The accent has become naturally diluted with time but, 11 years on from his arrival in the United States, Jamie Gillan is unmistakably still the Scottish Hammer.
The 27-year-old is in the midst of his summer training programme ahead of what will be his seventh season in the NFL and his fourth with the New York Giants, the club where, coincidentally, fellow Scots kickers Lawrence Tynes and Graham Gano also made their mark.Rugby rather than American football had been Gillan’s game growing up in the Highlands and then Edinburgh until his dad was redeployed with the RAF and the entire family – including a 16-year-old Gillan – decanted to Maryland.
How different Gillan’s life would have been had he stayed in Scotland – he may have realised his early ambition of becoming a professional rugby player – but the enforced switch to the United States has undoubtedly been life-changing in many ways, the punter penning a three-year $10million contract extension with the Giants earlier this year.
With his long flowing hair, he remains one of the most recognisable figures in the NFL and is still happy to keep flying the flag for Scotland while doing so.
“Yeah, the Scottish Hammer, that’s still what I get called,” he confirms. “It’s funny and it’s cool. And I definitely represent Scotland when I’m out there. It’s been pretty cool, the whole journey to where I’m at now.It was phenomenal to get the new contract done. My wife was very happy, my family was very happy, and I was very happy. First of all, to be back with the New York Giants. I really enjoy my time here and like the people that are in the building. My teammates, Casey (Kreiter) and Graham (Gano) are like family.
“But I wouldn’t say I can just relax now because the NFL is a revolving door and it just doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to stay primed all the time. I’m just very thankful and excited for another opportunity to play a few more years here and do my job well.
“I remember in Cleveland being around Britton Colquitt who was in year nine at the time and I’m getting close to that now. You get to understand the game a bit better and what works right for you, your body, your mentality, everything. It’s great, it really is.”
Gillan seems surprised to learn that it’s been more than a decade since he and the family left Scotland, a lot of water passing under numerous bridges in the intervening years. Now married and with a young son, Archie, in tow, New York is now Gillan’s base but Scotland will always be home.Time has flown by, I’ll tell you that,” he confirms. “But I still remember loads of things from Scotland. I had some real good pals. And there are a lot of things I miss. I actually really miss club sports in Scotland, either watching others playing or playing yourself.
“Even just the smell of walking around Edinburgh. I don’t know if it’s from the distilleries or something. I miss some of the food as well – black pudding in a roll with egg and bacon, come on! And I miss seeing some of my extended family. They’re a lot of fun to be around.”
A trip home is on the to-do list, although Gillan jokes he might wait until two-year-old Archie has passed the wriggling toddler stage before attempting the cross-Atlantic flights.
“I was back three years ago, took my wife out there for the first time and we had some fun,” he recalls. “Since then we’ve had Archie, plus the whole NICU thing [Archie spent time in intensive care as a baby] and all that – everything’s just been very fast.
