Aussie punter makes US college history

Tom Hackett's latest win means Australians have won US college football's top punting prize the past three years.

University of Utah punter Tom Hackett

Australian Tom Hackett has been crowned US college football's top punter for a second straight year. (AAP)

If Tom Hackett didn't hate running so much he would probably be playing AFL instead of dominating US college football as a punter.

The 23-year-old from Melbourne made history on Thursday when he was crowned college football's top punter for the second straight year.

The slow-talking big boot from the University of Utah is just the second punter to achieve back-to-back wins of the Ray Guy Award.

Hackett joked that the limited running punters had to do - running on and off the field - suited him fine.

"The main reason I'm playing this sport right now is because deep down I'm fat and I don't like running very far," Hackett said on stage in Atlanta at the College Football Awards.

"Running 20 odd yards on and 20 odd yards off is all I've got for you."

Hackett's win underlines Australia's growing influence on college and NFL punting, with most US-raised college and NFL punters needing to learn what has been dubbed the "rugby punt".

It is the third straight year an Australian has won the Ray Guy Award, with Geelong-raised University of Memphis punter Tom Hornsey taking it in 2013.

Hackett was competing against two other finalists on Thursday, San Jose State's Michael Carrizosa and Colorado States Hayden Hunt.

Hackett has become a weapon for Utah, using skills learned growing up playing Aussie rules to become what ESPN called Utah's most important player.

He can punt from either foot and also kick while running sideways.

That allows his special teams team-mates more time to run down field and encircle the opposition punt returner.

Despite joking that he didn't like to run, Hackett made headlines across the US in September when on a trick play he kept the ball and ran 33 yards for a first down.

In 2015 Hackett averaged 47.8 yards on 55 punts, with a longest of 76 yards.

Hackett last week was also named as the sole punter on the Pac-12 All-Century team, placing him in the company of John Elway, OJ Simpson, Reggie Bush, Marcus Allen, Keyshawn Johnson and Junior Seau.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world