E-Boland & Gang Green

By Bob Herzog

The Legend of Big Foot, aka Jets punter Ben Graham, continues.

For two consecutive days, Graham's kicking exploits have been the buzz of the practice field. On Thursday, during the team's four-minute drills, Graham boomed an 80-yard punt. "81 yards," the Australian native corrected. His "team" was on its own 19-yard line when Graham unloaded. He said his kick traveled 80 yards in the air and bounced into the end zone. It was such a prodigious punt that Eric Mangini saw fit to note it to the media on Friday, a development almost as stunning as the kick. Mangini isn't exactly the exuberant type nor does he go out of his way to lavish praise on his players.

That's why Graham did a double-take when several reporters cornered him before practice on Friday. "Glad I could thrill him like that," the Aussie said with a wink when told of his coach's words. "I had a good day at practice, I had a little wind at my back. We were a little backed up in the four-minute drill and I wanted to put the team I was punting for at that particular time in a good position. It was one of those situations where everything came together on that one kick."

Remarkably, Graham wasn't surprised by the kick. "Every day I seem to be able to let some of those rip and I guess the challenge is to get those constantly in a game. It was one of those situations where I know what to expect of myself, and if it doesn't go 50 yards, it would be a surprise."

Asked what would genuinely surprise him, Graham smirked and said, "If it was a game and we were back in our end zone and I kicked it to the other end zone, then I'd be surprised."

He expressed some wonderment Friday, however. While other special team drills were going on behind him, Graham playfully tried to punt the ball from the 5-yard-line over the protective netting that extends well above the goalposts. After plunking it high into the netting several times – he was only 15 yards from the net aiming directly upwards – he finally booted one over the net, right between the uprights. He laughingly jogged behind the fence into an adjacent parking lot to retrieve the ball. But moments later, he returned to the practice field empty-handed, but wearing a rueful grin.

A member of the Jets office staff than chased down the ball, and when she returned, she said it had landed beyond the parking lot and onto the Hofstra soccer field.