has had 4, count em, 4 fumbles. 2 have been turnovers.
Graham has had 3 punts.....the first punt was a beauty......43 yards, fair catch on the 10
2nd one was a shank i guess, only 39 yards, but no return.
3rd one was another beauty, 51 yards, no return.
Most of the Jets fans calling him the Jets MOTM so far.
It's Half time....KC 17-0 Jets.
C. Pennington has had 4, count em, 4 fumbles. 2 have been turnovers.
Graham has had 3 punts.....the first punt was a beauty......43 yards, fair catch on the 10
2nd one was a shank i guess, only 39 yards, but no return.
3rd one was another beauty, 51 yards, no return.
Most of the Jets fans calling him the Jets MOTM so far.
Re: ben graham
On ya Ben
On ya Ben
danielz_23
Premiership Player
Re: ben graham
Guess he done really well. No returns and a decent average.
YOTC said:
Guess he done really well. No returns and a decent average.
fuey
Statistically Impossible
Re: ben graham
Good eyes...
didn't notice that the first time I looked at it!
D0nk said:
Good eyes...
didn't notice that the first time I looked at it!
Re: ben graham
Really happy to see him doing well.
Like many, i was disappointed with his decision to leave the Geelong footy club. At the same time, i'm starting to get into NFL and i have a slight allegiance to the Jets because of him.
Really happy to see him doing well.
Like many, i was disappointed with his decision to leave the Geelong footy club. At the same time, i'm starting to get into NFL and i have a slight allegiance to the Jets because of him.
JeffDunne
TheBrownDog
Re: ben graham
He's certainly done a hell of a lot better than I thought he would. Not so much that I doubted if he'd make it (hadn't seen him punt at that stage), but to get a contract first up, especially with a team that have had the punting problems of the Jets recently, speaks volumes.
Good first up performance, already ranked #4 on net punting yards. He has shown also that he can do more than just kick the cover off the ball.
In fact he's done that well that it wouldn't surprise me if NFL scouts start looking a little more closely at Aussie punters in the future.
He's certainly done a hell of a lot better than I thought he would. Not so much that I doubted if he'd make it (hadn't seen him punt at that stage), but to get a contract first up, especially with a team that have had the punting problems of the Jets recently, speaks volumes.
Good first up performance, already ranked #4 on net punting yards. He has shown also that he can do more than just kick the cover off the ball.
In fact he's done that well that it wouldn't surprise me if NFL scouts start looking a little more closely at Aussie punters in the future.
Broken
Brownlow Medallist
Re: ben graham
It looks like NFL teams are taking notice of the 'end over end' motion that the Drop Punt has...I saw Hunter Smith of the Colts kick a few in from his own territory (although it spun the opposite way to the Drop Punt).
Maybe there will be an influx of ex-AFL players in the NFL.
It looks like NFL teams are taking notice of the 'end over end' motion that the Drop Punt has...I saw Hunter Smith of the Colts kick a few in from his own territory (although it spun the opposite way to the Drop Punt).
Maybe there will be an influx of ex-AFL players in the NFL.
camsmith
Brownlow Medallist
Re: ben graham
lol @ the pic in the HS.
lol @ the pic in the HS.
danielz_23
Premiership Player
Re: ben graham
Maybe we better go over and try out
Even tho I dont have the biggest leg on me... I'll just take shots at the sideline, haha
Maybe we better go over and try out
Even tho I dont have the biggest leg on me... I'll just take shots at the sideline, haha
- Jun 28, 2000
- 1,772
- 58
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Other Teams
- Dallas Cowboys, Tottenham
Re: ben graham
I know we are all happy the Ben Graham is flying the Aussie flag in the NFL. For those who may not know, we have another Aussie, Mat McBriar who punts for the Dallas Cowboys who is carving out a nice career and a bit of a fan base of his own in Irving, TX.
Good to see a couple of Aussies doing well in the NFL.
I know we are all happy the Ben Graham is flying the Aussie flag in the NFL. For those who may not know, we have another Aussie, Mat McBriar who punts for the Dallas Cowboys who is carving out a nice career and a bit of a fan base of his own in Irving, TX.
Good to see a couple of Aussies doing well in the NFL.
camsmith
Brownlow Medallist
Re: ben graham
Yeh been following Mat McBriar aswell...
Went through college didnt he?
We also have a fair amount of guys in High School football (and no.. not punters ) aswell, a guy on my team went over to the states two weeks ago to have a crack...
So the Aussies are doing pretty well for themselves
Yeh been following Mat McBriar aswell...
Went through college didnt he?
We also have a fair amount of guys in High School football (and no.. not punters
) aswell, a guy on my team went over to the states two weeks ago to have a crack... So the Aussies are doing pretty well for themselves
Re: Well Done Ben Graham
Excellent!!
I've been following his progress since he went over there, He's tearing the place up.
I know Geelong were sorry to see him go, but when you look at his age and the fact he probably only had another year of AFL left in him, I think he made the right decision.
Excellent!!
I've been following his progress since he went over there, He's tearing the place up.
I know Geelong were sorry to see him go, but when you look at his age and the fact he probably only had another year of AFL left in him, I think he made the right decision.
Re: Well Done Ben Graham
Who gives a rats arse boardSCRAY72 said:
Bartram_Class
Brownlow Medallist
Re: Well Done Ben Graham
Was happy to see him get the spot ahead of the seasoned pro.
Hope he does himself some good, hear he is earning a ton already.
Was happy to see him get the spot ahead of the seasoned pro.
Hope he does himself some good, hear he is earning a ton already.
