Punter Lachlan Edwards potentially NFL bound

The National Football League is a dream to most football players.

Some make it to their dream while others just imagine the lights, the NFL turf, the fans and the atmosphere that professional football entails.

Senior Lachlan Edwards, 6-foot-5 215 lbs Sam Houston State punter had a lot of scouts come down to watch him practice this year and speak with him so early on in the season.

“I had a little indication that if I continued to play well I would get a look from somewhere else but it was until I got the letter inviting me to the National Football League Players Association Bowl that I really sat there and said ‘Wow, I can possibly do this,’” Edwards said.

Edwards always wanted to give the NFL a shot but he didn’t know if he had what it took. That invite was a turning point.

After the season wrapped up, he signed with Enter Sports Management with help and guidance from Head Coach K.C. Keeler.

“I really can’t speak any higher of him as a coach and a person,” Edwards said. “He has always kept his eye out for me and been there with advice. Some coaches will just work and help you while you’re on the team and once your eligibility is done they won’t have much to do with you. But in my case, I think I’ve been up in his office more since I finished football at SHSU than in my entire career.”

Edwards grew up in Australia where he mainly played Australian football year round.

He was named to the Australian University 1 Team All Australian Football in 2012.

He also played cricket up until he was around 16, when he focused solely on Australian football.

“Once I graduated high school at 17, I took a year off from school and worked as a laborer for a brick layer while I continued to play Australian football at a high level,” Edwards said.

The next year he went to the University of Ballarat to continue his studies while playing for the North Ballarat Rosters Victorian Football League Australian football team for two years before he stumbled across American football.

The kicker position in football is one of the most underrated positions. Many people question how somebody becomes a kicker.

“It’s a funny story actually,” Edwards said. “I was in the off season for Australian football in December 2012 and my roommate and I at the time were bored. We just happened to come across a composite American football and started throwing it around at the local field. I was a horrible passer at the time since we don’t throw the ball in Australian football so I ended up punting it. I punted it a couple times and hit a few nice spirals when one of my professors from UB (University of Ballarat), Scott Talpey, who is an American from Connecticut came over and spoke to me.”

The rest was history. He noticed Edwards’ talent and asked if he ever played American football.

Seven months later, he walked off a plane in Texas to compete for the punter position at SHSU.

The punter or kicker position requires mental focus as well as technique.

“I could give you the strongest guy out there and without the mental aptitude or technique, he would butcher the punt and dribble it 10 yards down the field,” Edwards said. “A lot of the work I do in the background is repetition work on the little things.”

It’s those small technical details that will often be the difference between a top ranked punter and one who falls through the cracks and doesn’t make a college team.

Edwards was able to create his style from picking up small things along the way from people he met over the years in Australia.

Before the combine, he got in touch with an Australian Football and NFL legend Darren Bennett and worked with him up to the NFLPA Bowl Game.

“That was great to work with a guy who has made the same transition as I have from the Aussie rules to punting in American football,” Edwards said.

Edwards said he has short and long term goals to accomplish but have to work at each patiently.

His short term goal is to have a good combine week and get back to work to prepare for his pro day and private workouts in March and April.

“My long term goal is to stay in the NFL for at least five years and notch up a great career,” Edwards said. “I want to be in a position to help out people who have been there for me from the beginning and give back to people that mean the most to me.”

Since his time in America, Edwards has been an academic all-conference punter for three years, been selected to the 18 annual FCS ADA (Athletic Directors Association) Academic All-star team. He is also a two-time all-southland punter and 3 team STATS (Sports Team Analysis and Tracking Systems) All American.

He currently owns the school records for longest punt at 70 yards, which is the highest single game average of 49.8 yards off five punts, and most punting yards in one season 3,525.

He was also selected to the NFLPA all-star game where he punted twice for a 54.5 yard average.

“Other than the combine prep, I am just finishing up with school this semester where I look to graduate this spring with a 3.6 GPA,” Edwards said.

Although the NFL is at his fingertips, Edwards has a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out.

“I’ve always found anatomy, injury prevention, human movement and biomechanics classes as my strongest subjects,” Edwards said. “I would love to one day work as a sports physiotherapist.”

The NFL Scouting Combine will be February 23 – 29 in Indianapolis, Indiana.