Nebraska’s freshman punter Archie Wilson is already making waves as the breakout star of fall camp — not just for his rare ability to kick different styles with both feet, but for his personality. The Australia native, who turns 19 on Wednesday, is the latest punter from down under to make the massive move across the world to chase a dream in American football — a sport he’s never actually played an organized game of.
Adjusting to life thousands of miles from home hasn’t been easy for Wilson. The emotional weight of his first time away from family showed Tuesday when he met with reporters in Lincoln.
“That part’s hard. I mean — I’m sorry,” Wilson said before breaking down in tears, hiding his face in his arm on the lectern. “I love them a lot. I got two little brothers, and my mom and dad. That’s the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them.”
The Huskers added Wilson to the roster in June, giving new special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler a familiar rugby-style punter he used while at Tennessee the past four years. Ekeler had long admired Wilson’s unique skill set — especially his ability to punt effectively with both feet, a rare talent that adds a versatile weapon to Nebraska’s special teams.
After seeing Wilson’s live kicks over FaceTime, Ekeler was confident that the young Aussie was ready to take on college football, despite never having played an organized game before.
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Wilson’s journey began at ProKick Australia, a specialized training program that has become a pipeline for punters and kickers. The program has produced stars like Tory Taylor (Chicago Bears), Michael Dickson (Seattle Seahawks) and Mitch Wishnowsky (San Francisco 49ers). This season, as many as 60 ProKick alumni are expected to compete at the FBS level.
The distance isn’t just physical — it’s a challenge that hits hard on a personal level. Being so far from family and familiar surroundings can be tough, especially for a teenager in a new country trying to find his footing. For Wilson and others like him, homesickness is part of the adjustment, alongside the demands of competing at a high level.
“[My family] knows this is what’s best for me,” Wilson said. “It’s good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone. They’re coming here to see the first few games, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Adjusting to life in Nebraska has been a big change — not just the football, but the culture and the people. Still, Wilson has thrown himself into the Huskers. He made a point to learn every teammate’s name and has built strong friendships quickly.
“There’s not a guy on the team that doesn’t love him because of his personality,” coach Matt Rhule said.
Wilson even surprised everyone by singing “Piano Man” during a team meeting where every freshman has to perform without lyrics and just the instrumental background
“I went up and smashed it, I’m not going to lie,” Wilson said with a grin.
From a football perspective, Wilson is still finding his footing, particularly when it comes to adjusting to tricky winds at Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium. His first college game will be at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against Cincinnati on Aug. 28 — a big stage for a kid from Melbourne in his first organized game of American football.
“I’m really excited,” Wilson said. “I don’t normally get too nervous when it comes to things. I mean, this is a whole different level, but I’m more excited. Huge crowd. Arrowhead. Thursday night. It doesn’t get much bigger.”
Wilson’s time at Nebraska is just getting started, but his coaches are already taking notice.
“I said it the last place I was at, and I’ll say it about [Wilson]: The guy’s going to be a damn weapon,” Ekeler said. “You have to understand this. In punting, special teams in general, every punt he hits isn’t going to be a 55- to 60-yarder. He’ll mishit one. That’s going to happen. And when it does, I’ll take it. But I’m telling you, when you look up at the end of the year with his body of work, you’re going to go, ‘Holy cow, this guy is the real deal.'”
Still, the biggest challenge might be off the field. Being so far from home — from family, friends, everything familiar — takes a toll.
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