Alabama P James Burnip More Comfortable, Consistent Entering Third Season

The Crimson Tide's Australian punter feels more comfortable with two seasons of American football under his belt.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The veteran Alabama special teams unit, already helped significantly by the return of kicker Will Reichard, has been boosted by the continued growth of punter James Burnip.

The junior from Victoria, Australia, is more comfortable with two seasons playing the American game under his belt, and that has contributed positively to his consistency when called upon. He averaged 42.3 yards per punt in 2022, up from 39.1 in his first season.

"I'm very comfortable now," Burnip said. "My first year was my first time ever playing football, putting pads on and having a full live rush. So I was pretty nervous back there, standing there. I didn't know what to expect, didn't know how to read the rush or anything. Coming into this year, I'm a lot more relaxed back there. I'm looking forward to going out there if we need to.

"I'm just trying to get my consistency there so I can keep doing my job at a high level."

Much like a baseball player looking to put the bat on the ball, Burnip has focused on keeping his swing level and shortening up to get good contact. 

"Lots of times my freshman year and sometimes my sophomore year, my swing leg would come through and come across my body," he said. "I'm just trying to stay through the ball and get as much boost as I can on that football, just coming through it and shortening my steps, just everything I can do to get the most power I can with every kick."

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said Burnip is more consistent all around, while also praising the power the former Australian football player has in his leg. Burnip grew up playing the kicking-heavy style of football prevalent in his home country, and while he's carried his power with him to Tuscaloosa, he can adapt his playing style to any situation he's given.

"We have [Australian football kicks] in our package, so I'm pretty versatile with what I can do. I can pretty much do any kick you want me to," he said. "At the end of the day, it's the head coach's call. Obviously, I've done a few rugby kicks in my career. We'll see if we can do some more this year."

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