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Revision as of 00:29, 13 September 2008
Australian rules footballer| Ben Graham | |||
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| File:Noimage | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Original team(s) | Leopold/Geelong U19 | ||
| Debut |
Round 21, August 21, 1993, Geelong vs. Essendon, at Kardinia Park | ||
| Height / weight | 196 cm / 96 kg | ||
| Playing career | |||
|
Geelong (1993-2004) 219 games, 145 goals | |||
| Playing statistics correct to the end of 2004. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Ben Graham (born November 2, 1973) is a former Australian rules football player and currently on the roster of the New York Jets National Football League (NFL) team.
AFL career
Graham was recruited from the Geelong U19s with pick 40 in the 1992 Australian Football League (AFL) pre-season draft. He was Geelong's "Best First Year Player" in the reserves team of 1992, and made his debut with the Geelong seniors late in 1993.
Graham was noted for his long kicking (in particular his expertise at the torpedo punt), and could play at both ends of the ground as a key position player. He played at centre half-forward and could convert goals from distances of 60 metres, as well as playing at centre half-back, where his booming kicks cleared the ball from defence, particularly during kickouts. Once, when Graham was bringing the ball back in from play, he booted the ball 85 metres which was right to the centre of the ground.
Graham went on to play 219 games for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League from 1993 to 2004. He captained the side from 2000 to 2002, and won the club's Best and Fairest award (the Carji Greeves Medal) in 1999. Graham was renowned for his long, accurate kicking, and in 2004 he surprised many in Australia when he retired from Australian rules football to pursue a career as a punter in the United States National Football League. He had first been approached by the New York Jets in 1997 to try out as a punter, but decided to stay in the AFL.
While playing for the Cats, Graham attended Deakin University in Geelong.
NFL career
American football player| New York Jets | |||||||||
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| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2007 | |||||||||
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Graham was signed to a short-term contract by the New York Jets in January 2005. Graham moved to New York City and attended Jets training camp at Hofstra University, before being confirmed as the team's starting punter for the 2005 NFL season when his predecessor Micah Knorr was released . When Graham played his first NFL regular season game, (against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 11, 2005) he became the third person after Colin Ridgeway and Darren Bennett to play in both the AFL and the NFL, and fourth Australian NFL player. He also became the oldest rookie ever to be part of an NFL opening day roster at age 31.
On May 22, 2006, the Jets signed Graham to a six-year contract worth US$5.17 million.
In late 2006, Graham made history becoming the first Australian to captain an American pro-sports team when he joined the leadership group of the New York Jets. He also became the only player to captain a team in two professional sports leagues. Graham also helped introduce the drop punt style of kicking prevalent in Australian rules football, which improves kicking efficiency and is said to be a new introduction to the game of American football.
References
- "Graham elected a NY Jets Captain" worldfootynews.com September 11 2006. URL Accessed September 11 2006.
Salvado, John (2005-08-28). "NY Jets punt on Graham". Fox Sports.
Lange, Randy (2005-08-01). "Aussie has a leg up on the punting job". North Jersey Media Group.
External links
American football
Australian rules
- Ben Graham's profile on the official website of the Geelong Football Club
- Ben Graham's playing statistics from AFL Tables
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byLeigh Colbert | Captain of Geelong 2000 - 2002 |
Succeeded bySteven King |
| Preceded byMicah Knorr | New York Jets Punters 2005 - present |
Succeeded byIncumbent |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded byPeter Riccardi | Geelong Best and Fairest winner 1999 |
Succeeded bySteven King |