NFL star recalls how time in Lincolnshire helped him become Super Bowl winner

21 August 2023 , 20:43

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One of the greatest NFL punters of his generation, Thomas Morstead is proud to speak of his northern Lincolnshire roots

New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead is going into his 15th season in the NFL of what has been an incredible career, and it's one that all started for him in North Lincolnshire where he learned to punt for the first time.

Although hailing from Houston, Texas, and growing up in the Lone Star State, Morstead's roots lie in Beelsby - a small village just outside of Grimsby - where his mother grew up and many of his family remain.

Speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport on his English roots, Morstead said: "I have grown up going over there to see the family my whole life. I'm pretty sure my next trip is actually my 30th trip over to North Lincolnshire.

"When I go back to England and visit my family - my grandfather in particular - I always feel like I'm at home. I feel like that's where I come from. I really connect well with him and the area, man.

"I have a big sense of pride of having those roots in northern Lincolnshire. It's totally different from where I grew up in Texas, so it's really cool to get that different view of the world like we do when we're back over there."

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Growing up in Texas while having family in England, Morstead had always been a football (soccer) player - something he took pride in as a younger child. And while football will always be the main sport in England, northern Lincolnshire is known for its rugby teams - with Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Market Rasen and Louth all being towns with a strong rugby heritage.

The small village of Beelsby has a population of just over 100 - an area which Morstead visits frequently to see his family

Morstead has visited all four of those towns, where he has played and practiced rugby with his cousins - a sport that first got him into kicking a ball that was unusually shaped - having been used to kicking a regular football.

He said: "I was always a soccer guy, and whenever I would come over I would always want to play whatever my cousins were playing and they had been getting into rugby, so I would go practice with them."

And while doing so, he spent time with his uncle, Charlie, who would work on his abilities punting the ball - while also practicing his drop kicks with a rugby ball. He recalled: "Yeah that's true, I absolutely remember getting a punting lesson from him! He was the first to show me how to spiral a football.

"It's like, some people like to go to the driving range and hit golf balls - I remember hitting spirals off my foot with him and I was like wow," he smiled. "It was such an addicting feeling. I just loved it."

Morstead is heading into his 15th season in the NFL, where he will compete for a Super Bowl with the New York Jets

After learning to kick and practicing in a few rugby games with Market Rasen at the age of 11, Morstead took that skill home and became an extremely skilled High School punter and placekicker - with Texas being a state in which American Football is a huge part of the culture.

That skill saw him offered scholarships from some of the area's biggest universities, including Texas, TCU, Rice and Missouri, although he ultimately accepted a place from Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Morstead went on to become one of the great punters in the school's history, before being a fifth-round draft pick (an early selection for a punter) with the New Orleans Saints.

Morstead kicking in the Super Bowl in his rookie season - where he won the championship with the Saints

His rookie season could not have gone any better, as he beat out a veteran to win the starting job - going on to have the perfect debut season as the team won the Super Bowl - earning Morstead a fabled championship ring.

And while he's already won one championship in his career, Morstead will be in a good spot to compete for another this season after joining the Jets - who signed legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers this off-season.

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Morstead told Mirror Sport: "As somebody who's gone as far as the last game and to win it - believe me, there's no investment that you can make that's not worth it... because winning it is better than you can imagine. That feeling is indescribable."

Charlie Wilson