Niners star hoping not to play in Super Bowl - 'I'm happy just to spectate'
San Francisco 49ers' punter Mitch Wishnowsky would rather "spectate" than play when his team faces off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
Having been with the 49ers since 2019, Wishnowsky is no stranger to the NFL's season-defining game. As a punter, he only steps onto the field when the attack has been halted, and he's hoping that won't happen too often this Sunday.
Despite his hopes of staying on the sidelines, Wishnowsky knows that if called upon, his kick could be crucial in helping the Niners defence stop Patrick Mahomes. But he's hoping for a repeat performance where he remains mostly on the sidelines.
"We've played the Chiefs once in the regular season and then in the Super Bowl a few seasons ago, and I had a total of three punts," Wishnowsky told Mirror US Sports. "Two in the Super Bowl and one last year. So hopefully the offense kills it and I'm out there holding PATs.
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"I'll happily just spectate in the Super Bowl and hold for Jake (Moody). The less I punt the better, for the 49ers anyway, so hopefully not many punts and if I do have any, then hopefully I crush it."
Wishnowsky is hoping to become the second Aussie to win the Super Bowl, following Jesse Williams who won it with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. However, Wishnowsky could be the first active Australian player to win a Super Bowl ring as Williams spent most of his NFL career on the injured reserve list.
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It's the second time Wishnowsky has played in the Super Bowl, both times against the Chiefs (Getty Images)The punter shared that he was "really lucky" to be spotted for his kicking skills while playing around with his mates. "I grew up playing soccer, I love soccer," he said.
"It started playing soccer and then Australian Football got a few injuries. I always thought I'd be a good punter, had a strong leg and stuff, I really luckily got seen messing around at a park with mates by a guy called Craig Wilson and he put me in contact with Prokick Australia.
"They got the ball rolling, taught me how to punt, and got me in contact with teams. They sent me over to college but I couldn't have done it without Prokick Australia so shout out to them, John Smith and Nathan Chapman."
Wishnowsky was picked in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, after being considered one of the best college punters during his time at Utah. The Aussie won the Ray Guy Award in his first season with the Utes football program and was named on the First-team All-Pac-12 in every season before declaring for the draft.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
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