'A Dream Come True': Australian Punter Jack Ansell Adds Stability to Purdue Special Teams

Jack Ansell trained at Prokick Australia to prepare for his opportunity to play in America. Now, after adjusting to the Purdue football program, he's looking to contribute to a special teams unit that struggled last season for the Boilermakers.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue special teams coordinator Marty Biagi saw just a couple of minutes of Jack Ansell's best film before sending him a direct message on Twitter. 

For Ansell, a 23-year-old Australian punter, it was all he needed to get an opportunity to play at the college level. On the surface, it seems like a simple process, but he's trained extensively for this moment. 

Ansell is a product of Prokick Australia, an organization that has specialized in preparing Australian kickers and punters for both college and professional football since 2007.

"We train and pretty hard down there, and it's a full time gig when you're there," Ansell said. "So, we worked really hard at it, got a lot of film and compiled all of our best work." 

That hard work hasn't stopped since setting foot in West Lafayette. Ansell said fall camp with the Boilermakers was an eye-opener, though nothing he wasn't already expecting after transitioning from Australia.  

"I liked the regime, getting up every day, getting in, working out, it's a dream come true for me. So I'm really happy to be here," Ansell said. "You know, there hasn't been any growing pains, there's been some teething stuff, obviously, just figuring out everything, where I am, what I'm doing, and all that kind of stuff. But you know, it's been good so far."

With his feet underneath him, Ansell is the frontrunner for the starting punter spot heading into the first week of the 2021 college football season. Last year, Purdue struggled to punt effectively. 

The Boilermakers had a net average of 31.59 yards per punt, which ranked dead last in the Big Ten. And despite punting a conference-low 27 times in 2020, the team gave up 117 return yards, the fourth-most. 

Ansell will look to add stability to the punting unit. But what is it that makes the Australian style so desirable, especially at the college ranks? 

"I think it's just accuracy, I think that's the number one thing," Ansell said. "We grew up kicking a football, and when coach says we want it here, you're able to kick it there. It's a hard-to-run scheme. A lot of the American guys struggle to do it proficiently, but for us it's kind of second nature." 

Punting shouldn't be an issue for Ansell. So far, he's been figuring out how to stay warm on the sidelines during games and making American housing feel like home. He's brought various knickknacks, which Ansell said has helped, and he's trying to getting back into a morning routine. 

Although it's been hard not having his Vegemite for breakfast in the morning, if being without the Australian food spread is his biggest issue in America, that's probably a good thing for Ansell and Purdue football. 

"My apartment is kind of my safe haven, there are some things around," Ansell said. "I've got to get some Vegemite shipped over though. My mom sent me over some of that. I miss my Vegemite on toast in the morning. So I've definitely got to get back in the routine of doing that. 

"It's been really good, the transition has been smooth. My coaches are looking after me, the other guys are looking after me, so I really can't ask for much more. But it's been great so far." 

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