A Second Home
for punter Nik Constantinou, Aggieland is more than just a place to play football.
Thomas Dick, Athletics Communications
Early in the first quarter of the season opener against Sam Houston, Texas A&M was unable to connect on a 3rd-and-8 pass down the middle of the field. Nearly all the Aggie portion of the 97,946 fans at Kyle Field let out groans and moans in unison. But amongst them, some hearty souls dressed in Maroon & White who’d traveled 9,000 miles were relishing what came next.
Nik Constantinou, a native of Melbourne, Australia, trotted onto the field, took the long snap from Connor Choate and unleashed his first punt of the season. His parents, Effie and Jim Constantinou, were in the maroon mass watching Nik live as a college punter for the first time.
“We get excited when it’s fourth down,” Jim said. “Most of the Aggies don’t like when it’s fourth down, but we’re excited.”
The Constantinou parents closed the restaurant they own and operate, That Greek Tavern, for two weeks so they could make the long trek to the Brazos Valley to see Texas A&M play Sam Houston and App State.
“It made it special,” Nik said. “They’ve always wanted to do this, and it’s been so long. Three years went by and they had not seen a game at all live. You couldn’t ask for a better venue for that moment than Kyle Field. It was very special because it’s always what they’ve wanted to do. The rain delay wasn’t going to stop them from enjoying. No matter how long the delay, they loved it.”
Up until that moment, watching games has required very careful scheduling and a reshuffling of sleep times. The 11 a.m. kickoffs in Bryan-College Station have the Melbourne faithful watching at 2 a.m. The 2:30 CBS time slot made for an early breakfast engagement at 5:30 a.m. The most palpable games were the 6 p.m. contests that let them sleep in until 9 a.m. to catch Nik booming punts.
“The early games are a bit hard,” Nik said. “The Sam Houston game was 2 a.m. Sunday back home. I know my brother was up for that and my uncles and aunts were all awake, but those early games are tough. They really root for us to play the late games. But they are all-in on A&M football. They read everything that gets released by A&M, they listen to the radio show every time it’s on. They live and breathe it in Australia.”
Jim Constantinou was scheduled to see Nik and the Aggies play in the Gator Bowl last season, but like many plans slated for 2020 and ’21, COVID reared its ugly head, and A&M was forced to withdraw from the contest. His brother and friends came to see him last year, but other than that the very infrequent human contact between Nik and his family have been short stints after spring camp and bowl games when travel restrictions have allowed it. Teammates were aware of the tough times Nik was having to work through.
“I think it is definitely tough on him,” Aggie kicker Caden Davis said. “I know there have been times in the past where he has been upset about it. I think he has gotten used to it at this point and he’s built a real good support network here. He is a true professional in how he carries himself and the work he puts in here.”
These are the most hospitable people I’ve ever met in my life. It’s beautiful to live here.Nik Constantinou
Nik was resolute through a freshman season a long way from home. He felt he was playing for something bigger than himself and wanted to be a trailblazer. Not just as one of the corps of 50-plus Australian punters from the Prokick Academy playing Division I football, but for the Australians who hold the same R.E.L.L.I.S. values and would love an opportunity to come to Texas A&M.
“It’s always harder being the first one,” Nik said. “But it’s also more rewarding for everyone back at home because you can be that link to tell them this is actually what happens in Aggieland. This Aggie Network – it means something. You can tell them and translate that message straight to them and I know there are many people in Australia that would be dying to be up here, so myself and Moko (Jordan Spasojevic-Moko) are opening doors for many Australians wanting to come play here.”
Battling through the challenges of COVID, isolated a half a world away from family, Constantinou blossomed on the gridiron. He considered himself lucky to have a support system that many international students lacked during the pandemic.
“You’re with this team every day,” Nik said. “Ninety-nine percent of your time in college is with this football team. You’re here working hard side-by-side the whole year. Whether there is school or no school, there is something to do. This team is a critical part of what has made this experience amazing and well worth the sacrifice.”
In 2019, his first year at Texas A&M, he studied behind All-American and Ray Guy Award-winning punter Braden Mann. He got one chance to punt, a 57-yarder against UTSA. That year of learning was made easier by the warmth he felt from Aggieland.
