Arryn Siposs grinding to improve after stellar debut season
Junior Auburn punter Arryn Siposs, a native Aussie, has mixed feelings about Bloomin' Onions.
The first time he went to an Outback Steakhouse after moving to America from Australia's Prokick program, he was sent inside to ask for a table while his buddies parked the car. He told the hostess his party size, to which she reacted "a bit stunned" to Siposs' thick accent.
He enjoys Outback's steaks, and he admits their signature fried-onion appetizer is tasty. But it's nowhere near authentic.
"It is pretty good. I’ll give them that," Siposs told reporters Sunday after Auburn's final day of fall camp. "But yeah, it’s definitely not an Australian thing.”
Siposs still sticks out in a crowd when he talks, but his production as one of the nation's top punters last year speaks for itself.
As has been mentioned by Gus Malzahn numerous times, the learning curve for Siposs was significant in his first season playing American football. The coach claims Siposs didn't know the exact rules of the game until around midseason.
"Well, thanks very much, coach," Siposs joked when told about Malzahn's comments. "That means a lot to me."
After a season in which the Aussie ranked 18th in college football in yards per punt (44.2) with a long of 60, Siposs is looking to strengthen that right leg with a year of SEC conditioning. He also spent time this summer working with Cameron Johnson, Mitch Wishnowsky and Jordan Perry — all NFL punters.
"It helped me kind of just re-adjust a few things — knowing what I have to do to take the next step," Siposs said. "And it certainly put me in a better position to, hopefully, be more effective this year. My game is always trying to change and keep getting better; there's no point being satisfied with what you did last year. You're going to have to do the same thing again — if not more. They're the guys I go to speak to about it to really elevate my game."
He feels his accuracy is there if called upon to pin an opponent deep, but he wants more power.
"My accuracy, I feel, is definitely an advantage of mine," Siposs said. "I'm looking to place the ball a little bit further, as well. Just really focused on getting fair catches most of the time. I know it's boring and simple, but that's my role for the team. If I can avoid any type of returns and get that ball a little bit further and a little bit higher, I'm doing my job. So the placement's been really good.
"Obviously we want to aim in particular spots, so if I can put it in a corner, again, I'm doing my job for the team and hopefully it gives us a good chance for our defense to go out there and be effective."
A preseason All-SEC third-teamer by the media this year, Siposs is obviously most comfortable with rugby-style kicks, rolling out of the pocket and sending the ball end-over-end, which he said usually makes things tougher for returners who are used to catching spirals.
That nontraditional approach to punting also lends itself to fakes, given the momentum built up from the punter running toward the edge of the defense. Siposs hasn't been asked to be as physical as he was in his rugby days — minus some tackles against returners in practice — but when the time comes and Siposs gets the nod for a fake punt, he'd be more than happy to run some special-teamers over.
"Look, it's up to coach to call it, but I'm ready to go whenever that time comes," Siposs said of a fake punt. "I'm ready to go. Hopefully it happens. If not, I'll have to stick with kicking balls."
Auburn opens 2019 against Oregon in Cowboys Stadium, which is famous for its monster jumbotron that hangs low enough to have been hit by several NFL punters in recent years. Siposs said he'll be aiming for it.
"I certainly will be giving it a go," he said, "that's for sure."
