Maryland kicker Brad Craddock was the best in the nation last season.

Besides winning the Lou Groza Award, he was nearly perfect. He finished 18-of-19 on field goals -- missing only a 54-yarder -- while converting all 44 of his extra points. His journey was a bit surprising, considering he arrived from Australia three years ago with no competitive kicking experience.

So, we decided to get to know the nation’s best a little better through a fun interview -- whether it was discussing serious football, silly hypotheticals or life Down Under. Here’s what he had to say:

Josh Moyer: We see teams icing the kicker all the time these days. So I have to ask: Does that really work?

Brad Craddock: I’d say no. Just because, if he knows what he’s doing, it wouldn’t affect him at all. If you have a guy that doesn’t know what he’s doing, though, little things might get in his head. Then, maybe, it will work. But that’s more a mental attack, I guess. I don’t think it works all that much, but I think that first year it probably would’ve messed with me a little bit.

JM: Speaking of kicking, where’s your Groza trophy right now?

BC: So, at the moment, it’s sitting in the bottom of my closet, behind a set of golf clubs. ... I had it on my desk for a little bit but then, after a while, spring ball started and I had to focus on this season, not last season. And although it means a lot to me and everything, I didn’t really want to look at it because it’s a symbol of what’s already happened, what’s already been done, and not something that’s going to happen this year, necessarily.

JM: Over the last three years, you’ve been a football player, college student, tennis coach and bus depot worker. What’s the easiest job and what’s the hardest job?

BC: Kicker is the hardest job because there’s people around you that depend on you. There’s 105 guys that rely on you to make those kicks. The easiest job is probably tennis coach. I played tennis 15 years and I got to go hang out with awesome kids and teach them how to play and just have fun with them, really. So just out there hitting balls and not really worrying.

JM: OK, Brad, let’s forget about kicking and move on to the hypotheticals. You’ve been named Maryland’s offensive coordinator. You’re trailing by five points, and you’re 5 yards away from the end zone with just five seconds left. What play are you calling?

BC: I’d pass it for sure. Actually, no, I’ll do the 'Statue of Liberty' -- pretend to give it to the running back and then turn around and run the other way with the QB. Why not? I like it. I think we should do that every time. [Laughs] Something like that, or a quick slant or something. So I don’t know [pauses] -- no, definitely ‘Statue of Liberty.’ I love that play; you've got to do that.

JM: I imagine there must have been some culture shock coming from Australia. What was the biggest misunderstanding or confusion you’ve had transitioning to the states?

BC: Well, if we go football-wise, I didn’t know what a safety was. So Coach told me -- I was a punter at the time -- to take a safety, and I just kind of stood there with the ball, and Sean Davis came up and blew me up. But, outside of that, probably, people just didn’t understand what I was saying because of my accent. And I’ve lost it a lot now and people understand me. But I would say something in just a normal conversation and people would just nod their heads and say yes.

And, finally, one of those times it was a thing you couldn’t just say yes to, and people would still be saying yes all the time. I found out later my punter, Nathan Renfro -- I stayed with him, and he said for the first week he lived with me, he didn’t understand a word I said. So I thought I’ve been having all these conversations with people and, actually, it was just me talking and they didn’t know what was going on.

JM: Well, if it’s any consolation, I can understand you perfectly now.

BC: I’ve worked on it a bit. But my parents hate it, though. [Laughs] They say I’ve turned American.

JM: Let’s switch it up: If you could only play one song for the rest of your life, what would you pick?

BC: I would pick, ooh, probably ‘Everything’ by Lifehouse. I grew up on that song; it’s something I play before I kick. They’re a Christian band, too, so they have meaning to the song. It reminds me of home, but it’s what I listen to before the game, so it reminds me of here as well.

JM: If you could be great at any other position, what would you choose?

BC: Hm, that’s a tough one. I wouldn’t be a QB because that’s just too much pressure; that’s what everybody wants to be. Not a running back. I’d probably go cornerback. I was a defender when I played football back home, and I don’t think there’s a better feeling than when you’re one-on-one with a guy and you can make him not get the thing he wants the most. It’s just real competition.

JM: Last question, Brad -- and it’s important -- what’s your Australian spirit animal?

BC: I’ll go with a wombat or koala. I’ll go koala. Because I sleep all day and just hang out and eat. That’s got to be the best job -- chill in a tree, eat some leaves and go to bed. I like it. Everything else is way too active and they get attacked. Everyone loves a koala.