“These are the most hospitable people I’ve ever met in my life,” Nik said. “It’s beautiful to live here. It’s its own little bubble. No one really understands what it’s like until they come to College Station. The Aggie Network is amazing, and they care and the love they have for everyone is something I try to tell people back home. They think it’s fake. It’s something they must see firsthand because it’s that unbelievable.”
Although his heart will always be in Australia, he was slowly able to make the shift to being an Aggie. The miles and hours of separation are sometimes unbearable, but he has managed to make the transition.
“You’re always going to miss friends and family at home,” Nik said. “But when you get up here in this environment and this lifestyle, you soon realize that everyone at home is doing the same thing every day and you’re living your life that no one else from there has ever had an opportunity to live. It makes it a little easier. You definitely miss family, but you’re getting to do something special.”
In his first season as the Aggies’ primary punter in 2020, Constantinou was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist with his ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory. In a 20-7 win over LSU, he dropped six punts inside the 20-yard line, the second time an Aggie had accomplished the feat in an SEC game.
A tireless worker, Constantinou filled buckets with sweat as he set sights higher for the 2021 campaign.
“I come up here on an offseason day to work out in the weight room by myself and he will be up here lifting,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “On another day I will drive by the practice field and all of a sudden, I will see balls booming up from the field. You’ll be showing someone around the stadium and Nik will be there working. I don’t know if he just knows when I am going to be around and comes on purpose, but I mean every time you walk around here, he’s working. He’s just a workaholic. He is either lifting or kicking or running. He is doing something constantly to develop his game – day in and day out.”
The yeoman’s effort in offseason paid off as Constantinou led the SEC and ranked in the top 10 nationally with an average 46.6 yards per punt. He launched 19 of his punts over 50 yards, up from three in his freshman campaign. The distance came without sacrificing accuracy, as Constantinou deposited 23 kicks (45.1%) inside the 20, up from 13 (36.1%) in 2020.
“He is one of the best in college football right now,” Davis said. “This past summer Connor Choate and I went to a camp with specialists from all over America. We saw the other punters and he is either right there or better than those guys. He is definitely one of the best and he has come a long way with his consistency. His consistency is what is going to separate him this year.”
When the plans were being made, Nik had not considered that his chances to punt might be very limited against Sam Houston and App State. In retrospect, he was relieved to get four punts off against Sam Houston.
“It feels like in the first game of the season you’re either going to punt once or punt 10 times,” Nik said. “I feel like four was a good number. I’m sure Coach Fisher would have preferred that I never had to go on the field, but that wouldn’t have been fun for the family.”
The highlight of the trip was being reunited with their son and watching the two football games, but they took the time to take in many of Aggieland’s best offerings, including the Jimbo Fisher Radio Show live from Rudy’s BBQ. They were treated as celebrities on a show they never miss.
“For us it’s huge,” Jim said. “We love that show. We love (Andrew) Monaco. We were so happy to be there.”
“It’s just so surreal for us,” Effie added. “We try to find whatever we can to connect with Nikolas and Texas A&M, and that’s one of the ways we know what is going on. It was on our list of things we had to see.”
The 12th Man is legendary in America, but few Australians have been lucky enough to experience it. For the Constantinous, it was an experience that will always be remembered.
“They were saying how you can feel it in your soul,” Nik said. “The crowds they’re used to watching me play local football at home is probably like 100 people at most. You have almost 100,000 in Kyle Field and the whole stadium is rocking and they said they could feel the energy where they were sitting. They were shocked to be honest. It’s like nothing they’ve ever experienced. They couldn’t fathom that I was playing in that stadium in front of 100,000 people.”
We just love him so much...We’re happy for him because he’s happy. He loves it here. And just by him letting us know how much he loves it here, it makes it so much easier for us. He loves everything about Texas A&M.”Effie Constantinou
All good things must come to an end. The Monday following the App State, the Constantinou parents were back on a plane headed down under. Along with luggage and memories, Effie and Jim left with as much pride as their hearts could hold.
“We’re very proud. We couldn’t be happier for him,” Jim said.
“We just love him so much,” Effie added. “We’re proud. We’re happy for him because he’s happy. He loves it here. And just by him letting us know how much he loves it here, it makes it so much easier for us. He loves everything about Texas A&M.”
According to Jim, the two weekends in the Brazos Valley left the Constantinous feeling like they had a second home.
“We feel like Aggies… but without the ring.”
