Inverness Cleveland Browns star receives major award in NFL
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INVERNESS American Footballer Jamie Gillan is already making a big impression in the NFL after picking up a major award in his first month as a professional.
The Cleveland Browns punter was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month after a series of impressive performances in his first four games.
Gillan (22) who is nicknamed the Scottish Hammer, received the award due to punting 20 balls away for Cleveland this season.
Through four games, Gillan has had 11 punts inside the 20-yard line to rank him second in the AFC to give him his first career award.
Gillan, who grew up in Inverness and attended Duncan Forbes Primary School and Culloden Academy, moved to America in 2013.
He had played rugby for years, first in the youth system at Highland Rugby Club then on a scholarship at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
In the USA he continued to play rugby and football, with the intention of returning to Scotland once he finished school to play rugby.
But in his last year of high school, he started playing American football, and he was quickly offered a full scholarship at the University of Arkansas.
He signed a professional contract with the Cleveland Browns this year as their starting punter.
Cleveland are top of the AFC North standings having won two matches and lost two matches so far.
Gillan is expected to play in Cleveland's next match at San Francisco 49'ers on Monday night.
