Pitt's Australian-born punter Kirk Christodoulou enjoys life in 'his second home'

If Kirk Christodoulou thought it was traumatic to have Notre Dame’s 257-pound Isaiah Foskey bear down upon him to block a punt, imagine how he felt the day he walked into his first class in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business.

Yes, two different levels of trauma, but Christodoulou handled both experiences well.

“I never understood how professional graduate school was until my first class in the spring,” he said. “Normally, in an undergrad class, two minutes early, coffee in hand, you quickly run in with sweats on.

“I get to my first graduate class, and everyone’s in there, suit and tie, 10 minutes early.”

He thought to himself, “I better pick up my stuff.”

These days, he doesn’t wear a tie to class, but “I try to brush myself up and not look too shabby.”

Pitt’s junior punter bounced back in another way after the Notre Dame game.

Against Florida State last week, Christodoulou averaged 51 yards per punt, hitting one of 58 to flip field position from the Pitt 28 to the FSU 14. It was one of his two punts to land inside the 15-yard line and led to him being named the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week.

“Just trying to take it in stride, not get a big head and just focus on the next week,” the Australian-born Christodoulou said. “I’m trying not to get too happy with my performance. We have three games to worry about.”

The former Australian rules football player has improved in each of his three years at Pitt. His average has risen from 41.4 yards as a redshirt freshman to 42.9 last year to 44.7 this season (20th in the nation).

How did that happen?

He credits Pitt long snapper Cal Adomitis (Central Catholic), but Christodoulou said coach Pat Narduzzi’s tough love had plenty to do with it, too.

For a spell last season, Christodoulou was benched.

“He was pretty tough on me last year,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. It’s something you don’t necessarily ever want to hear. I was almost in a state of denial.

“It did cause me to re-evaluate where I was at, where my skill level was at. It really did force me in the offseason to say, ‘Where do I want to be?’ ”

He admits now, “I’ve never said it to him, so it’s funny now I’m bringing it up (to reporters), but it was good coaching. At that time, I needed that kick in the bum just to get going and motivate me.”

He said he decided to “take ownership of myself.”

During the coronavirus quarantine, when he couldn’t go home to Australia, he stayed in Pittsburgh and went with Adomitis to Schenley Park on many days to work on their crafts.

The only help they received came from several local kids who chased down the footballs and returned them.

While transitioning to a country half a world from home and developing new friendships (and trying to keep his coach happy), Christodoulou earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in only three years.

He said punting in the NFL is “every boy’s dream,” but he also is thinking about his post-football career, working toward two master’s degrees in finance.

He said he enjoys his graduate classes where his classmates are “people who I aspire to be.”

(Even if they insist on asking him about the Notre Dame game.)

“People who have worked for large companies, have great roles and are taking the time to come back to school,” he said. “Being around the football building, you meet great people and have great experiences, but there’s not as much discussion of corporate and professional life.

“I can ask questions and learn more from people who have been in these situations and have more real-life experiences than I would.”

Most of the time, however, Christodoulou is not thinking too far beyond his teammates and Pitt’s next game Saturday at Georgia Tech.

He hasn’t been home since last Christmas, but he calls Pittsburgh “my second home.”

“I don’t feel like I’ve been away from home for so long because I feel this is mine now,” he said.

He called his five roommates (Adomitis, Alex Kessman, Kenny Pickett, Carson Van Lynn and Garrett Bickhart) “five of my best friends.”

“They’re going to be my friends for life. When you go through the trials and tribulations and the stresses of a season and developing all those bonds with your teammates, those are things that can never separate us.

“That’s what we play for. That’s what we do all this work for, experiences like that.”

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