Down's Charlie Smyth faces another huge weekend in his burgeoning professional American football career when the New Orleans Saints face the Tennessee Titans in their final NFL pre-season clash on Sunday.
Last year, the 23-year-old attended kicking clinics run by Tadhg Leader of Leader Kicking and impressed sufficiently to attend the NFL combine.
After being selected for the league's International Player Pathway (IPP) programme, the former Down U20 goalkeeper signed a three-year-deal with the Saints in March.
Now, the Mayobridge man is preparing for one more chance to begin the 2025 NFL season as the starting kicker for the Saints.
Blake Grupe is the incumbent Saints kicker and started the pre-season games against the Arizona Cardinals, last week, and against the San Francisco 49ers last night, making all three of his field-goal attempts so far.
But Smyth was thrust into action against the Cardinals late on and landed a field-goal of 37 yards to win the game.
Teams generally only include one kicker but, if Smyth is not selected as part of the 53-man roster on 27 August, as an IPP player he can be retained as an extra man on the practice (reserve) squad.
He will, however, be hoping to get the chance to impress once more against the Tennessee Titans in their final pre-season game on Sunday night.
IT'S GOOD! 🙌
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 11, 2024
Charlie Smyth kicks a 37-yard FG to give the #Saints a 16-14 lead with 5 secs left in the game
📺: @FOX8NOLA | @NFLUKIRE pic.twitter.com/wIlTCadr8h
Saints begin their season against the Carolina Panthers on 8 September and Leader, the IPP kicking/punting coach who brought Smyth and three other Gaelic footballers to the NFL combine, says the impact of his sensational match-winning kick against the Cardinals cannot be underestimated in the contest to be starting kicker.
"That kick would carry as much high-pressure expectation for Charlie as it would for him to kick the winner in Superbowl," Leader says.
"That moment had been building for a year. It was huge. Kick it and you win the game. Miss it, you go home, and you might get cut.
"That kick involved everything that you could possibly throw on a lad to see if he has what it takes.
"And watching it here back home at 4.30am Irish time I knew it was the perfect scenario for Charlie because I knew he would take it in his stride.
"He obviously has kicking ability, but people haven’t seen how mentally strong he is. At that exact moment he got to show the NFL, the Saints, and the world that he has what it takes.
"It was unreal to see him do what I had seen him do in Limerick, Mullingar at kicking clinics last year and then repeat the quality in Indianapolis and Florida at NFL combines.
"For me, as his coach, when he stepped up to that kick, it was unbelievable to see him respect the work we all put in, and for him to stick to his process when it would have been easy to lose it.
"I’m so proud of him and everyone knows it’s just the beginning."
While Irish NFL fans will have their fingers crossed that Smyth gets to make another big impact on Sunday night, Leader is in no doubt that the Down man is where he belongs.
"Since signing with the Saints, Charlie understands that he belongs in the NFL," Leader says.
"There was an initial bedding-in period and when we chatted, he’d recall those 'wow’ where he was sharing a room with superstars.
"But when it came to kicking, he knew he belonged.
"He’s so focused and so diligent and assured and the assuredness comes from the work he has done.
"All the way from last year to joining Saints he has been constantly developing and learning, an absolute sponge.
"Charlie’s been so professional for a guy that hasn’t been in pro sport, his mindset is phenomenal and what he’s done is not normal."
"He had been kicking 66-yarders, so he knew was ready" - Tadhg Leader
Leader says that the Saints environment has only brought him along further.
"We talked for 90 mins before the Arizona game, and he had been kicking 66-yarders, so he knew was ready.
"It’s so impressive that a lad of his age can walk into these arenas and take their chance.
"I would say he was grateful that the Saints signed him, but I would also say the Saints are grateful that they spotted him and were the first to sign him up.
"And now hopefully this year he gets to show the NFL week in, week out what he can do, or whether he waits on the practice squad.
"But he’s flying the flag for his community, the GAA and all of us. He’ll open the door for a lot more people to follow him in his footsteps and he’s just class. Everyone is so proud of him."
