AFANA Footy BBS

Here's the URL to a recent interview with Ben Graham now playing in the NFL for the New York Jets!

http://jets.scout.com/2/417376.html

> Here's the URL to a recent interview with Ben Graham now playing in the NFL for the
> New York Jets!

Hi Phil,

If you search on Google News, there have been a good dozen online and newspaper articles on Ben Graham in the past few months. Don't be misled by the fact that the club has him listed both as a punter and holder. In the NFL, it is customary for punters or quarterbacks to be the holders for the place kickers. He did get into the exhibition game this weekend for one punt and it went 56 yards. I would bet that as soon as he has the punting down, the other punter for the Jets will be looking for employment.

He certainly did come over here for the money, but name me an NFL player who isn't playing for the $$$ and you have found one who is near retirement and has already banked his millions.

Graham took a chance and it is paying off. There will soon be three Aussies in the NFL if he makes it. But a few others have tried in recent years and failed.

If you want more news on him, then let Lisa Albergo know that. She writes most of our footy news and is the one making the decisions on what goes into her footy news.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

Word is the Micah Knorr, the other punter in the Jets camp, is refusing to give interviews now. He got in once this past weekend, and the punt was average. Graham's three tries went for 54+ yds average and he held for Mike Nugent on his game winning field goal.

Regarding Darren Bennett is this from the St. Paul newspaper:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/12384869.htm

"MANKATO, Minn. — Darren Bennett appeared to have a lock on the Vikings' punter position.

But a shaky performance in Friday's preseason debut against the Kansas City Chiefs has quelled an otherwise excellent training camp, giving Travis Dorsch encouragement that the job is not secured yet.

Bennett, though, isn't about to get rattled.

"What concerns me is the fact that I hit a bad punt," Bennett said of a dismal 29-yarder. "I never compete with the other punter anyways. I compete with myself."

That's been good enough for the San Diego Chargers and the Vikings the past 10 NFL seasons.

A two-time Pro Bowl punter, Bennett is regarded for his consistency and his knack for pinning opponents inside the 20, a skill mastered in part by his 12 seasons of Australian Rules Football in his native Australia.

Although he turns 41 next January, Bennett said he could play until he's at least 45. But his future is uncertain because of his son's future. Bennett is concerned that his wife, Rosemary, might need him to help out more with their eldest son, Will, who has muscular dystrophy.

"There's a need for me to be home and help," Bennett said. "Rosemary can still handle it. But eventually, I can see that happening."

Before the 2004 season, Bennett said the Vikings initially wanted him to sign a four-year deal. But Bennett wasn't sure about the club or the area.

He has been pleasantly surprised.

"We love Minnesota," said Bennett, whose family lives in Edina. "The school system here is so awesome. They've looked after William so well.

"I feel rejuvenated right now, and I'm really enjoying camp."

Except for days like Friday and Sunday.

Bennett shanked his first punt of the afternoon practice. But Dorsch did nothing to help himself by misconnecting on one shortly thereafter.

"I'm looking for consistency across the board," Vikings head coach Mike Tice said. "He's a veteran, and he understands what my message is."

Tice added that Dorsch has a "big, big leg," but that he struggles with consistency. Dorsch begged to differ.

"I feel I've been consistent this camp," Dorsch said. "But if he says I need to improve, then I need to improve."

Still, especially after a strong outing in NFL Europe, Dorsch is confident he can play in the NFL.

"I have a feeling if it's not here, it'll be somewhere else in the NFL."
----------

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

Hey, Ben Graham is kicking right now. I'm just watching the Vikings vs . New York Jets game on TV right now and they have Ben Graham kicking (its a pre-season game), the commentators mentioned that he's an Australian import. Not a bad punter so far

http://jets.scout.com/2/417376.html

> Hey, Ben Graham is kicking right now. I'm just watching the Vikings vs . New York
> Jets game on TV right now and they have Ben Graham kicking (its a pre-season game),
> the commentators mentioned that he's an Australian import. Not a bad punter so far
>

CBS had a nice set of hightlights of Graham at Geelong just before the half, and right after Graham scuffed one 27 yards. As I type this Graham kicked a bomb inside the twenty with a funky spin, FUMBLED! and the Jets recover it! He looks a lock to make the team. I spent a nauseous last year watching Knoor(the other Jets' punter) kick for Denver and, to be nice, he stank. Darren Bennett is kicking for the Vikings and looks like garbage. He better shape up or Tice will kick him right out the door.

The more AFLers in the NFL, the more coverage footy will get. That should help draw the interest of a few more people to the sport. If only those wonderful people at FSC would understand that to make money from a sport you also need to promote that sport (show games at times when viewers are awake, add an AFL webink, have repeats of games, etc...).

> CBS had a nice set of hightlights of Graham at Geelong just before the half

Yup, that was kinda cool that they actuall showed a bunch of Ben Graham's AFL highlights during the NFL broadcast.

> The more AFLers in the NFL, the more coverage ooty will get. That should help draw
> the interest of a few more people to the sport.

That's kinda of the way I feel too. The commentator on the NFL game is a big of an idiot though. He makes the remark "I hear this sport is so popular down under but if so, I just have one question.. why are the stands empty?". Obviously cuz the stands are under construction, but he tried to make it sound as if the AFL is some minor sport.

http://jets.scout.com/2/417376.html

The Jets cut Micah Knorr over the weekend, so the punting job is Graham's.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA home page

> The Jets cut Micah Knorr over the weekend, so the punting job is
> Graham's.

> -Rob de Santos
> AFANA Chairman

The story in my paper about Graham making the Jets had an interesting tidbit - "But perhaps the biggest factor is the way he kicks the ball - causing it to go end-over-end and then spiral down at returners with a unique backspin. The Giants had two muffs of his punts Friday, and the Vikings had one last week." I'd never heard of anything like this before in the NFL. Maybe it will open the door for more AFL punters - if they can master the Graham-style described above.

For those that missed it, Ben Graham had his NFL debut with the New York Jets against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City on September 11.

The game featured the Jets quarterbacks fumbling the ball six times (losing two). The game featured the Jets star receiver getting behind the defense and dropping catchable passes on two consecutive plays. The game featured a field goal attempt in which the kicker overran the ball and fell down trying compensate. In the 27-7 exhibition of ineptitude, in which the Jets avoided the shutout with a meaningless touchdown in the final seconds, perhaps the only bright spot was the punting of Ben Graham.

Graham had three punts for an average of 44.3 yards, the longest going 51 yards. He put one kick inside the 20 yard line. The Chiefs failed to return any of the punts for a single yard.

On Graham's second punt, the CBS announcer commented on his AFL career. For a guy who gets paid to say names like Tuiasosopo and Nnamdi Asomugha, he was very uncertain saying "Geelong".

    -- RW "KC Swan" Lipp