To the relief of the Washington Redskins, punter Sav Rocca is stateside.
Rocca, biding time in his native Australia, was absent for the start of training camp because of work visa problems. With the paperwork approved, Rocca finally landed Friday evening and participated in his first Redskins practice Saturday, Comcast SportsNet Washington reported.Â
Rocca said a visa process that usually takes two to three weeks was completed in five days.
"People think that I was stuck over there and it wasn't going through but five days, once the petition was (filed), is one of the quickest that's ever happened," he said. "I knew I had to go through it and the lockout pushed it. Without that, it would have been done in March or April. The concerning thing was that game time was coming."
Rocca didn't kick at practice but spent time holding.
On Thursday, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan made a tongue-in-cheek suggestion on how to get Rocca into town.
"He's got a job here in the U.S.," Shanahan said, according to the Courier Mail. "Eventually they'll let him go or, at least, I'm hoping they let him go. If not, I told him to get married to an American and that'll make it easier."
That likely didn't sit well in the Rocca household. He's already married to Rose, and they have two sons, Matthew and Lucas.
Rocca, 37, spent the last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before the Redskins signed him last week.
