NFL - Scouting GAA Players

[toby47]

Monaghan and Wicklow keepers Rory Beggan & Mark Jackson are heading to USA to kick Infront of scouts for all 32 NFL teams. They will also head to a week long kicking camp in Florida before hand.

The progress of Beggan and Jackson is timely as a new rule is is due to take effect where all 32 teams must have an 'international player' on the practice squad, essentially a reserve side, raising their hopes of getting picked up. The NFL are scouting kickers/punters as part of their international player pathway programme that they hope establish deeper worldwide roots.

If one of these keepers makes it, combined with the above new rule, you can be sure that all teams & collages will be start scouting GAA kickers. Could be an Aussie rules situation in a few years where there are 10 or more players signed up.

Fair play to the 2 men, some experience for them. Although some blow for the 2 counties, reported that they will miss a large part of the 2024 season, even if they aren't signed up.

[toby47]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/exclusive-rory-beggan-and-mark-jackson-set-for-american-football-trials/a51921905.html

[trueblue1234]

Huge blow for the clubs and counties. But great opportunity for the lads. I think it's great for them. The reality is that a tiny % will be affected so I don't think it'll be an issue. Even looking at Oz, how many top, top level footballers have we lost? The reality is that few make it, and less again stay at it despite some scaremongering about losing our best. 
Fair play to the lads. Be some experience.

[imtommygunn]

There's a boy from Swatragh plays out there. Not sure what level he has got to.

https://www.espn.co.uk/college-football/player/_/id/5092436/jude-mcatamney

[toby47]

There's a boy from Swatragh plays out there. Not sure what level he has got to.

https://www.espn.co.uk/college-football/player/_/id/5092436/jude-mcatamney

I don't think he's getting a run at all. Played a few games last year and has since been replaced.

[Schkite]

Hard to overstate how big a loss Rory will be to us. Seems like at a minimum he's gone for the league, and if he impresses in this combine? Well...

Can't begrudge the fella at all though, he's been a serious servant to the county already, and this is some opportunity if he can take it

[SaffronSports]

If one of these lads make it to the NFL they're earning a minimum of $660,000 a year under the league rules. Best of luck to them.

[Armagh18]

Hard to overstate how big a loss Rory will be to us. Seems like at a minimum he's gone for the league, and if he impresses in this combine? Well...

Can't begrudge the fella at all though, he's been a serious servant to the county already, and this is some opportunity if he can take it

Massive loss for Monaghan and Scotstown. Would say it will be mission impossible for them to stay up now but that's said every year and they manage it lol.

Best of luck to both of them.

[Truth hurts]

what does the combine consist of?

[Cavan19]

what does the combine consist of?

[yellowcard]

Don't know much about Jackson but Beggan is possibly the best dead ball kicker I've ever seen with that unique skill of kicking through the football. With very little backlift I've never seen anyone generate such power and accuracy, often hitting to moving targets. How that transfers to kicking an oval ball is a totally different question although the fact that he kicks through the football is a big help rather than the traditional free taker who generally would kick off the inside of the boot.

He is Monaghans most important player and would be irreplacable for them.   

[Gabriel_Hurl]

what does the combine consist of?

A number of strength and conditioning drills - like the 40 yard dash, how many times they can bench press a certain weight etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Scouting_Combine

Kickers don't usually take part in that stuff though - just kicks from in front of the goals and from the left and right of the field

[straightred]

If one of these lads make it to the NFL they're earning a minimum of $660,000 a year under the league rules. Best of luck to them.

The starters on the top teams are getting $4 to $5 million a year so its a fantastic opportunity for these lads.

in NFL you have 1 job - kick the ball over the bar. A snapper will throw the ball backwards to the holder who positions the ball and then the kicker kicks it over the bar. This all has to happen really quickly as there's 11 250lb monsters charging toward the kicker trying to kill him. You'd have to think Beggan's leg is strong enough. I'll follow whoever he signs for.

A combine is basically an open training audition where all the prospects go through their plays while scouts from all 32 NFL teams are watching.

[thewobbler]

Punting always struck me as a more logical route than kicking for a GAA player. I imagine it has to be easier to get used to kicking the oval from hand than from the ground. And from what I know of the game, hang time is preferred to accuracy in that discipline.

[SaffronSports]

Punting always struck me as a more logical route than kicking for a GAA player. I imagine it has to be easier to get used to kicking the oval from hand than from the ground. And from what I know of the game, hang time is preferred to accuracy in that discipline.

That style of punt kick wouldn't really be used in GAA. A fair few Aussie Rules lads have transitioned to punting in the NFL though.