Nebraska Punter Archie Wilson Is Your New Favorite College Football Player

Nebraska freshman punter Archie Wilson during a press conference.
Nebraska freshman punter Archie Wilson during a press conference. / Via HuskerOnline on YouTub
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Archie Wilson may be the most interesting man in college football, and he hasn't even played a game yet.

Wilson is an Australian import, a 19-year-old true freshman and he isn't above showing emotion. Earlier this week, he was asked how difficult it was leaving home to play football in the United States, and he broke down crying when discussing having to leave his family behind.

"That part is hard, I mean... I'm sorry," he said while trying to compose himself. "Yeah, I love them a lot. I have two little brothers and a mom and a dad, and that's the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them."

If that wasn't enough to make you like him, there's plenty more. His head coach, Matt Rhule, claims Wilson "crushed" a rendition of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" in front of his Cornhuskers teammates during fall camp. And in two months at Nebraska, Wilson already knows the name of each of his teammates.

On top of all that, there's also this fact: Wilson is dual-footed. He's naturally a left-footed punter, but when he dealt with an injury a few years ago, he tried his other foot during an Australian Rules game and it worked.

“I could watch Archie punt all day,” Rhule said of Wilson, per The Athletic. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like watching a YouTube short. The guy’s amazing at what he does.”

He's a likable, emotional Aussie, who can belt out Billy Joel, knows all of his teammates, kicks with both feet, and has yet to ever play a game of American football? Yeah, I'm on board. We love this kid.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.