Go behind the scenes of a 4-year College Football career, as Dane Roy, the former University of Houston Cougars punter shares his journey from Australian ice cream salesman to the ESPN red carpet.
At 26 years old, Dane Roy was working at Peter’s Ice Cream in Melbourne, Australia, when he stumbled upon the opportunity to participate in a “longest kick” contest, ending in a final showdown at the 2015 Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final. Roy won the final contest with an 81-yard (73-meters) punt that would ultimately change his life.
As part of his prize, he earned a chance to work with renowned punting coach Nathan Chapman of Prokick Australia, and when Tom Herman - then head coach at the University of Houston - came calling for a punter, Chapman didn’t hesitate to recommend the booming boot of Dane Roy.
Episode 4 of “Taking a Punt: The Dane Roy Story” is LIVE! Dane looks at some of the changes Major Applewhite brought in for the 2017 season and details the emotional toll of being so far away from home when dealing with some major family issues.
The 2017 season ended with a brutal defeat and Dane Roy is left wondering if he’ll ever punt a football again as a knee injury dominates his offseason.
A combination of homesickness and boredom is a recipe for disaster… but it wasn’t all bad, as New York City delivers a moment that would change his life forever.