22-year-old GAA star receives life-changing offer from the New Orleans Saints.
A substantial prize for his great performances thus far.
Charlie Smyth of Mayobridge is about to sign with an NFL franchise. Smyth will work out with the New Orleans Saints later this week, according to Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland.
Smyth, an Ulster Under-20 champion with Down, has been in America since February as part of the NFL IPP (International Player Pathway) program.
Smyth, along with Rory Beggan, Mark Jackson, and Darragh Leader, participated in the NFL Combine last month, followed by an extended stay in Florida for an NFL Pro Day last week.
It is fair to say that the Down man has impressed.
Charlie Smyth & the New Orleans Saints
At his NFL Pro Day last week, Smyth successfully converted eight out of his 10 tries, displaying his precision. Notably, one of his kickoffs was from 60 yards.
“It went decent, my kick-offs went really well and then I had really good contacts on all my balls, but there’s probably one or two you’d like back” he added. “But overall I’m generally quite happy.”
Earlier this month, at the NFL Combine, Smyth was the most accurate Irish kicker, making 12 of 16 tries and missing a 60-yard try.
At the age of 22, Smyth has the most potential of the five kickers competing in the combine. He’s been an NFL fan for years and now has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the team.
The New Orleans Saints are a large NFL club that has been active since 1967 and won the Super Bowl in 2009. They have made 14 postseason appearances in their existence and play in the Caesars Superdome, which seats 73,000.
The following several days will be interesting to say the least. Would Smyth’s signing cause a domino effect among other Irish sportsmen, notably Monaghan’s Rory Beggan? Keep an eye on this place.
