Nebraska freshman Archie Wilson was overcome with emotion when asked about leaving his family in Australia to chase his football dreams.
The punter arrived in Nebraska over the summer, having grown up nearly 10,000 miles away in Frankston South in the state of Victoria.
Wilson grew up playing Australian Rules football for Haileybury College before moving to the United States to join the Huskers.
On Tuesday, the 18-year-old broke down as he discussed the difficulty of leaving his family behind Down Under. ‘That part is hard… I’m sorry,’ Wilson said before bending over the podium and starting to cry.
‘Yeah I love them a lot,’ he continued, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. ‘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.
‘But they know this is what’s best for me and it’s good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone. They’re coming here to see the first few games so I am looking forward to that.’
Archie Wilson was overcome with emotion when asked about leaving his family in Australia
The punter arrived in Nebraska over the summer, having grown up nearly 10,000 miles away
Wilson ended up in Nebraska after joining ‘Prokick Australia,’ a program that has produced dozens of professional football punters.
The Australian is already making a name for himself due to his ability to kick with both feet – and throw the ball.
‘That guy is special, he truly is,’ special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler said. ‘He’s 18 years old, leaves home for the first time, goes to a different country, and leaves his family which he’s extremely close to… his teammates love him because of the energy he brings in the building, not just because of what he can do with the football.’
Nebraska will kick off the 2025 season with a night game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium – the home of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Travis Kelce, who played college for Cincinnati before joining the Chiefs, is set to be among the crowd on August 28. So is his brother Jason, who also played for the Bearcats.
‘We’re gonna go to Arrowhead Stadium and play at eight o’clock at night with a kicker who can kick with both feet and kick all the kicks,’ Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said.
‘He has never played in a game before; it will be his first-ever football game. He left his country and left his family to play a sport he’s never played before. He’s one of the coolest guys around.’
