Heading into his fourth season as punter with NFL franchise the New York Jets, former AFL star Ben Graham speaks exclusively to www.aflpa.com.au about his brilliant NFL career and his life in New York City.

Having successfully completed his third season as punter with NFL franchise the New York Jets, Ben Graham moves into the new NFL season full of hope.

One of three Australian punters in the NFL, alongside Mat McBriar (Dallas Cowboys) and Sav Rocca (Phildelphia Eagles), Ben is currently enjoying some holiday time in Australia with family, before jetting back to the big apple for the New York Jets’ first pre-season camp, starting July 23.

It had been a challenging journey for Ben’s family since he was first approached in 1997 by then Jets assistant coach Eric Mangini to that day in 2005, when Ben, wife Katie and daughters Sophie and Rosie left behind the certainty of life in Australia to pursue the big dream of making it in the NFL.

But stepping off the plane at New York’s JFK Airport, Ben’s mind was racing as he felt closer to his ambition of making it in the massive NFL machine.

“I had no idea what to expect so I prepared for the unknown,” Graham said. ”I arrived in March of '05, so 6 months after I'd retired from the AFL, plenty of time to think about the decision I'd made. Then after 5 months of pre-season training and learning the finer points of punting, finally found out I'd made the team a week before the first game Vs Kansas City Chiefs.”

Graham had signed with the Jets on a short term contract, which offered no guarantees that he would see the season out with the NFL franchise. He had much to learn, not the least the notoriously large and complicated playbooks being one of the first things he had to master.

“An NFL playbook is like a set of Encyclopedia Britannicas,” he said. “Every player in each position has a different play book which is very in-depth to say the least, upwards of 1000 plays that require hundreds of hours in meetings and study to learn back to front. Luckily, the playbook for punters and kickers is a little more manageable.”

But it wasn’t until September 11, 2005 when the 219 game former Cat booted his first punt that he realised he was a fully fledged player in the multi billion dollar NFL industry.

“My first punt Vs Kansas City Chiefs on September 11, 2005. The emotion of the entire build up to the game considering the events of 9/11, was very moving. I shed a tear during the US anthem as I knew the significance of the day but also knowing what I'd been through with my family and the sacrifices we'd made to be move to the US,” Graham said.

Success in such a professional sport can be measured in a number of ways, perhaps most tellingly by Graham’s regular seeing off of competitors for his prized Jets punting spot.

And Ben’s all round abilities have seen him create sporting history. In 2006, he joined the New York Jets leadership group, becoming the first Australian to captain an American pro-sports team. Ben is also the only player to have captained a team in two professional sports leagues, having previously skippered Geelong.

“I was shocked and humbled (to be made co-Captain),” Graham said. ”It was completely unexpected but was a fantastic experience. Punters can be viewed differently in the NFL, not ‘real’ footballers, but in my first year, Mike Nugent (kicker) and I made it our business to change that stigma. I went about my business like I did during my AFL career and I think it was respected by my NFL peers to be appointed co-Captain.”

This high opinion culminated in May 2006 when Ben signed a six-year contract with the Jets for a cool US$5.17 million.

Other milestones have been more family orientated. The Graham’s added a boy when son Jack was born in New York in November of 2007.

And when Ben and family appeared on the iconic US children’s TV show Sesame Street, Graham knew he’d made a substantial step.

“The experience on Sesame Street is ‘the’ highlight. Growing up watching it and then having the privilege of being asked to film a segment with Elmo was truly awesome. The whole family were involved along with two team-mates, the coach and their families.”

With the benefit of being an NFL ‘veteran’, Ben, 31 can report back to Jets camp a week later than his rookie teammates and is enjoying a short break back home.

And with the Jets moving to a new purpose built training centre this year as well as the construction of a new stadium due to open in 2010, which the Jets will share with Super Bowl champions and fellow New York team the Giants, Graham is looking forward to heading back.

“The new stadium won't be completed for a few more years; however our new training facility will be ready when training camp breaks early September,” he said.” The new facility is state of the art costing $100M to build. The players had a tour last month and it is absolutely amazing. It has five full size football fields (three grass, a turf field outside and one turf inside) and the latest technology throughout the facility in all departments from football to medical to administration.”