WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Alex Kinal can forget footy. The only football he’s concerned about these days is the American kind, as the former Australian rules standout has found a spot as a punter at Wake Forest.
He didn’t take up the American version of the sport until last April and says he’s never put on a helmet and pads in a game. But with a handful of Australian-born punters in the NFL, Kinal is hoping there’s room for another one in the college game. The freshman’s first game comes Thursday night at Syracuse.
“It was kind of a leap of faith for both of us,” coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday. “But we haven’t been disappointed. He’s got a big-time leg.”
Kinal said he had to retrain his leg to kick in a more Americanized way.
A well-struck ball in Australia — where the game is called “footy” — rotates end-over-end and might not clear
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