Australian Punter Jordan Berry Signs With Pittsburgh Steelers

| American Football | 04/20/2015

Expect Aussie Berry to push for the starting role this pre-season.

Today the Pittsburgh Steelers signed punter Jordan Berry to their roster.

Berry, is an Australian punter from Essendon, Victoria — near Melbourne. As a freshman he punted six times for an average of 52.3 yards during Eastern Kentucky University’s 10-7 loss at UT Martin.

Included was a 75-yarder to the Skyhawks’ 3-yard line early in the third quarter. That punt was 3 yards shy of the Colonels’ record, a 78-yarder by Bob Plotts in 1966. He definitely will give Brad Wing a run for his money in camp.

Brad Wing occupied the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ punter duties in 2014, but don’t think the organization isn’t about to bring in some competition for Wing this offseason.

Although possibly just another camp leg, it isn’t as if Wing’s performance in 2014 was enough to entrust the team’s confidence as the long-term answer at the punting position. Although Wing wasn’t the worst punter in the league, his inability to pin defenders back in their own zone became an issue down the stretch last year.

In terms of average distance per punt, Wing ranked 29th among 32 punters with an average of 43.7 yards per attempt and for punts downed inside the 20, Wing ranked 28th among NFL punters.

Expect Aussie Berry to push Wing for the starting role this pre-season.

John McKeon is a former professional and collegiate American Football player and coach now living and working in New York. His goal is to spread news, information, and opinion on the global growth of the sport he loves.