By John Hill
Merokean Ben Graham, an Australian transplant with a 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame, was practicing his punting. With the morning sunlight reflecting off his white helmet, Graham, who has played for the Jets since 2005, waited patiently for the ball to be snapped. When it came, he snatching the ball in midair before taking two quick steps and dropping the ball at a slight angle. It hung for a millisecond before Graham booted it almost 80 yards downfield.
The ball bounced out of the back of the end zone, and Graham jogged off the field to a nod of approval from Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff. Graham stopped for comments from his teammate and friend Mike Nugent. The two make up one of the best kicking tandems in the National Football League.
Graham is one of the tallest players on the Jets squad, and the tallest and second-heaviest punter in the NFL. He is among the league's top punters, his trademark being the tricky spin he puts on the ball. But he is hardly your average special teams warrior. He's also a veteran of the Australian Football League (football, in this case, meaning soccer), which makes him a rarity in the world of professional sports: He's made a name for himself in two different sports on two continents.
In his previous career in Australia, Graham had immense success on the Geelong Football Club, and was a captain from 2000 to 2002. He also won the Best and Fairest Award, the AFL's version of Most Valuable Player. He was known in Australia not only for his ability as a kicker, but also for his versatility on both offense and defense.
Since leaving Geelong to pursue a career as a punter, Graham has found similar success. The spin he puts on the football makes it harder for opposing punt returners to read and catch. He ranks among the top dozen punters in the NFL in average yards per punt, but his ability to make the other team misplay the ball is far more valuable to the Jets.
In 2006 Graham was named the Jets' special teams captain, making him the first athlete to lead squads in two different pro sports.
He has become a mentor to Nugent. "He's more than just a great kicker," Graham said of his teammate. "He's a great kid, and despite the age difference" -- Graham is 34 and Nugent is 25 -- "we really get along well. He's a great friend."
The decision to leave Australia was not an easy one for Graham. He brought not only his dreams of prospering in America, but also his fear of the unknown. "The move was very difficult at first," he said. "There were no guarantees. I had to make the team, and even after doing that, I keep a mind-set that my job is never safe."
He added, "My kids left their friends behind. And I left Australian football there. You have to remember, as a kid, I grew up playing a different game than American football, so I was leaving a love of mine behind in that game."
Graham said that living in a friendly, safe town like Merrick has helped him adjust to life in the U.S. He spoke highly of the local schools, where his children are students. He is enjoying watching his daughters grow up, playing in the local park on their scooters.
As a family, the Grahams have taken a liking to American culture. They now follow the Mets, and his daughters are Islanders fans and have attended a number of games.
The family enjoys dining out, and Graham said that the Outback Steakhouse in the Merrick Mall is a close approximation of a typical Australian eatery. He named R.S. Jones as his favorite local restaurant.
Clearly, Graham has found a home in America -- and in Merrick.
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