Josh Bartel
{{Short description|Australian gridiron football player (born 1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Josh Bartel
| image =
| caption =
| current_team =
| number =
| position = Punter
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1985|4|23}}
| birth_place = Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 200
| college =
| undraftedyear =
| pastteams =
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats ({{CFL Year|2012}}–{{CFL Year|2013}})
- Saskatchewan Roughriders ({{CFL Year|2014}})
- Saskatchewan Roughriders ({{CFL Year|2016}}–{{CFL Year|2018}})
- BC Lions ({{CFL Year|2019}})
| status =
| cflstatus = National
| highlights =
- 2× CFL East All-Star (2012, 2013)
| cfl = josh-bartel/158416/
}}
Josh Bartel (born 23 April 1985) is an Australian former professional Canadian football punter who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Before going to the CFL, Bartel played Australian rules football for the Wodonga Football Club.
Australian rules football career
In June 2010, Bartel quit Wodonga to pursue a gridiron football career in North America.{{cite web|url=http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/51775/josh-bartel-quits-wodonga-to-pursue-nfl-dream/|title=Josh Bartel quits Wodonga to pursue NFL dream|first=BRETT|last=KOHLHAGEN|date=25 June 2010|publisher=}}
Professional career
Bartel joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in 2012 after leaving Australia and failing to make a National Football League team. Under rules in place at the time, Bartel was considered a "non-import" player because he received his football training in Canada.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2011/02/11/mullin-changing-the-game-the-ratio/|title=Mullin: Changing the game - The Ratio - CFL.ca|date=11 February 2011|publisher=}} The rules changed after 31 May 2014,{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/game-rule-ratio/|title=Game Rule Ratio - CFL.ca|publisher=}} but Bartel was grandfathered in as a "National Player".
In 2012, his first season in the CFL, Bartel punted for 4,985 yards on 116 punts, an average of 43.0 yards per punt,{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/josh-bartel/158416/|title=Josh Bartel - CFL.ca|publisher=}} and was named an East Division All-Star.
In 2013, Bartel punted for 4,897 yards on 112 punts, bringing his average up to 43.7 yards per punt. Bartel was again named an East Division All-Star in 2013.
On 17 February 2014, Bartel was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.{{cite web|url=https://ticats.ca/ticats-make-a-deal-with-roughriders/|title=Ticats make a deal with Roughriders|date=17 February 2014}} The 2014 season saw him punt for 4,616 yards on 106 punts, an average of 43.5 yards per punt.
He returned to Australia for the 2015 season, but on 21 January 2016, the Saskatchewan Roughriders announced that Bartel had signed a contract to play for the 2016 season.{{cite web|url=https://leaderpost.com/sports/football/cfl/saskatchewan-roughriders/saskatchewan-roughriders-sign-punter-josh-bartel-and-defensive-back-dan-west|title=Saskatchewan Roughriders sign punter Josh Bartel and defensive back Dan West|date=21 January 2016|publisher=}} He punted 134 times for 6,046 yards, an average of 45.1 yards per punt.
On 1 March 2017, Bartel signed a contract extension with the Roughriders that carried through the 2019 CFL season.{{cite web|url=https://leaderpost.com/sports/local-sports/bartel-signs-contract-extension-with-roughrider|title=Bartel signs contract extension with Roughriders|date=1 March 2017|publisher=}} However, following the signing of Jon Ryan, Bartel was released on 14 May 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.riderville.com/2019/05/14/riders-transactions-5/ |title=Riders transactions |publisher=riderville.ca |date=14 May 2019 |access-date=8 July 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/jon-ryan-signs-saskatchewan-roughriders-1.5135194 |title=Regina-born punter, former NFLer Jon Ryan signs with Riders |publisher=CBC News |date=14 May 2019 |access-date=14 May 2019}}
On 8 July 2019, it was announced that Bartel had signed with the BC Lions.{{cite news|url=https://www.bclions.com/2019/07/08/lions-sign-punter-josh-bartel/|title=Lions sign punter Josh Bartel|date=8 July 2019}}
Personal life
In Australia, Bartel had a job lined up selling car tires but instead came to Canada to punt in the CFL.{{cite web|url=http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/2012/11/ticats-all-star-punter-josh-bartel-on-the-verge-of-quitting-a-year-ago.html|title=The Scratching Post: Ticats all-star punter Josh Bartel on the verge of quitting a year ago|website=scratchingpost.thespec.com}}
Bartel's cousin, Jimmy, played for the Geelong Cats in the Australian Football League from 2002 to 2016{{cite web |url=http://www.backpagelead.com.au/index.php/other-sports/11633-aussie-josh-bartel-makes-history-in-canada |title=Aussie Josh Bartel Makes History in Canada |access-date=2013-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129132836/http://www.backpagelead.com.au/index.php/other-sports/11633-aussie-josh-bartel-makes-history-in-canada |archive-date=29 November 2013}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.bclions.com/players/josh-bartel/158416/ BC Lions bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140325044336/http://www.riderville.com/roster/show/id/5289 Saskatchewan Roughriders bio]
- [http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/football/cfl/player/657349/ CBC profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140406232552/http://cfl.ca/roster/show/id/5289 CFL profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartel, Josh}}
Category:Australian emigrants to Canada
Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Category:Australian players of Canadian football
Category:Canadian football placekickers
Category:Canadian football punters
Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
Category:Sportspeople from Wodonga
Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Category:Sportsmen from Victoria (state)