Australian punter Arryn Siposs cut by Philadelphia Eagles

There will be a new Aussie in the NFL punting ranks this season but Arryn Siposs has paid the price for one poor kick in the Super Bowl.

Arryn Siposs has paid a heavy price for one bad punt. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP

A failed punt in the Super Bowl could be Arryn Siposs’s lasting NFL legacy after he was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles with a year to run on his contract.

The former AFL player was released as NFL clubs trim their rosters down to 53 players, with the Eagles also releasing fellow punter Ty Zentner as they look to freshen up their stocks.

But while Siposs fell victim to the brutal nature of the NFL fellow Aussie Lou Hedley, a 29-year-old former scaffolder from WA, beat out punting rival Blake Gillikin for a spot on the New Orleans Saints roster.

Hedley, who left Australia at 22 to pursue his punting dream, earnt a minimum payday of just over $1.1m having honed his craft with University of Miami and said all the hard work was now “worth it”.

“Looking back now, it’s all be worth it, all the dedication and commitment, leaving Australia to come here,” he said.

Lou Hedley will play for the New Orleans Saints. Picture: John McCoy/Getty Images. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

“I had a pretty good job ... leaving that all behind, family, friends, the life I had there, once I did that there was not looking back.”

“I can’t wait to get to work.”

He’ll be one of seven Australians on rosters for the upcoming season, joining monster Jordan Mailata, who remains at the Eagles, fellow punters Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers), Michael Dickson (Seattle) and Cam Johnston (Texans) as well as offensive lineman Daniel Faalele, who made the cut for the Baltimore Ravens, and Adam Gotsis, who will play with Jacksonville.

But not Siposs who, having been the first-choice punter for most of last season, had to overcome a serious ankle injury to get back to play in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But he fluffed his lines on the biggest stage.

With about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Chiefs leading by a point, Siposs failed to execute the kick he wanted and Kansas City punt returner Kadarius Toney charged through some poor tackling from the Eagles to complete a 64-yard return.

One bad punt has had dire consequences for Arryn Siposs. Picture: Rob Carr / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)

He was ultimately stopped by Siposs but was only just short of the end zone, and the Chiefs turned their field position into a touchdown on the way to a three-point win and the Australian copped the wrath of irate Eagles fans.

Having vowed to win the respect of his teammates back in pre-season training, Siposs failed to inspire the coaching staff and was one of 30 players released by the Eagles on the eve of the new season.

Originally published as Australian punter Arryn Siposs cut by Philadelphia Eagles