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.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/exclusive-rory-beggan-and-mark-jackson-set-for-american-football-trials/a51921905.html
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.
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 (https://www.espn.co.uk/college-football/player/_/id/5092436/jude-mcatamney)
Quote from: imtommygunn on December 12, 2023, 10:24:01 AMThere'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 (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.
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
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.
Quote from: Schkite on December 12, 2023, 01:53:39 PMHard 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.
what does the combine consist of?
Quote from: Truth hurts on December 12, 2023, 03:26:03 PMwhat does the combine consist of?
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D-mBF5Oz7Qw/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGGUgVShOMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCcCYqb3NL2fQbi_rD0kyGHwoffbQ)
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.
Quote from: Truth hurts on December 12, 2023, 03:26:03 PMwhat 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
Quote from: SaffronSports on December 12, 2023, 03:04:51 PMIf 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.
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.
Quote from: thewobbler on December 12, 2023, 10:43:18 PMPunting 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.
Might be used as a punter and kick offs, but he too slow to be the goalkicker, I watched Nfl for 30+yrs and your kick time is literally 2 secs.
Reading posts on Facebook you would think Beggan was gone from Monaghan and Scotstown there is a very good chance he will be playing in the Mckenna cup in January.
Is Beggan expected to miss all of the NFL for Monaghan or just a few games?
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on December 13, 2023, 01:27:50 AMMight be used as a punter and kick offs, but he too slow to be the goalkicker, I watched Nfl for 30+yrs and your kick time is literally 2 secs.
Apparently he is seen as a potential FG kicker and kick off kicker and not a punter (read that somewhwere). I get what you're saying about him being slow but its all about timing. If they get all the timing stuff worked out properly there's no reason why he can't kick the ball a split second after it is set by the holder
I wouldn't get to worried yet 1000's of American kids go to college every year just to be Football players and being invited to a combine itself is a huge acheivement
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on December 13, 2023, 01:27:50 AMMight be used as a punter and kick offs, but he too slow to be the goalkicker, I watched Nfl for 30+yrs and your kick time is literally 2 secs.
There are plenty of starting kickers in the NFL who wouldn't be half the athlete Beggan is ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: gallsman on December 15, 2023, 03:18:58 PMQuote from: Wildweasel74 on December 13, 2023, 01:27:50 AMMight be used as a punter and kick offs, but he too slow to be the goalkicker, I watched Nfl for 30+yrs and your kick time is literally 2 secs.
There are plenty of starting kickers in the NFL who wouldn't be half the athlete Beggan is ;D ;D ;D
Kicking in the NFL is about timing anyway rather than how fast you run up. Long snapper to the holder and kicker running on to catch it more or less as soon as the holder has it in position. How long it takes him to run up doesn't matter as long as it's timed right.
Quote from: SaffronSports on December 15, 2023, 04:54:31 PMQuote from: gallsman on December 15, 2023, 03:18:58 PMQuote from: Wildweasel74 on December 13, 2023, 01:27:50 AMMight be used as a punter and kick offs, but he too slow to be the goalkicker, I watched Nfl for 30+yrs and your kick time is literally 2 secs.
There are plenty of starting kickers in the NFL who wouldn't be half the athlete Beggan is ;D ;D ;D
Kicking in the NFL is about timing anyway rather than how fast you run up. Long snapper to the holder and kicker running on to catch it more or less as soon as the holder has it in position. How long it takes him to run up doesn't matter as long as it's timed right.
For sure, there's been lads kicked well into their 40s, them lads had no speed, but perfect timing and technique
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/sport/making-next-nfl-overseas-star-ireland-spt-intl/index.html
'If any country can do it, it's Ireland': How to make the NFL's next overseas star
There are deeply entrenched ties between the United States and Ireland – just ask US President Joe Biden. (https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/politics/joe-biden-ireland-trip/index.html)
Rarely if ever though has that unwavering relationship between the two countries branched out into the sporting ether – both nations pursuing their own national field sports in a manner which arguably borders on religious observance.
For Ireland, that sport is Gaelic football, with the 15-man ball game a central tenet of not just the nation's sporting identity, but it's cultural one too...
"They've more than put their 10,000 hours in, albeit with a different ball but the crossover with it being off the deck is there. That's why I believe the Irish can become such talented place kickers. Then, with punting, dropping the ball from the hands, that's another crucial aspect of Gaelic football too." ...
The IPP, which was originally established in 2017, aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL Combine in the hopes of earning a spot on an active NFL roster.
This year's cohort sees nine nations represented, further emphasizing the growing global reach of the NFL. Five of the 16 players selected have been categorized as kickers or punters, with four of the five athletes coming from Ireland.
For an island of just over five million people, that's no small achievement to boast a quarter of the entire IPP roster, and 80% of its kicking talent.
Rory Beggan, Mark Jackson and Charlie Smyth all come from intercounty Gaelic football backgrounds, with Darragh Leader, younger brother of coach Tadhg, transitioning from professional rugby...
By the looks of it American football is going the same way as the NBA did. There are only around 25% of whites in the NFL even though they make up 60% of the US population. Baseball is more of a white man's game.
Kicker and quarterback seems to be the only position suitable for whites although half of the quarterbacks are black too.
This isn't a racist post, I am just pointing out that it is unlikely that Irishmen will ever be that common in the NFL.
Derry could do with a few black men beside Shane McGuigan.
Strange take on it. Its been know for yrs that African Americans are more suited to NFL. Just like in running.
Charlie Smyth has been offered a contract according to RTE
Quote from: seafoid on March 26, 2024, 07:42:58 PMCharlie Smyth has been offered a contract according to RTE
I think it's a trial with New Orleans
Yeah seen he was offered to train with them this week, unless theres been an offer made since. Fair play to the lad.
Down's Charlie Smyth becomes NFL player as he signs deal with New Orleans Saints
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-news-roundup-latest-league-updates-from-friday-march-29
"Smyth, of Northern Ireland, previously played professional Gaelic soccer as a goalkeeper."
Quote from: dec on March 29, 2024, 05:52:44 PMhttps://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-news-roundup-latest-league-updates-from-friday-march-29
"Smyth, of Northern Ireland, previously played professional Gaelic soccer as a goalkeeper."
😂
What about the other lads? Are they still in with a chance of getting signed!
I think it has another 3 weeks to go
Beggan back in Ireland I seen someone on Twitter saying
See Jude McAtammey [Derry) got picked up by the New York Giants. He was one of the better players of their 2018 U20 team, Went straight out and tried the NFL route through University football scholarship.
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on April 29, 2024, 05:10:39 PMSee Jude McAtammey [Derry) got picked up by the New York Giants. He was one of the better players of their 2018 U20 team, Went straight out and tried the NFL route through University football scholarship.
As a kicker?
We could use a good kicker.
Well he took frees on that U20 team. From Half back.