HAMILTON, Ont. -- Hamilton Tiger-Cats punter Josh Bartel wasnt sure what to expect in his first CFL season. He was new to the country and new to the Canadian game. It didnt take him long to catch on. Bartel recorded a 42.8-yard average with the Ticats last year and was named to the CFL East Division all-star team. Not bad for a rookie punter who developed his kicking prowess by playing footy -- or Australian rules football -- in his native land Down Under. "At the start of last year I was very nervous the first four to five games," Bartel said in a recent interview. "I was very nervous that I (might get) cut. So this year Im going to go in with a lot more confidence and (will) be a lot more aggressive as well." Bartel reached the semi-pro level in Australia and got his Canadian football break thanks to a former coach who had a contact with the Ticats. Bartel spent over a year working on his punting style and the team gave him a look at training camp last year. He made the squad and was impressive in game action. Bartel played in all 18 regular-season games and finished third in the CFL in punting. The six-foot-three, 200-pounder has the power to generate distance and hang time but hes also quite accurate. When punting from midfield, hell often use an end-over-end style Australian rules drop kick to pin the opposing team deep in its own end. "Weve grown up since we were kids kicking that," Bartel said. "Its almost like walking for the Australian rules boys. Its good fun, its easy to control, the risk for me is minimal. Id like to use it a lot more." Head coach Kent Austin likes Bartels consistency. "Hes an excellent punter," he said. "Hes very, very sound fundamentally and he has great height on his punts. Hes a two-step punter so its very, very difficult to block his punts. He also has the ability to directional punt extremely well. "So hes kind of the full package." Bartel, an amiable 27-year-old, has more of a feel for the Canadian game now that he has a full season under his belt. Hes certainly more comfortable on the gridiron than this time last year. "I remember my first week in training camp, the first training camp Id ever been to. Probably didnt speak a word for the first week, I dont think," he said. "I was that nervous. I wouldnt say overwhelmed but just nervous pretty much. It was something different. My first exhibition game at Ivor Wynne (Stadium), my first four kicks I cant even remember them. "I just caught it and tried to kick it as fast as I could before I got hit. I was very nervous that game. Im just glad I got through it." Steeltown is quite different from his hometown in Australia. Bartel previously lived on his familys dairy farm in a small town about a four-hour drive from Melbourne. "I like the country life, Im a country boy at heart," he said. "Its always good to get home in the off-season and catch up with family." Playing pro football in the CFL was not the career path he expected to take. "Five or 10 years ago I didnt have a clue what I was going to do," he said. "Im pretty glad I chose this path because its the best job Ive ever had. You get paid nicely to travel around Canada and play this pretty cool sport. I love it actually." And if he werent playing football? "I dont have a clue, I dont actually want to think about that actually," Bartel said with a laugh. "I was selling tires in town. ... I dont really want to go back there so hopefully this goes well." Stitched Custom NBA Shirts . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Cheap Custom NBA Shirts China . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. http://www.customjerseysnba.com/ .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Sale Custom NBA Shirts . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Authentic Custom NBA Jerseys . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A person familiar with the program tells The Associated Press that Florida will be without guard Antonio Riles for the season because of a knee injury.Riles tore a knee ligament in practice Monday. Tests revealed the extent of damage, according to the person who spoke Wednesday on the condition of anonymity because only coach Jim McElwain is authorized to discuss Floridas injuries. McElwains next media availability is Friday.Losing Riles certainly will affect Floridas depth..dddddddddddd A fourth-year junior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Riles started the first six games in 2015 before getting supplanted in the lineup. Without him, the Gators will have little experienced depth behind the starting five of David Sharpe, Martez Ivey, Cam Dillard, Tyler Jordan and Fred Johnson.---Online: AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '