Ireland’s kicking king aims to seize once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – Irish Times

The phone rings and Charlie Smith is waiting at the reception desk. He is wearing a down GAA jacket and cap.

The message requires little detail, but Smith sticks out like a sequoia in a field of switchgrass. On a Saturday morning, the lobby of the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown is filled with children watching the Dublin Youth Athletics Championships.

Smith leads a series of well-lit hallways to a covered 3G synthetic pitch, where he is one of four Irish prospects continuing to prepare for next month’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

He set off from Mayobridge early that morning, parked in the Ardee car park and jumped in with Rory Beggan for the rest of the journey down the M1. The goalkeeper union was on a journey to become the Kick King.

Wicklow’s Mark Jackson takes a kick inside the vast arena. There’s an effortless grace to his ball-striking, and his connection to “pigskin” feels oddly satisfying, like the endorphin rush a golfer gets when he hits the sweet spot with a Titleist driver. Sends out a boom that gives

Began will have a viewing brief today as this session will be followed by two days of matches at Connacht GAA’s Air Dome.

Former Connacht rugby player Darragh Reader will also be in attendance. They’re here thanks to his brother Tadhg, who wears black Leader kicking gear and a Pittsburgh Steelers woolen hat. Here they are, a small group of pioneers chasing their dreams. It’s not a pipe dream, mind you.

“It’s very realistic,” Tadhg says. “We come through the NFL International Program, and every year we get five or six guys signed through there.

“These players have already had to jump through a lot of hurdles to get here. There are metrics they need to achieve to be considered and they have met or exceeded all of them. I did.”

Since the launch of the International Player Pathway in 2017, 37 international athletes have signed with NFL teams, and 18 are currently on NFL rosters. A total of 16 international athletes representing eight countries were selected for this year’s combine from a variety of sporting backgrounds including rugby, basketball, Aussie rules and Gaelic football.

This year, the NFL introduced additional practice squad roster spots for all 32 franchises exclusively for overseas players.

As the leaders run reps through the players, a door at the far end of the arena is constantly opened to reveal wide-eyed trialists dribbling and drubbing their way to the kicking clinic. Some came from Cork, others from Galway, and among the motley crew were Tipperary’s GAA jersey, Connacht’s rugby hoodie, Ballyboden St.’s Enda half-zip, and even his Indianapolis one. The Colts’ training is up to his top. This is not an underground movement.

When Reeder founded the organization 18 months ago, its goal was to obtain scholarships to U.S. universities, and that was the main reason why more than 20 young athletes gathered in Abbottstown on a chilly February morning. That was the reason.

The NFL’s Big Show wasn’t an immediate goal, but Reeder is in that tent now.

The Pioneering Crew will fly to Florida on Thursday and spend the next three weeks in a fully immersive training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, south of Tampa. They will then travel to Indianapolis for the combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, with kicks and punts taking place on March 3 and 4, respectively.

The Irish Times attended the group’s final kicking session in Dublin last Saturday.

Smith is not a recent convert to the NFL and has spent countless Sunday nights glued to the RedZone. Surprisingly, the 22-year-old has even attended the combine in the past. He always felt that his leg strength and kicking ability could make him a kicker, but there was no way to test that theory until leader kicking came along.

A qualified teacher, Smith was most recently employed at St Patrick’s College, Banbridge.

“It’s crazy to plan for a combine,” he says. “But it’s exciting and we’re here to do the job.”

He first came to the United States last month when the group went to Boston for training camp using the New England Patriots’ facilities. He roots for the Green Bay Packers, but truth be told, Lambeau Field probably doesn’t get talked about much at the Smith family dinner table.

“My kids didn’t know anything about it. They knew I was interested in it, but that was it. But now that I’m doing it, my dad is watching the NFL on YouTube. “I started watching videos about kicking,” he smiles.

“I share a car with my mom and she has sacrificed so much of herself to help me get through this as best I can and I have had great support from home. If I get the contract, I’m sure it will be valuable for all of us.”

The minimum annual salary for NFL players on the active roster will increase to $795,000 for the 2024-25 season, while players on the practice roster will receive a weekly salary of $11,500 to $12,500. is expected.

