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Dana Pennett O'Neil | Akers no fan of those FG-nullifying timeouts
Dana Pennett O'Neil | Akers no fan of those FG-nullifying timeouts
Which is why the Eagles punter and the Jets punter eschewed the concept of fraternization on Wednesday night and chatted.
Two of the three Australian Rules Football players currently in the NFL, Rocca and Graham used to play against one another. Now the two have forged a friendship.
Graham made the jump in 2005 after a 12-year career with Geelong in the AFL, so when Rocca started toying with the idea of trying his luck in America, he reached out to Graham.
"He just pretty much let me know what's involved, how long the days are," Rocca said. "I didn't know what it was to come over here and get involved. He's got a family with two kids as well, so he helped me with the ins and outs, the logistics.
"It was certainly a big factor.
It would have been a lot harder coming over here without knowing the stuff that he told me.
Getting the insight he gave me was great."
Graham said: "A lot of people take it for granted that a player comes over, makes the team and goes to work. There is a lot that goes on."
The Eagles have to be hoping that next Graham will be offering Rocca some actual punting tips. As a rookie, Graham averaged 43.7 yards per punt with a net of 37.9. The Jets were
impressed enough that they
immediately rewarded him
with a 6-year extension, believed to be worth in the neighborhood of $5 million.
Rocca, whose booming leg beat out veteran Dirk Johnson this season, hasn't exactly crashed the gate with the same vengeance. He's averaging 41.9 yards per punt and 37.7 yards net. Those numbers put him a disappointing 23rd in the league.
The real problem has been
consistency. Rocca has been sort of all over. He booted three punts against Detroit for an average of 43.7 and an equally impressive 41.7 net. A week later he could only muster 41.6 yards on eight punts against the Giants and an abysmal 36.5 net.
"I'd thought I'd get the consistency part of it by now, but it hasn't been too bad," Rocca said. "My stats are a little bit on the low side, but I've only played four games. I'm sure they'll
improve as time goes on." *
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