OXFORD – Oscar Bird, the new punter for Ole Miss, brings an international background to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Bird stands out not only for his height at six-foot-four and weight of 210 pounds but also as the only player on the No. 21 Rebels roster wearing non-white cleats due to the limited availability of size 14 soccer cleats.
Bird hails from Sydney, Australia, and played three years of professional Australian rules football before transitioning to American football. He pointed out that kicking is central in Australian rules, which differs from rugby and involves advancing the ball by punting it rather than throwing.
Recalling his move to American football, Bird shared that he was nearing the end of his chances to advance in Australia’s leagues when a friend introduced him to Prokick Australia. This program supports players who want to transition from Australian rules football to American football.
“It was a no-brainer. It was an opportunity to come on an adventure,” Bird said. “And I’m here now. So, it’s been a pretty exciting journey so far.”
Bird will fill the position previously held by Fraser Masin, another player from Australia who averaged 43.5 yards per punt over three years with Ole Miss. In 2024, Masin achieved a season average of 46.6 yards per punt and was named a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
Initially unfamiliar with many aspects of American football beyond occasionally watching the Super Bowl, Bird described using a mobile game to help learn basic rules as he adjusted to college play. “I felt silly for the first few months of starting it because I wasn’t at the level that I would be with an Australian football,” Bird said. “But with time and just knowing that there’s been Australians who’ve come before me and done really well at it, you just stick at it.”
Three months after joining Prokick Australia, Bird began drawing attention from U.S. colleges including Ole Miss. Upon visiting Oxford, he said he quickly felt comfortable and enrolled during winter when former punter Masin was able to offer advice about adjusting both on and off the field.
Despite differences between life in Australia and Mississippi—including encountering dishes like grits and gumbo for the first time—Bird described his transition as positive overall: “I’ve loved it. It’s been great,” Bird said. “ … Australia’s on the other side of the world, but there’s a lot of similarities. We speak the same language, eat similar foods, things like that (…) To be honest, the change has been really, really fun. And that’s what I came here for, to play football and have a life experience like that.”
In related news, Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins is ranked No. 51 in ESPN’s top-100 college players entering the 2025 season following a sophomore year highlighted by career highs in sacks and key defensive rankings for Ole Miss.
