It’s a long way from the Latrobe Valley to Fort Worth, Texas, but Traralgon’s Jordy Sandy made the journey four years ago to pursue a college football dream.
Over 14,000 kilometres, or nearly 9000 miles if you like, is the distance that Sandy travelled in order to turn his dream into a reality.
Sandy plays as a punter for Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs, who recently played in the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship.
TCU took on Georgia Bulldogs earlier this week, for the biggest prize in college football.
To put into perspective, the CFP National Championship is the Super Bowl of college football, equivalent to the Grand Final in the AFL.
Sandy has endured a four-year college football career in Fort Worth, and after playing Aussie Rules for Traralgon, the difference is incomparable.
Sandy began his American Football dream while working in Traralgon, when a mate suggested they try out at ProKick Australia – an academy for aspiring American football punters.
“I used to work at the paper mill in Traralgon… I remember sitting there one day with another buddy who started doing ProKick, Tom Hutton,” Sandy said.
Hutton plays for Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Sandy mentioned they had played against each other on a number of occasions over the past four seasons.
Within two weeks of doing a try-out with Hutton and ProKick, Sandy quit playing Aussie Rules for Traralgon to focus on punting full-time.
“I trained with ProKick for most of 2018, then got an opportunity to come over here,” Sandy said.
This season has been Sandy’s first taste of school success throughout his time at TCU.
“Our first three seasons, we were pretty average, so this sort of come from left-field (making the championship game),” he said.
TCU defeated Michigan Wolverines by six points in The Fiesta Bowl, granting them a chance to play off against Georgia for the CFP National Championship.
“We’re coming up against another undefeated team, these things give us the confidence to match it with the best teams in the country,” Sandy said before the game.
Georgia defeated Ohio State Buckeyes by a point to advance to the championship game, but Sandy focussed on the fact that Michigan – who TCU defeated – made light work of Ohio – who Georgia failed to dispose of with ease.
“That holds us in good stead, we’re playing with all of the confidence in the world at the moment,” he said.
On his opposition sits another Aussie punter, Brett Thorson, who is reasonably local too – from Dumbalk.
Thorson went viral in early-November for his 75-yard (68.5 metre) punt for Georgia against Tennessee Volunteers in front of more than 92,000 people.
“It’s huge to know that there is two Aussie guys from the same academy playing on a national, or international stage if you like,” Sandy said.
“It gives (ProKick) an opportunity to get more exposure.”
Sandy remembered he didn’t experience much “culture shock” when making the move from Traralgon to Fort Worth.
“I often say that Fort Worth sort of feels like a small town,” Sandy said.
Despite this feeling, the population of Fort Worth is nearing one million, almost 35 times more than the population of Traralgon.
“The buzz and stuff around the town is just crazy right now,” Sandy said.
“You can’t go into a store without someone congratulating you, wanting pictures and autographs.”
Could you imagine if local Gippsland footballers were asked for autographs while they roamed their local streets?
Sandy has made huge progress during the four years he has spent at TCU, where alongside football he has completed an undergraduate course in communications, minoring in psychology.
Due to COVID, he will be allowed to complete an unconventional fifth year, where he will continue to play for TCU, as well as complete a master’s degree.
“I think I’ve come a long way, I originally didn’t know much about American Football at all to begin with,” Sandy said.
“My first season, I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped.
“I love Fort Worth and America, I’m hoping to stay here long-term.”
During four years at TCU, Sandy’s highlight of his college football career comes from around a month ago, when TCU played Baylor Bears.
Sandy, who also plays as a holder for the field goal kicker, played an important part in the dying stages.
“We kicked a field goal with time expiring,” he said.
“We won on the siren.
“If he missed that, then we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in, because we would’ve lost.
“To get to the position we’re in now, we had to basically be undefeated.
“(Griffin Kell) made the kick and we got swamped by the whole team.”
Sandy urges Aussies to take the “leap of faith” if an opportunity arises to train with ProKick.
“Aussies who go (to America), they adapt so well,” he said.
“Over here, you’re treated like a professional, the facilities for example – it’s insane.
“It’s probably as good, if not better than AFL clubs.”
With just one more season of college football left, Sandy hopes to make the most of it.
“I’d obviously love to get a shot at the next level, but with me staying on to play college another year, I’m kind of reminded that I turn 30 (this) year,” Sandy said.
The CFP National Championship was played at SoFi Stadium in California in front of over 72,000 people.
SoFi Stadium recently hosted Super Bowl 56 between Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, which held a similar crowd.
Unfortunately for Sandy and TCU, Georgia were at their best, which created a record-breaking CFP National Championship win, the final score reading 65-7.
On the other hand, Dumbalk’s Thorson is a national champion after just one year in the college system, which I’m sure hands him more confidence for his college career.
The 2023 College Football season is set to begin in August, and if current trends continue, we may witness Sandy and Thorson at the pinnacle, once again.
