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Seeking to tap into the Australian pipeline again, the Green Bay Packers signed "street" free-agent punter David Lonie Friday.
Lonie, who turns 28 in May, follows Australian Rules football player Nathan Chapman to Green Bay. Unlike Chapman, whose short tenure in Green Bay apparently didn't sour the scouting staff on taking another plunge Down Under, Lonie has major college experience, serving two seasons as the University of California's punter and kickoff man.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Lonie signed with Washington as an undrafted rookie last spring but was released on the cut to 65 and was not picked up. A former decathlete who originally came to the U.S. in 1999 to work at a summer camp in Wisconsin, Lonie attended Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and later received scholarship offers from both Ohio State and Cal.
Lonie, who averaged 41 yards per punt at Cal, was especially good at landing balls inside the 20-yard line, totaling 22 his junior year and 21 his senior year. Also, 27 of his 68 kickoffs were touchbacks in '05.
Lonie is trying to follow in the footsteps of other Australian punters who have had an impact in the NFL, such as former San Diego Charger and Minnesota Viking Darren Bennett, New York Jet Ben Graham and Dallas Cowboy Mat McBriar.
The Packers aren't necessarily looking to replace incumbent Jon Ryan, but after a shaky rookie season (26th in net average, 28th in punts inside the 20) they want to challenge him.
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Crikey! Nice sign, mate!
Seeking to tap into the Australian pipeline again, the Green Bay Packers signed "street" free-agent punter David Lonie Friday.
Lonie, who turns 28 in May, follows Australian Rules football player Nathan Chapman to Green Bay. Unlike Chapman, whose short tenure in Green Bay apparently didn't sour the scouting staff on taking another plunge Down Under, Lonie has major college experience, serving two seasons as the University of California's punter and kickoff man.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Lonie signed with Washington as an undrafted rookie last spring but was released on the cut to 65 and was not picked up. A former decathlete who originally came to the U.S. in 1999 to work at a summer camp in Wisconsin, Lonie attended Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and later received scholarship offers from both Ohio State and Cal.
Lonie, who averaged 41 yards per punt at Cal, was especially good at landing balls inside the 20-yard line, totaling 22 his junior year and 21 his senior year. Also, 27 of his 68 kickoffs were touchbacks in '05.
Lonie is trying to follow in the footsteps of other Australian punters who have had an impact in the NFL, such as former San Diego Charger and Minnesota Viking Darren Bennett, New York Jet Ben Graham and Dallas Cowboy Mat McBriar.
The Packers aren't necessarily looking to replace incumbent Jon Ryan, but after a shaky rookie season (26th in net average, 28th in punts inside the 20) they want to challenge him.
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Crikey! Nice sign, mate!
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