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18th September 2022
02:54pm BST
Punter Ben Kiernan #91 of the North Carolina Tar Heels kicks against the Virginia Tech Hokies. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)[/caption]
“The next day I came out to try-outs. I played offense, defense and just about everywhere. Then on the last day of try-outs, they wanted everyone to kick the ball as far as they could,” Kiernan said. “The other guys were dropping the ball and missing it. When it came to me, I kicked the ball from sideline to sideline and then the coach said: ‘Yeah, you’re our guy’."
“I remember I was sitting in math class, and I got a text from my Dad that said: ‘College is paid for.’ My Dad said, ‘I just got off the phone with Mack Brown, they’re offering you a full scholarship to UNC.’ It felt like a fever dream. It was an unbelievable moment,” Kiernan said.Things could’ve been very different had Brown not reached out to Kiernan’s father, Mike. The previous day, before Kiernan was offered his scholarship to play at UNC, he sat down with his parents and decided that he would play rugby instead of American football as he had plenty of rugby offers to choose from. However, when UNC comes calling, you answer. The possibility of playing for UNC and potentially in the NFL was too good to refuse.
“Whenever I was playing in my back garden, I would think that I was Ronan O'Gara or Brian O’Driscoll. I did that most days instead of doing my homework,” Kiernan said. “When I would go to sporting camps, I’d figure out who the best guy was, and I wanted to go head-to-head with them. I wanted all the smoke."“In my junior year of high school, I met this guy, Chris Sailer [a punting and kicking expert]. I went to the Sailer camp in North Carolina, it was the first time he ever saw me,” Ben Kiernan said. “I averaged about 52-yards a punt. One by one I was going against Sailer’s top guys, and I was working them,” Kiernan added. Besides the video game ‘Madden’ and a San Francisco 49ers jersey that Kiernan picked up when he visited America with his family before they moved to North Carolina, Kiernan had minimal knowledge of American Football. Fast-forward a couple years and now Kiernan enters his senior year with the Tar Heels and he’s got the National Collegiate Athletic Association (ACCN) on notice after his stellar start to the 2022 season. Just this week, Kiernan was named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week after his five punts against the Georgia State Panthers where he averaged 54.2 yards per punt. The accolades don’t stop there. Kiernan was also named to the Ray Guy Award watch list; an award presented to the top punter at the FBS level. https://twitter.com/B_kiernan21/status/1442213893707759625
“If an NFL team were to select me in the 2023 NFL Draft, they’re getting a competitor. Someone who takes everything very aggressively. I’m going to push the limit- working out, running, punting. I expect myself to be great,” Kiernan said. “Consistency is something that I strive for. Being the most consistent player in the room. And never letting anybody down. If I tell somebody I'm going to do something, I'm going to make sure that I get it done."Kiernan is not the only Irishman putting on a show in college football. Georgia Tech punter David Shanahan, who is originally from Kerry, has been punting for Georgia Tech since 2021. Although Ireland was unable to produce an NFL starter this season, it’s only a matter of time before an Irishman makes the final 53-man roster of an NFL team. There’s also no fear of Kiernan forgetting about his Irish roots. "I always make sure I've got the tri-colour on the back of my helmet." If you think you’re ready to test your American football skills as a punter/kicker. Check out Leader Kicking; an organisation that was set up by former rugby union player, Tadhg Leader. Leader has extensive knowledge of kicking under his belt after kicking in The Spring League [TSL] and the Canadian Football League [CFL]. For more information visit: Leader Kicking
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