He has been called by Dallas Cowboys’ all-pro punter Mat McBriar as the “Godfather of Australian punting”. Bennett, a native of Sydney, followed a brilliant career Down Under in Aussie Rules football (AFL) to help pioneer a path for Australians by succeeding in the NFL.
The former full forward for the Melbourne Demons, who went on to excel for the San Diego Chargers and was named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team, is credited for the introduction into the NFL of the “Aussie Rules kick” or “Drop Punt” as it is known in Australia. The technique was instrumental in the advancement of Australians into the NFL. Currently more than half of the punters in pro football make use of the Aussie Rules punt in pooch-punt situations.
