Australian Cameron Johnston enjoying cult hero status at NFL champions Philadelphia Eagles
CAMERON Johnston has barely let the ink dry on his contract with reigning Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles but is already becoming a cult hero in the City of Brotherly Love.
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CAMERON Johnston has won a national championship with a $1.5 billion college football team and met former President Barack Obama at the White House, but the Australian punter is only just kicking off in the US.
Johnston has barely let the ink dry on his contract with reigning Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles but is already becoming a cult hero in the City of Brotherly Love.
In only his second game for the Eagles, Johnston starred despite a 27-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday – averaging 56 yards from five punts which included bombs of 63 and 65 yards.
The red-headed Geelong native was only signed to the Eagles’ 53-man roster on September 1 and made his NFL debut five days later, when Johnston’s 46-yard punt late in the game set up a match-winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons.
“Yeah that was fun,” Johnston tells the Daily Telegraph inside the locker-room at the Eagles’ NovaCare training complex.
“I had family over (from Australia), so for them to see that was pretty special.”
A former Aussie rules midfielder who was contracted to the Melbourne Demons, Johnston has forged a remarkable path to the NFL since leaving Australia.
His unflappable nature and thunderous boot helped Ohio State University’s football team to the 2014 NCAA Championship title.
His punting average during that season was 45.1 yards and, in the NCAA title decider against the Oregon Ducks, Johnston punted for 48, 47 and 31 yards.
The NCAA title earned Johnston and his Buckeyes teammates a trip to Washington, DC to meet President Obama in April of 2015.
A wide-eyed Johnston stood only paces from the 44th US President as he posed for photos holding the Buckeyes’ famous red-and-white jersey.
“When I first went to Ohio State, I didn’t expect to achieve something like that,” Johnston said.
“To win the national championship is one thing; but to go to the White House and meet the President is something you never forget.”
Ohio State’s football program was last year valued at $US1.5 billion, making it the most valuable in the college system.
Johnston says spending several years playing in front of 105,000 fans at the colossal Ohio Stadium in Columbus prepared him for the spotlight of NFL.
“Because you’re always playing in big moments, to big crowds and in championship games,” Johnston said.
Although impressive, Johnston isn’t the most talked-about Australian punter in the NFL this season.
That honour goes to former Sydney Swans junior Michael Dickson, who averaged 59 yards from six punts in his NFL debut for Seattle Seahawks – the second-best punting performance in the franchise’s history.
“(Dickson) is doing great; he had a really strong pre-season and carried that into the first game, which is awesome for him,” Johnston said.
Both Johnston and Dickson came through the renowned ProKick Australia program – a Melbourne academy which develops Australian punters for the collegiate and NFL level.
“I just want all the (Australians) over here to do well; like Jordan Berry at the (Pittsburgh) Steelers, I know him very well, and also Lachy Edwards at the (New York) Jets.
“It’s tough to get a spot and even tougher to hold onto it.”
Knowing the cut-throat nature of the NFL has Johnston determined to perform consistently throughout his rookie season with the Eagles.
“You want to perform for the team because you never know how many (punts per game) you might get,” Johnston said.
“It might be one, or 10. So when you get the opportunity, you have to take it.”
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Originally published as Australian Cameron Johnston enjoying cult hero status at NFL champions Philadelphia Eagles
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