NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Only traveling to the United States twice before moving across the world to pursue a dream, Vanderbilt punter Jesse Mirco is having one of the best seasons of his career.
The Fremantle, Western Australia, native saw a college football game for the first time in 2019 after taking a trip to SEC rival Kentucky to watch punter Max Duffy, also from Australia.
“I went to a game in Lexington, Kentucky in 2019 and spoke to their punter who was also where I was from,” Mirco recalled. “It was really cool to hear about his experience and he helped me connect to the coaches back home. It was pretty cool to go back there (for Vanderbilt’s win at Kentucky) a few weeks ago because it felt like that’s where everything started for me.”
Before Vanderbilt, Mirco spent three seasons at Ohio State where he was the punter and holder for the Buckeyes.
“When I first moved to Ohio, it was pretty cold, wet and snowy so that was a big shock for me,” Mirco laughed. “I didn’t have a big jacket or anything so it was one of the biggest shocks coming to America.”
Mirco joined the Commodores ahead of the 2024 campaign due part to former Vandy punter Matthew Hayball, who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
“A big part of it was Matthew Hayball,” Mirco said. “He couldn’t speak higher of Coach [Jeff] LePak or Coach [Clark] Lea, so that was a big part of it. I wanted to be somewhere where I was appreciated for what I was doing. Coach Lea is a pretty emotional guy, he loves this place, so it has been awesome to play for him and help in any way towards the goals he has set here.
“He lets you get to know him on such a deep level, which makes it more meaningful because we want to play and win for him.”
Despite having the same coaches at ProKick Australia, Mirco and Hayball only knew each other through social media. Hayball moved to the United States two years before Mirco even started playing American football.
“When I ended up in the portal and decided to come here, he had a big impact on that,” Mirco explained. “Me and my girlfriend ended up moving into the same apartment as him last spring, so we got to know each other better and we got to kick together all offseason before he went onto the NFL.”
Mirco started playing American football five years ago, learning the art of punting in just four months. Despite the similarities that Australian football and cricket have to punting, the American football experience was unlike anything Mirco had ever seen.
“I didn’t know that it was a thing, or even possible over here,” he said. “When I was here in 2019, I thought it was awesome to see the game day, the fans and the atmosphere because it all is so different than what you see in Australia. I have a goal of wanting to be in the NFL, so I knew I had to make a move.”
Last week, Mirco was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week and to the Ray Guy Award Ray’s 8 after averaging 52.9 yards on a career-high eight punts at Auburn. It was the second-best single-game punting average in Vanderbilt history.
Ray’s 8 – Week 10
⚓️ Jesse Mirco pic.twitter.com/mKYerMkQWo
— #24 Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) November 5, 2024
So far this season, Mirco is averaging 47.1 yards per punt. That mark is second in the SEC and third in FBS. Mirco has four punts of at least 60 yards, including one in each of the last two contests.
When it comes to the pressure of punting on a big stage in the SEC, Mirco is constantly reminding himself to go by one rep at a time and stick to his basics.
“Honestly, each rep is pretty different with punting,” he explained. “You have to take it rep-by-rep and once it comes and goes, you have to move onto the next one. Being able to have an impact on the game, pin a few deep is a good feeling.”
Mirco and the 24th-ranked Commodores return to FirstBank Stadium Saturday afternoon, hosting South Carolina. Kickoff is slated for 3:15 p.m. and the game can be seen on SEC Network.
