Cleveland Browns rookie punter Jamie Gillan gained a reputation for having a big leg when he was placekicking and punting for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and he is living up to that billing during his first preseason in the National Football League.
As Gillan, known as “The Scottish Hammer,” attempts to unseat veteran Britton Colquitt as the Browns’ punter, he made an emphatic statement on his first kick of the afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Saturday.
With the Browns facing a fourth-and-31 from their own 16-yard line, Gillan launched a 74-yard punt to completely flip field position, as the ball was downed by a Browns coverage specialist at the Indianapolis 10-yard line.
During the Browns’ preseason opener, a 30-10 win over the Washington football team at FirstEnergy Stadium last week, Gillan launched two punts and totaled 84 yards, an average of 42.0 yards per kick with a long effort of 42 yards and one kick setting inside Washington’s 20-yard line.
Gillan grew up playing rugby in a small town outside of Inverness, Scotland, but The Highlander has seemingly adjusted well to American football.
During his final year at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Gillan launched 71 punts for 3,015 yards, with 21 kicks being fair-caught, 27 landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and 19 that travelled at least 50 yards. Gillan averaged 42.46 yards per kick and had a long punt of 80 yards.
Additionally, Gillan converted 20 of his 29 field goal attempts, including a 10-of-11 mark between 30 and 39 yards and six-of-eight record between 40 and 49 yards.
RECAP: Browns defeat Colts 21-18