It seems as though GAA players have continued to adapt well to the American football landscape. As they trade out their O’Neills attire for helmets and shoulder pads, they take on a new stateside challenge, putting their kicking skills on show for a massive audience.
Many athletes find success through kicking coaches such as Tadhg Leader, founder of Leader Kicking, specialising in transitioning Irish players to the American sport. One such example is Sean O’Haire, a Kildare native with a natural ability for kicking, earning him a place in the University of Richmond in Virginia, thanks to Leader.
“I was working in a shop and training with him as well, he teaches you the basics of kicking, then he emailed the Richmond coach with some kicking footage, and that’s how it all happened,” he said.
O’Haire later made the transfer from Virginia to the University of Maryland, where he has cemented himself as the starting field kicker for the side, despite tough competition for places. The comparisons to Gaelic Games are certainly evident, but O’Haire remarked that he was initially taken aback by the hours required to play American college football.
“It’s just about the amount of time you have to be there, you’re always training or maybe having a meeting, that’s what I didn’t realise before I went over. You don’t just go and train two nights a week like in the GAA. It’s alright though because you are well taken care of, you’ve every meal there for you.”
The Johnstownbridge local also remarked about the fanfare and crowds that come with the huge college games.
“Maryland’s football stadium has a capacity of over fifty thousand, and they’d usually fill that for games, and the teams we play against would be the exact same.”
He was quick to shrug off the idea of the roar of the intensity of the crowd having an effect on his kicking.
“It was a bit of a shock the first time playing, but you’re still doing the same thing on the same pitch, you can’t really take any notice of it. Sometimes the opposition crowd might be getting on your back a bit at an away game, but it’s never really a big thing.”
With three years left in college, Sean’s mind is firmly fixed on the here and now, with little thought given to his future in the game or the possibility of making it to the coveted NFL.
“It’d be great if that was possible, but if not I’d be happy to come home and play Gaelic football again.”
Although O’Haire isn’t the only Irishman making a name for himself in the American football world. Paddy McAteer from Armagh has recently committed to the Indiana Hoosiers for the coming year, as reported by Indiana Daily Student. He makes the move to the 2025 National Champions after gaining prominence as a kicker for Troy University in Alabama last year.
Charlie Smyth from county Down is a notable Irish name doing well, recently making history as the first Irish man to be listed on an active NFL roster, originally being named on the practice squad. Smyth isn’t alone when it comes to NFL pursuits, with Jude McAtamney on the practice roster for the New York Giants after he landed in the big apple in 2024.
Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan, hailing from Enniskerry in Wicklow, has turned heads with his monster punts that put defences under pressure, signing a contract extension until 2027, as reported by Sports Illustrated. Former Laois under 20 footballer Ross Bolger is another success story, after earning a full scholarship to Idaho State University thanks to Leader Kicking, he now plays professionally for the Canadian BC Lions.
As well as these, goalkeepers galore in 2024 saw both Monaghan man Rory Beggan and Wicklow shot-stopper Mark Jackson attend trials for the NFL Combine. With all the exiles making hay abroad, it seems to be an increasingly attractive move for young Irish athletes who have strong roots in kicking. Many of these players have come through Leader Kicking and have had some kicking practice there, creating a space for Irish players to adapt to the game and make the American dream possible.
For now, GAA clubs all over the country will ponder who the next American football personality might be, and perhaps even be prepared for the thought of another homegrown hero in the NFL.
