The Denver Broncos special teams will look different this season as a they will have a new special team coach in Darren Rizzi. The punter position will also look different as the Broncos will not return Riley Dixon who signed a two-year $6 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. Denver will rely on rookie Jeremy Crawshaw who was drafted in the sixth round out of Florida this season.
In an article by Patrick Gabriel, he discusses Crawshaw plan to first get to college and then the NFL.
“I was just trying to go to college first,” he said. “Once we got to college and got onto the big stage, the sights were set for the NFL.”
“I was like, ‘Well, you’re 14, so you’re going to have to cool your jets,'” Nathan Chapman, Prokick Australia’s founder and head punting coach, told The Denver Post recently.
“But he came to us, and he was like 150 pounds ringing wet. We had to get some weight on him and build up the strength so that leg speed and swing could be put to more use.”
Crawshaw has a big leg
Crawshaw is known for booming kicks as he redefined expectations for the position during college. He is known for his towering punts that consistently travel over 60 yards in the air, he’s turned what was once considered a mere formality in the game into a legitimate weapon. Jeremy was one of the better punters in games, his punts don’t just travel far they hang in the air long enough to allow coverage teams to get downfield, minimizing return yards. That combination of distance and hang time is what separates big-legged punters from the rest.
“He had organic (talent), big, long legs, flexibility, two-step, and could swing it high,” Chappy said. “I was like ‘(Frick), bro, place that ball out where you need it and you’re going to be in a good spot.
Crawshaw has been preparing for the NFL his whole life
Crawshaw has been preparing for the NFL his whole life which was challenging playing in Australia. Growing up in Australia, he played Australian rules football from a young age, mastering the art of kicking with both power and finesse. Little did he know that skill would become his ticket to the biggest stage in American sports.
“He didn’t play a ton of (Aussie rules) football,” said Chapman, who goes by Chappy. “He dedicated a fair bit of time to just punting. He grew up playing a little bit, but probably not as much as everybody else.”
Many Aussies come from a background where improvisation is key, and that freedom translates into unique punts side-spinners, low-liners, and unpredictable bounces that frustrate returners and special teams coordinators alike. Jeremy has a great opportunity to have a great career especially with him already being penciled in as the the starter for the Broncos. Denver will look to take advantage of his big leg to help the defense have the best chance of field position this season.