Because the kicker and punter positions are considered specialists, other assessments such as bench press, 40-yard dash, and vertical jump do not require you to demonstrate ability.

But he has plans to create a buzz during training camp in Florida.

“Darrah wants to challenge the bench press record as a specialist,” says Tadhg.

“And Charlie wants to set a record for the 40-yard dash, so he won’t be running it in Indianapolis, but he’s going to run it in Florida and set an official time.

“Scouts will love that. Not only can they kick, they’re athletes, so that’s a unique selling point.”

A total of 30 kickers/punters will be participating in the combine, including four Irish prospects.

“This is the best of the best,” Tadhg adds. “It’s very difficult to get invited to the combine.”

Began is the highest-profile Irish player, with the 31-year-old being one of the country’s top goalkeepers and widely credited with evolving the status in Gaelic football.

Still, it’s safe to say the 2018 All-Star had no idea what to expect when Reeder first reached out.

“But I said I’d give it a try,” Begun says. “The way I look at it now, I might end up coming back to Gaelic football on the other side of the combine, or I might sign a life-changing contract. In my opinion, there’s really no downside. Just go and do your best.” Give it your all and see where it leaves you.”

Mr Beggin recently co-founded the clothing company Ignite 23 and remained on the Monaghan committee before jetting off to Florida this week. The youngsters in the WhatsApp group are wishing him well, but behind the scenes, they’re well aware that their goalie may be looking to trade Mahomes for McManus.

Jackson also has a clothing company called APEC Sportswear. The 25-year-old Wicklow goalkeeper is another talent that has caught the eye of Reader.

“I know this is a life-changing opportunity, and I’m not taking it lightly,” Jackson says. “It’s a great opportunity to be at the combine, but it’s more than that. We’re trying to make something out of it.”

After they finished chatting, Jackson jogged over and began practicing punting with the beginners. On the other side of the arena, Smith and Began chat with a group preparing to kick a field goal. students become teachers.

Tadhg Leader recently organized a Zoom call to chat with potential kickers and over 140 people logged in, while over 500 people registered online for athletes interested in participating in the kicking clinic. Masu.

“Going to the NFL Combine is something I wish I could have experienced somewhere between maybe my fifth and 10th year,” he says.

“Perhaps at that stage it might be feasible and realistic to bring together NFL-focused players and perhaps 200 to 300 participants across Ireland. But 18 months on, we… has already exceeded all of these metrics.”

By securing the coveted four spots at the NFL Combine, the name recognition of Leader Kicking has increased significantly. But the main focus remains on Irish players securing scholarships to play university football in America – among those who have made the leap so far are Cavan’s Ronan Patterson (Monmouth University) and Laois native Ross Bolger (Idaho State University).

Beggin said he’s been consistent with kicks from 50 yards or less, and has even made a few 63-yarders, but those huge kicks are more of a matte finish, and he’s not consistent with kicks from 50 yards. Sex is what scouts really want.

“We have worked hard,” he added. “We are confident.”

Just last July, Beggan was in the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin, which had Hill worried, so it was strange to hear him talk about kick-offs, touchbacks and reaching the end zone. It’s also attractive at the same time. But this is where their players are now, staring out the window of opportunity.

The Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas on Sunday, with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers in one of the brashest and most unapologetically extravagant sporting events on the planet.

“It’s going to be great to watch the Super Bowl in an NFL environment in Florida,” Smith added.

The session in Abbottstown ends with a kicking competition between the rookies. It is closely monitored by the leaders, Begun, Smith and Jackson. They may be the first, but they likely won’t be the last.

“As the starting kicker and punter of the program, I think it’s our responsibility to protect that and make sure it’s there for years to come,” Jackson says.

As they begin to pack up, energetic under-13 teams from St Sylvester’s and Naas pour out the door for a game of Gaelic football.

One of the mentors found Began standing on the other side of the sideline, a bag of NFL balls at his feet.

“That’s Monaghan’s goalkeeper,” he points out.

Anyway, anyway.

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