The Scottish Hammer Is Set To Strike In The NFL

FOR THE last couple of days, there has been a distinctly trans-Atlantic tone to the blog, well, before I put my star-spangled banner back in its box, one other wee story with an American twist, having had my attention drawn to a guy from over here, who is potentially on the verge of great things over there.

Jamie "The Scottish Hammer" Gillan

Step forward and take a bow, Jamie “The Scottish Hammer” Gillan, a punter with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are, if you like – the Partick Thistle of the NFL, the joke team of American Football. You can adapt the Jags jokes to grid iron: “If they win a first down, they do a lap of honour,” and so on.

But, in getting on to the Browns' roster, Jamie has already won a watch in the sporting lottery of life. Aye, he's come a long way from playing mini-rugby with Highland, or winning the Scottish Schools Under-16 Cup with Merchiston. In fact, if he does go on to have a lengthy NFL career – there is definitely a film in there.

The son of a career Royal Air Force officer, Jamie began playing mini-rugby with Highland while at Primary school, then while at Culloden Academy. This saw him earn a rugby scholarship to Merchiston and that Under-16 Cup win.

However, his Dad was posted to the USA and Jamie decided to sample American High School life, at Leopardstown High School, in Maryland. He noticed, the kicker in their American Football team wasn't very good, so, he demonstrated to the coach that his experience as a fly-half/centre in rugby made him the ideal replacement, and his grid iron career took off.

But, he was thinking of returning to the UK when his High School days ended, only to change his plans after one of his friends read on Facebook that Arkansas University-Pine Bluff (AUPB) had a vacancy for a punter – a specialist position. Jamie sent off his highlights tape and, that very night, he had a full athletic scholarship to the traditionally black college.

There he demonstrated his versatility, by taking over as place kicker as well as punter, and getting onto the special teams roster, covering kick-offs, both taking and receiving.

If four years at AUPB didn't bring post-season bowl games or any great success, it did give Jamie a free education, a PE degree and he ended on a high, scoring all the points in his last-ever college game, a rare feat in American Football.

He did not feature in the 2019 NFL draft, but, by now an imposing six foot two, tall and weighing-in at 14 stones 12 lbs, he showed he packed some power, when he burst four regulation NFL footballs, with the power of his kicking, when preparing for a pro try-out day at Arkansas State University. And that's the sort of unusual story which makes people sit-up and pay attention over there

His performance there, where, in addition to taking over 80 place kicks and punts, he posted impressive performances in fitness tests on his standing vertical and long jumps, and, right at the end of a long day – covering 40 yards in a shade over four seconds in a sprint test, persuaded the Browns to sign him as a UDFA – that's an Undrafted Free Agent.

Now, there are no guarantees, he has yet to suit-up in a full American Football game, but, he is one of just two punters on the Browns' roster – the other is 34-year-old ten-year veteran Britton Colquitt. Special teams players tend to have longer careers than most other players, so, if he can get onto the field, Jamie has a chance of going on to greater things.

It's a long way from Inverness, or even Merchiston, to the NFL.

ONE OF the drawbacks of this job is, at times, your love of rugby and rugby players is conflicted. Shite happens, and when it happens in rugby, your average rugby writer doesn't want to go near it, in fact, as lovers of the game and, to an extent defenders of it – there are some cases we would far rather would simply vanish.

That's how I feel this morning, as I reflect on Paddy Dewhirst's fall from grace. On one hand, I want to put my arm round a very-promising young player's shoulder, give him a hug and tell him: “It's ok son, it will pass, you have been incredibly stupid, but, you will survive.”

Paddy Dewhirst - disgraced

On the other hand, as the father of four daughters and a lovely grand-daughter who ages with him – I want to kick the stupid young bar steward from Mauchline to Murrayfield and back, reminding him with every kick, how unbelievably stupid and crass he has been.

He has ruined his own life. The young woman whom he treated so terribly badly, at least she has the cover on anonymity, she has a chance to put Paddy's disgusting treatment of her behind her and move on. I sincerely hope she can, and does.

But Paddy, what do we do with him? He had a real chance of filling Stuart Hogg's shirt at Glasgow; at the very least, he would have taken over from Grant Anderson in Ayr's Super-6 squad. I can see both of these doors slamming in his face.

A rumoured move to France is also in doubt. Such promise, wasted.

What I do know will happen is, we in the Cumnock rugby community, we will, if he wishes, bring him home and help him put his life back together, but, at every opportunity, we will remind him what an absolute erse he has been, how he has let himself, his lovely mother and all of us who love him down badly.

Paddy, you could have been a contender, but, you blew it, massively, you stupid, stupid wee erse.