From Down Under to Between the Hedges: Brett Thorson on transition
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for anyone, college football players included, but the transition from another country, another style of football, and stepping into the nation’s No. 1 ranked team is another package to unwrap altogether. Just ask Georgia sophomore punter Brett Thorson.
“That was a slow process,” Thorson said of making the leap from Melbourne, Australia to Athens. “Finding close friends was a big thing. That sense of home, I guess, comes from the friends that I now consider my closest friends. Finding food places I like, I found that very helpful. American food is a bit different, so I was adjusting. Finding those spots, where I get a good coffee or a good meal, I feel helps me feel at home. Those couple things are the biggest. Getting back in school, too, and getting involved. You stay pretty busy with the football schedule, as well, so you don’t have too much time to get out and explore.”
While acclimating to life in the American South has been a challenge from a personal standpoint, it’s also been quite an adjustment for the former Australian Rules football convert to how the game is played in the states.
Thorson considers it one of his biggest improvements since his arrival in Athens.
“I think just feeling comfortable. Obviously, when we come over here, I’d never been behind a line of scrimmage with protectors,” he said. “We replicate it in Prokick (ProKick Australia, Thorson’s developmental program), but you can’t replicate six foot five, 300-pound O-lineman protecting and moving, and then also guarding guys sprinting full speed at you, so I’d say just getting comfortable behind there and knowing where and how to make myself feel comfortable, so that involves no necessarily just trying to kick a good ball, but it also involves the placement. What I need to do to get that ball where it needs to go.”
Brett Thorson finding his groove on the field but still exploring American life
With comfort on his side, both personally and in his playing life, Thorson has been able to settle into his role, currently sporting a 44-yard average per punt and pinning fifty percent of his kicks inside the 20. A quarter of those he’s put into the air have been over 50 yards, as well.
While the kicking aspect has come naturally, Thorson is still coming around on some aspects of his new life stateside.
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One of those is listening to his teammates try to replicate his distinct accent, an area he sees much room for improvement.
“Unfortunately, no, there’s been not a single good (accent). I’ve heard some really bad ones, and they keep getting worse the more you go,” Thorson said laughing. “I couldn’t say the best, but Brock Bowers would definitely have the worst. That’d be without a doubt.”
And he’s still not sure about America’s leader in “Australian” cuisine either.
“We’ve had Outback catered to the facility. I haven’t actually gone and sat down. I know I need to do it. I have a bunch of people who’ve offered to take me to do it. I can’t speak firsthand from the restaurant, but when it’s been catered, it’s been good,” Thorson said. “I don’t know that it’s Australian. There’s mac and cheese, which is something I don’t know that I’ve ever had before coming here. There are a few differences they’ve made to cater to the American crowd, but it’s just funny. Everyone references that when they reference Australian food, and they call me ‘Outback’.”
Thorson has punted sixteen times for the Bulldogs this season for an average of 44.0 yards with a long of 53.
