'A damn weapon': Through punts and personality, Nebraska's Archie Wilson making impact

And that was all during a 10-minute interview session Tuesday in which the Nebraska freshman punter showed why the Huskers love him as both an ambipedal revelation on special teams and an affable Australian making the daily grind more enjoyable.

Any remaining doubt about who NU’s No. 1 punter will be this season has blown away early in the third week of training camp. It’s Wilson, who turns 19 Wednesday and will play in his first American football game Aug. 28 inside Kansas City’s Arrowhead stadium.

“The guy’s going to be a damn weapon,” Nebraska special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler said.

Wilson’s demeanor is already becoming as sure a thing as windy games in Memorial Stadium. Big smile. Conversational tone, complete with obvious Aussie accent. Thoughtful about his craft in a way that belies his relative inexperience.

There was no recruiting process for the athletic-looking 6-foot-2 prospect. He worked with Prokick Australia, a program that for years has placed kickers with college football teams all over the United States. He had no decision to make, just a Prokick coach telling him one day he had been matched with Nebraska.

“I was like, ‘Cool,’” Wilson said.

The versatile punter had long been on Ekeler’s radar — the coach said Wilson would have joined him at Tennessee if Ekeler hadn’t left to overhaul Nebraska's special teams.

Instead, the Huskers have a threat to roll out in either direction and kick with either foot. 

Wilson grew up primarily kicking with his left foot, though he also did it occasionally with his right. A few years ago he endured a left-ankle injury where he could still run and jump but not kick. So he focused on his right side.

One day a Prokick coach asked to see him use his right foot. At the time, he didn’t know why it would make a difference. But his improvement was obvious.

“I nailed the two that he asked to see and that made a good impression,” Wilson said. “Then I’ve been practicing it ever since.”

Wilson said it’s “not too common” where he’s from to see kickers use both feet at the college level. That ability in a rugby-style operation allows him to roll out to either side and hold onto the ball a beat or two longer before booting it downfield. That creates what he’s called “artificial hangtime” which allows Nebraska gunners to get in better position to cover the returner.

Ekeler said American football will be an “adjustment” for Wilson — with guys in helmets and pads coming after him — but not one he’s worried about based on his experience with past punting imports.

Wilson has been punting with the team every day since he arrived on campus in late spring. Nebraska brought the heat on punters during the first day in full pads.

On Monday, it brought the house.

“So he’s felt it now,” Ekeler said.

Wilson laughed when asked about his recent rendition of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” during a team meeting when all he had backing him up was instrumental music without lyrics. Yes, Wilson grinned, he “smashed it.”

Wilson dropped his head and sobbed when asked about being away from his family for the first time. His parents and two younger brothers are a 22-hour flight and 15 time zones away, though they plan to be in Lincoln next month to watch him play his first Nebraska home games.

“Yeah,” he said with a sniff. “That part’s hard.”

Wilson knows the name of everyone on the team and everybody knows his name too. Transfer long snapper Kevin Gallic said he sees a guy who brings the daily zeal of a kid and intensity of a veteran. He ups the energy among specialists, who often work on their own away from most of the team during practices.

That Wilson may kick with either foot adds to the excitement of snapping him footballs.

“He’s someone who I really want to play for,” said Gallic, a senior. “I want to set him up for the most success.”

Adding to the intrigue is a variety of Wilson kicks including a side-spinning “banana ball” that has a boomerang effect. If nothing else, it adds another element for returners to consider.

Coach Matt Rhule said last week that punt periods have become appointment viewing for him because of Wilson. Watching him work is like viewing a YouTube short.

“I hope we don’t punt a lot,” Rhule said. “But when we do, it’ll be fun.”

Wilson takes over for three-year starter Brian Buschini, who averaged 43.1 yards per punt during 37 games as a Husker. Ekeler said Wilson won’t be perfect. There will be a shank. Maybe a few.

But Nebraska’s new punter is also going to flip some fields and provide some angst for opposing special-teams groups. Probably with a smile on his face.

Said Ekeler: “I’m telling you, when you look up at the end of the year at his body of work, you’re going to go ‘Holy cow, this guy is the real deal.’”