BOISE, Idaho — Boise State star punter James Ferguson-Reynolds (JFR) is no stranger to pressure. He's made quite the name for himself as one of the best punters in college football. He said when he's called upon, it's game on.
"That just comes with the position," Ferguson-Reynolds said. "You have to wait around for your number to be called, and once it's called you got to be locked in. When it's my time to shine, it's my time to shine."
Ferguson-Reynolds has one of the most unique stories of any of the bronco football players, past or present. He's from Australia, and he has the accent to prove it. He's known as the punter from down under.
"So I grew up just outside Melbourne, Australia, I grew up with a big family on some land," Ferguson-Reynolds said. "I'm a big sports guy, so I grew up kicking a ball my whole life. I was one of those kids, kicking a ball in the house, breaking lights, my mom was always yelling at me and I was always in trouble."
His love for kicking a ball just continued as he grew up.
"Not many people know, but I was playing AFL which is Australian Rules Football. It's a totally different sport, and it's all just kicking based," he said. "Those skills just transferred and I'm now a punter. A few years ago, I found myself figuring out what to do, and found my path playing college football."
He went to a specialized academy in Australia that trains punters specifically for college football teams.
"They thought I had a good leg and a good chance, and I gave it a shot," he said.
The Aussie grabbed the attention of college football coaches at Boise State, over eight thousand miles from home.
"We actually had a few zoom meetings, and it was through the COVID period, so I couldn't come here and see Boise or the stadium or the football program," he said. "I didn't even know where Boise was, I didn't know anything about Idaho. I was googling for nights on end, and I finally figured it all out."
Ferguson-Reynolds arrived on the Boise State campus sight unseen in 2021.
"I instantly fell in love with it," said Ferguson-Reynolds. "It was just something special, everyone was so welcoming and so warm. Just amazing."
He has been showered with accolades and awards during his time at Boise State, almost too many to count.
The Boise State fans? They love him, too.
"Hearing the crowd juice up every time I run out for a punt is awesome and special," he said. "The punters don't get much love because it's the last line of defense you know? Your team is off the field and it doesn't usually mean a good thing, but there is so much love out there. It's just blown up in the last year, it's been awesome. Now there are fan things online, and kids getting the JFR haircut, and it's just blown up."
The JFR haircut is his well-known sandy blonde curly mullet. He said at this point, he can't cut it now, or maybe ever.
"Yep, it's here to stay," he said.
This year, as a junior, he decided he wanted to give back to Idaho in a really special way.
"My mom actually came down with breast cancer two years ago, in my freshman year. It was a tough time for me and my family, with me being so far away," he said. "I thought what better way than to support her from back here and involve football too."
JFR announced on social media that he will donate twenty dollars for every punt inside the 20-yard line this season. The money will go to Flock Cancer, a Boise based nonprofit. Flock Cancer promotes awareness about breast cancer and focuses on fundraising for breast cancer fighters, survivors, families and programs. Every year in May, there is a Flock Cancer Street Stroll on Harrison Boulevard to celebrate and raise money for the cause.
"I wanted to keep it local too, I wanted to give back to the community and keep it local in Boise. You know, my mom really got a lot of strength from a lot of people around Boise. I did too, people were checking on me, making sure I was okay," said Ferguson-Reynolds. "It meant a lot to us."
As soon as he posted about his fundraiser on X, matching donations started rolling in. He says he couldn't believe it.
"It's something I didn't think would happen! I instantly put the tweet out and within an hour there were other people matching the donation. It's really special seeing the support come around and that's just why I love Boise."
His mom was so touched to hear what her son was up to.
"She instantly broke down in tears, I surprised her too she didn't know anything about it, and I Facetimed her and showed her everything, and just instant tears. She went through chemo and did all the hard yards, but she's cancer free at the moment and she's doing really well."
Right now, his parents are here in the States to watch their son do what he loves.
"It's awesome, it's really special to me to have my family here to watch me. When we have downtime, hanging out with them again, it's good fun," he said.
This punter has big goals for the future.
"My plan is to get drafted," he said. "You know, I'm confident in my ability and that's the standard for me. I've set it high. My family is behind me, so that's the goal for sure."
But for now, he's focused on his time on the blue turf. He's says he's already living the dream as a Boise State Bronco.
"This place is something really special to me," he said.
Flock Cancer is so honored that Ferguson-Reynolds chose their nonprofit. KTVB will update you on how much money is raised at the end of the season. There's still a lot of football to be played. You can donate to JFR's fundraiser now by clicking here.