“When I first finished high school, I was more into playing my cricket and my Aussie rules, but I was having a few injuries and decided to go down that punting path. I think it’s a very viable option now,” Bouwmeester said.
“With the rule changes with the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association], schools are going for younger guys and I think it’s a great way to get an education and also play a sport.
“There’s been a few guys obviously go over and try to play skill positions, which I think is still growing and still very much an option. Obviously, I was never going to go over and play running back or tight end, so punting’s still, obviously with us growing up kicking rather than throwing, I think punting’s the best option.”
Bouwmeester, 27, joined Michigan State University in 2019, but returned to Australia when the Covid-19 pandemic set in without playing a game for the Spartans.
In 2022, he joined the University of Utah through the transfer portal, spending three years with the Utes before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin for the 2025 season, spending a year as the Longhorns’ punter.
He missed out in the 2026 NFL draft but was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers in mid-July. After being waived about a month later, Bouwmeester was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams.
Though he was among the final cuts as the Rams cemented their final 53-man roster, he was re-signed to the practice squad.
Now, the Victoria product returns to Melbourne as the only two NFL systems he’s had a glimpse into go head-to-head in their first games of the season and the first NFL regular-season game to be played on Australian soil.
“I guess it’s just part of the business. But yeah, it is a bit strange,” he said of the match-up.
“Obviously you make relationships with those guys and the coaches over there, [they] brought me in after the draft, so it’s going to be definitely funny seeing everyone and obviously it’ll be cool to see everyone out there getting to do their thing, but [it’s] awesome to be with the Rams and what a great opportunity it is to play an NFL game in the MCG.”
The writer travelled courtesy of Visit Victoria
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.