Charlie Smyth is confident that he is in the process of kicking himself into a spot on the permanent first-team squad at New Orleans Saints ahead of Sunday's game against the New York Jets.
The Down man struck the winning field goal in last week's three-point win over the Carolina Panthers to make it two victories in three starts since the former inter-county goalkeeper won a kicking contest to earn promotion from the practice squad.
His form looks good enough to secure a full-time position, but with field-goal kickers having about as much job security as a door-to-door salesman, Smyth is careful not to get ahead of himself.
"That's the kind of stuff that's going on in the background with my agents and the front office on things like that," Smyth said in a press call on Tuesday.
"To be honest I would like to think I'm playing this week, so I'll just let that take care of itself and I'll just stay focused on what I do, which is kicking the ball and I'll let everybody else handle that in the background.
"But, we're looking pretty good on that right now. I'm just delighted we've had those moments this past couple of weeks and, hopefully now we can help the team going forward."
"CHARLIE! CHARLIE! CHARLIE!"
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 15, 2025
In the #Saints locker room after the dramatic win vs the Panthers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/m1Wp5N6ZFJ
The euphoria in the Saints locker-room after last week's incredible last-gasp win saw Smyth surrounded by team-mates chanting his name as he was presented with a match-ball by headcoach Kellen Moore.
Team pursuit or not, American sporting culture is never shy about lauding the individual and the Saints coaching and playing squad were quick to pour praise on their match-winning kicker.
It may have seemed a far different dynamic from the GAA dressing-rooms Smyth grew up in, but the 2021 Ulster U-20 championship winner took the whole happy scene in his stride.
"I don't know if it's just being Irish or whatever, but you're kinda like, 'yeah, OK, alright fellas, can we move on?' or whatever," he laughed.
"But you're supposed to enjoy those moments, right? It's not often that the head coach calls up the kicker to kinda break the team down. So it was a really cool moment and you just enjoy it.
"I feel like there's been a lot of hard work behind the scenes this past couple years where you're maybe questioning, 'am I ever gonna see the field or, is my lack of experience gonna hold me back?'
"I'm really grateful to our coaches and the front office for saying 'No, look, we think Charlie's ready'".
Smyth was of course no stranger to the pressures of place-kicking in his previous sporting 'career' as a free-taking goalkeeper for that Down U20 Ulster-winning team of 2021.
However the play-to-play involvement - or lack thereof - of the NFL goal-kicker means spending the majority of the game on the bench but always being ready to take care of business when called upon.
"I've been such a fan of this sport, I know how little kickers are involved in the game, but how big the moments are whenever you are involved," Smyth explained.
"You nearly feel like you are involved until like I'm sitting on the sideline now when the defence is up
"I sit on the bench and I just used the time to calm myself down, just breathe and, just be not so rigid and uptight just have a laugh with my other position groups and people who are on the sideline.
"Whenever they get off the field and the other team punts it, then you're like, 'OK, we're up again'.
"You maybe hop on the bike for a little bit to get the legs warm again.
"You get your kicks into the net and you do the dry run, which is like snap hold, and then I'll just look at it and not kick it, and run towards it and try and envision myself like I am kicking it in the game.
"It's really just about thinking, whenever I get out there, what are the elements gonna be like?
"Or if it's indoors, just doing my steps and just focusing on making sure that everything leading up to the kick is good.
"And then I'll let that muscle memory take care of the rest and just kick the ball, try not to overthink it and just have my controllable swing thoughts whenever it's my time."
Smyth has been two years in his "home away from home" in New Orleans.
Many times in that period, the prospect of a regular kicking job in the NFL must have seemed like a pipe dream.
Did the 24-year-old Mayobridge man ever think about packing his bags and heading back to the comfort - and GAA pitches - of home?
Not a bit of it.
"I want this too much to even think about coming home," said number 39.
Saints-Jet kicks off at 6pm Irish time on Sunday.
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