Report: Giants Punter Jamie Gillan Returning to US After Passport Issues in London

New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan is returning to the United States after visa issues were cleared up that left him stuck in London since the team's Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Gillan boarded a plane Wednesday as expected.

Gillan originally immigrated to the United States from Scotland with his father on a NATO visa. His visa was never updated to a work visa once he joined the NFL, which presented an issue getting him back to the United States after the Giants' trip to the United Kingdom.

The team was aware of potential issues and planned to work out punters this week in case the situation dragged on past Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Gillan is fourth in the NFL in yards per punt (51.0), though the Giants' struggles in punt coverage have hurt his net average (41.6, 17th place). He spent his first three NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he earned the nickname "Scottish Hammer."

A former rugby player, Gillan did not start playing football until his senior year of high school. He then went to college at Arkansas-Pine Bluff after receiving a scholarship offer via Facebook, going on to earn All-SWAC honors as both a kicker and a punter.

This visa snafu is just the latest chapter in one of the more unusual journeys for an NFL player on record.