Brad Wing Bio
Bradley Thomas Wing, known professionally as Brad Wing, is an Australian professional American football punter who has built a lengthy career across multiple leagues in the United States. Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Wing moved to Louisiana as a teenager and went on to play college football at Louisiana State University, where his accuracy and leg strength quickly earned him national attention. He signed his first professional contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 as an undrafted free agent and has since suited up for several NFL and spring football franchises.
Across more than a decade in professional football, Wing has become one of the few Australian-born punters to carve out a sustained career in the American game. He is widely recognized for his directional punting, his ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory, and his calm execution in high-pressure moments. In 2025, he continues to be active with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League, a season in which he was named to the All-UFL Team.
Early Life and Background
Bradley Thomas Wing was born on 27 January 1991 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to Kathi and David Wing. His father, David, had a football background of his own, having tried out with the Detroit Lions before punting professionally for the Scottish Claymores of the former NFL Europe league. Growing up in Melbourne, Brad played Australian rules football and was part of the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup, a well-known pathway for young Australian rules talent.
Wing’s Australian rules career was cut short when he was released by the Sandringham Dragons. Around the same time, family friends in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, offered to host him for his senior year of high school as part of a student exchange program, giving him the chance to try American football as a punter. He enrolled at Parkview Baptist High School, where he was named to the All-State team. During one of his games, his mother Kathi happened to sit next to Kathy Miles, the wife of LSU head coach Les Miles, and that casual conversation helped put Wing on LSU’s recruiting radar. He ultimately received a scholarship offer from LSU, and his family relocated to Baton Rouge during the 2011 season to be near him.
Path to American Football
Wing’s transition from Australian rules football to American punting was unconventional, but his background in a kicking-focused sport gave him a strong foundation. His time at Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge provided his first structured exposure to American football, and his All-State recognition quickly drew attention from college programs across the Southeast. The connection with Les Miles’s family through a chance stadium encounter turned into a scholarship offer and a clear path to the highest level of college football.
At LSU, Wing joined one of the most competitive programs in the country. As a redshirt freshman, he averaged 43.0 yards per punt on 42 attempts, with a long of 73 yards and 20 punts placed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. His performance that year played a role in helping top-ranked LSU to a 9-6 overtime win at Alabama in 2011, when one of his punts hit a camera wire and helped set the stage for the extra period. He followed that with First-team All-American and First-team All-SEC honors in 2011, establishing himself as one of the top college punters in the nation.
Brad Wing Career
Early Career (2013-2014)
After declaring for the 2013 NFL draft, Wing went undrafted and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to compete with fellow former LSU punter Donnie Jones. His time in Philadelphia was brief, as he was waived on 25 August 2014, but his leg strength and directional control had already caught the attention of other NFL teams.
Later in 2014, Wing signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers to handle punting and holder duties. That season included both difficult moments and historic ones. A short punt late in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers contributed to a game-winning Tampa Bay touchdown, but in a separate game against the Baltimore Ravens, Wing completed a pass to tight end Matt Spaeth on a botched extra-point snap, becoming the first Australian player in NFL history to score via a pass.
New York Giants Era (2015-2018)
On 4 September 2015, Wing was traded to the New York Giants in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick, the same day veteran punter Steve Weatherford was released. In his first season with the Giants, Wing punted 76 times, posting a 44.5-yard gross average and a 38.9-yard net average, and he tied the team’s single-season record with 33 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Wing signed a three-year contract extension with the Giants on 11 July 2016, reported at $6.45 million. During the 2016 season he earned back-to-back NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, including a Week 14 performance against the Dallas Cowboys in which he pinned the Cowboys inside the 20-yard line five times. He was released by the Giants on 10 March 2018 after the 2017 campaign.
San Antonio Brahmas Era (2023-2025)
Wing was selected 23rd overall in the Specialists Phase of the 2023 XFL draft by the San Antonio Brahmas. He was released from his contract on 27 September 2023, but returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad the same day, was elevated to the active roster on 30 September, and was released again on 9 October before re-signing to the practice squad in January.
In February 2024, Wing re-signed with the San Antonio Brahmas, and he signed a new deal with the team on 16 September 2024. During the 2025 UFL season, he was recognized with selection to the All-UFL Team, reinforcing his standing as one of the most dependable punters in spring professional football.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wing is regarded as a directional punter with above-average accuracy, the ability to consistently flip the field, and strong hold work for placekickers. His Australian rules background is often cited as a foundation for his ability to strike the ball cleanly from various body alignments, and his career statistics reflect a steady focus on net average and inside-the-20 placement rather than raw distance alone.
Notable Events and Milestones
Wing’s most memorable on-field moment came during LSU’s 2011 overtime win at Alabama, when his 73-yard punt hit a camera wire and helped force the extra period. He also became the first Australian to score in an NFL game via a pass while playing for the Steelers in 2014, and he tied a long-standing New York Giants single-season record by placing 33 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line in 2015.
Brad Wing Career Wins
As a punter, Brad Wing’s career has been measured less by traditional win totals and more by statistical excellence, team success, and individual awards. His selections to the All-UFL Team in 2025, the XFL punting yards leader honor in 2023, and First-team All-American and First-team All-SEC recognition in 2011 form the foundation of his award résumé.
League Highlights
Wing’s 2023 season with the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL established him as a top-tier spring-league punter, as he led the league in punting yards and provided steady field position throughout the campaign. His 2025 All-UFL Team selection further underscored his importance to the Brahmas’ special-teams unit during the merged spring football season.
Other Wins and Performances
Wing’s earlier professional milestones include his 2015 New York Giants season in which he tied a team record for punts inside the 20, his 2016 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and his All-American recognition at LSU in 2011. Together, these performances reflect a career built on consistency and situational excellence.
Brad Wing Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Brad Wing comes from a close-knit family with direct ties to professional football. His father, David Wing, tried out with the Detroit Lions and later punted for the Scottish Claymores, giving Brad an early window into the punting profession. His mother, Kathi Wing, played a quiet but pivotal role in his recruitment to LSU when a casual conversation at a high school game connected the family to coach Les Miles’s wife.
Personal Life
Wing’s family relocated from Melbourne to Baton Rouge during his LSU career in order to remain close to him. His Australian roots remain an important part of his identity, and he is regularly cited as one of the few Australian-born punters to play at the highest levels of the American game.
2025 Season Performance
Wing entered 2025 as the established punter for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League, a league formed by the merger of the XFL and the USFL. His veteran presence and directional punting helped the Brahmas control field position throughout the season, and he was recognized with selection to the All-UFL Team in recognition of his performance.
Beyond his on-field production, Wing served as a steady presence in the locker room, particularly for a roster that blended former NFL players and young spring-league talent. His continued accuracy on coffin-corner punts and his reliability as a holder on placekicks gave the Brahmas one of the more consistent special-teams units in the league.
Looking ahead, Wing remained under contract with the San Antonio Brahmas following the 2025 season, with his role within the organization firmly established. As one of the most experienced punters in the UFL, he was expected to remain a central figure in the team’s special-teams plans for the 2026 spring season, when the UFL was scheduled to continue its merged spring football format.