One door closes, another opens for West Virginia football punter Growden

Josh Growden had already made the plans.

The Australian born punter was going to leave behind college football for something more familiar in his native country. Now at 26, Growden understood that time was ticking on one career pathway.

Once a member of the rugby club Greater Western Sydney, Growden loved the game but injuries, namely a broken leg that sidelined him for over a year, played a part in his decision to step away. That’s when he started training with the outfit Pro-Kick Australia in order to master another game.

He traded in his footy for a football and quickly blossomed in his new role earning a scholarship to LSU where he earned a spot on the SEC-All Freshman team in 2016 and served as the short yard specialist the two years after that. But the itch of returning home to pursue the game he loved was always there.

Growden wanted to make one last attempt at the Australian Football League and started to train. He informed the Tigers of his plans to graduate transfer and insert his name into the portal with the intentions of leaving behind his fifth and final season to re-pursue the game of rugby.

“I started to try to get back in shape and it was a lot of running so it was kind of tough,” he said.

But interest was luke-warm at best from teams he spoke to until he received a rather interesting phone call – one that would change everything. His coaches at Pro-Kick encouraged him to look at the situation at West Virginia, where the Mountaineers needed a punter this season. After serving in the short-punting role his past two seasons at LSU, this presented a pathway to a full-time job.

Growden was already having doubts about a potential restart to his rugby career and this almost seemed like a sign that perhaps his playing days on the American gridiron weren’t quite done just yet.

Other schools contacted as well, but he had made his mind up.

“I’m either going to West Virginia or back to Australia,” he said.

Country Roads it was. Growden had experience with West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and recalled when Troy waltzed into Baton Rouge and beat the Tigers. The Mountaineers were placing an emphasis on special teams under Brown and realized it could be an edge. He was sold.

Growden enrolled in Morgantown a little over a week into fall camp and quickly won not only the vacant punting job but holding duties as well. The left-footed punter gave the Mountaineers what they needed, while the opportunity quickly grew on Growden as well.

It didn’t take long until he was fully embracing his new surroundings with a group of teammates and coaches that he was able to forge quick bonds with on and off the field. He hasn’t had much time to really explore what Morgantown is all about given the fact he arrived during camp and has been full-speed since but has noticed the differences between here and Baton Rouge.

“I’m stoked to be here,” he said.

The feeling is no doubt mutual.

He certainly got a workout in the opener against James Madison as Growden was asked to punt eight times, for an average of 40-yards. That last part could have been better if not for a few misfires.

“A few could have kept rolling but bounced up into our guys. A few just needed to hit better into the wind so hopefully I keep improving,” he said.

His punting repertoire is what he compares to a golf bag and while he has used some of those boots, he doesn’t hide the fact that there are more in there if he needs them.

“Not sure I’ll put too many others out but we’ll see,” Growden said.

At his age, Growden carried himself with a maturity and professionalism that is good for the rest of the specialists on the Mountaineers roster. He prefers to use his actions to do the talking, but he has been discussing some things with his new teammates.

Namely inquiries about Australia.

“Just the other night somebody asked me if we had winter in Australia,” he said.

Growden has settled into his last go-around in college football and while the game of rugby will always have a place in his heart, there are no regrets.

“To be able to be here and finish out a fifth year and have a senior night and my parents are coming over and be a starting punter it’s a pretty cool way to finish my career,” he said.

Plans change, but consider him stoked for what’s next.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains - Episode 18

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