Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth gets class invite from NFL giants

A rich reward for his impressive showings, so far.

Smyth, who was an Ulster Under-20 winner with Down, has been in America as a participant in the NFL IPP (International Player Pathway) program from the start of February.

Smyth, along with Rory Beggan, Mark Jackson and Darragh Leader took part in the NFL Combine last month, followed by an extended stay in Florida to attend an NFL Pro Day last week.

It’s fair to say the Down man has impressed.

Charlie Smyth and the New Orleans Saints

At his NFL Pro Day last week, Smyth successfully converted eight out of his ten attempts, showcasing his accuracy. Notably, one of his kicks 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” Smyth said. “But overall I’m generally quite happy.”

Earlier in the month at the NFL Combine, Smyth was the most accurate Irish kicker, landing 12 of his 16 attempts and narrowly missing a kick from 60 yards.

At the age of only 22, Smyth exhibits the greatest potential among the five kickers participating in the combine. An NFL fan for years, he now has the opportunity of a lifetime and the chance to make a roster.

The New Orleans Saints are a massive NFL franchise, on the go since 1967 and Super Bowl champions in 2009. They have made 14 playoff appearances, in their history, and they play in the 73,000 seat Caesars Superdome.

The next few days will be intriguing to say the least. Would the signing of Smyth lead to a domino effect with the other Irish athletes, including Monaghan’s Rory Beggan? Watch this space.

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