One of Miami’s most prolific (and tatted) punters, an Aussie, off to New Orleans Saints

Australian punter Lou Hedley wasn’t only the oldest University of Miami player in the 2023 NFL Draft, he was one of the most accomplished — and definitely the most tattoo-decorated.

Hedley 29, an athletic, strongly built 6-4 and 220 pounds, was a sixth-year graduate student who spent four years at UM as one of the program’s top specialists in program history. Now, the New Orleans Saints are giving him a shot to make their roster after he went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft and was signing as a free agent.

“Thankful for my opportunity with the @saints!,’’ Hedley posted on Sunday. “Such a an amazing organization. The work don’t stop.”

This past season, Hedley averaged 45.3 yards a punt on 46 punts, putting 23 of them inside the 20-yard line, with 10 booted 50-or-more yards.

During his four UM seasons, Hedley punted 206 times in 47 games, averaging 45.2 yards and putting 77 punts inside the 20.

For the third time in three seasons, Hedley was a 2022 semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award that goes to the top punter in the nation. He was a finalist in 2020, as well as an Associated Press second-team All-American.

Hedley also is smart. He was one of three UM standout student-athletes who received 2023 “Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship’’ awards. A two-time UM graduate, he earned his bachelor’s degree in sport administration and added a master’s degree in liberal studies in December with a 3.9 grade point average.

But being covered pretty much from head to toe with tattoos is what first got Hedley some major pub when he tweeted out a picture of himself throwing up the U in 2019. He chose No. 94 because it’s the jersey number Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wore when he played at UM.

He is from Mandurah, Australia and previously played at City College of San Francisco. Before playing American football, Hedley was a semi-professional Australian rules football player in his home country.

“It’s definitely surreal,’’ Hedley said going into the final game of his long journey, which required offseason leg surgery heading into 2022. “When you’re coming out, trying out for the NFL, you want your body to be 100 percent. That’s where I’m at now, so I’m really glad I stayed.”

His favorite part of being a Hurricane?

“I’ve met some really amazing people. Hopefully that will give me opportunities after my football playing days, which I hope are a little while away yet. But I wish after my football days to come back here and maybe work in the program. I love Miami as a city, the weather is amazing. It’s been a dream coming here. It doesn’t get old. It never gets old. It’s been great.”