It didn't take Mitch Wishnowsky long to pack up his things and exit the San Francisco 49ers' deathly quiet locker room.
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Patrick Mahomes and his newly-crowned Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs teammates were still out in the middle of Miami's Hard Rock Stadium dancing and hugging in confetti when Wishnowsky disappeared through an exit door into the night.
Wishnowsky, a 27-year-old punter from Perth, and his 49ers had reason not to hang around.
They had just been mugged.
The Chiefs won Sunday's Super Bowl 31-20.
They won it in a way that has become their trademark: Houdini-like escapes.
The 49ers led 20-10 with just six minutes left in the game and in less time it took for Jennifer Lopez and Shakira to perform their halftime show Mahomes stunned the 49ers with two passing touchdowns.
Chiefs running back Damien Williams put the result beyond doubt when he sprinted 38 yards for the final touchdown with 80 seconds left.
Wishnowsky was drafted by the 49ers last year and in his first season in the NFL made the Super Bowl.
He made Australian sporting history when he started the game with the opening kick off.
The 49ers' efficient offence, run by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who connected with 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards and one touchdown, meant Wishnowsky was not called on the field to punt until late in the fourth quarter.
His first punt was 46 yards and inside the 20-yard line, but the second with five minutes to go was 40 yards and left Mahomes and his hungry offence in good field position on the 35-yard line.
Wishnowsky and Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt did not have their punts returned for a single yard - tying the Super Bowl record.
Australian Associated Press
