It is like something out of a Hollywood movie. Up to a couple of years ago, Adam McCann-Gibbs wasn’t a fan of American football and last year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic was his first live gridiron experience.
Yet, on August 29th, the 18-year-old from Newry will make his college football debut for the University of North Carolina’s Tar Heels (UNC) against Texas Christian University’s Horned Frogs. At the Aviva Stadium, no less.
“As people have been saying, it’s like something out of a movie, that you get to come home and hopefully play your first game here as your debut as well,” he smiled.
A former minor footballer with Down, McCann-Gibbs joined UNC as a punter in January. He is a product of the Leader Kicking programme that opened the door for Charlie Smyth’s remarkable NFL journey with the New Orleans Saints.
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The rise of Smyth, who made his big breakthrough last season, offered a clear reference point. The Mayobridge man, a former goalkeeper for Down, grew up only a short distance from Glenn native McCann-Gibbs.
Meanwhile, Armagh’s Paddy McAteer is progressing through the college system. The Mullaghbawn man is preparing for his fourth and final year, having joined Indiana from Troy University.
“Yeah, there must be something up north,” McCann-Gibbs laughed. “There are a few Tyrone and Derry lads impressing as well, so it’s great to see the lads doing really well and excelling over in America. It’s all credit to Leader Kicking.”
A freetaker with Glenn, he followed Smyth’s development through the kicking programme run by Tadhg and Darragh Leader with interest before deciding to take a punt himself.
“Charlie being 10 minutes from me, I was like, ‘Why not?’,” he said. “I thought I’d just try my hand at it.
“To be honest, I wasn’t very good at the start, but I decided to stick at it and work at it. Repetition over time has made a big difference. It’s obviously very different, kicking an American football, because of the shape of it.
“I still feel today that I’m very raw and need to work on stuff, but that’s just going to come over time.”
McCann-Gibbs was excited to meet up with Smyth in March and gathered advice on adapting to the demands of the sport. But the scale of what has happened over the past few months only really landed when he returned to south Down this week.
Back home for the first time since moving stateside, McCann-Gibbs spent Friday visiting his former schools alongside members of the UNC set-up. The day brought home just how much his life has changed in a short period.
At St Mary’s Barr Primary School in Glenn, pupils gathered excitedly around the visitors, while later the group visited Abbey CBS in Newry to meet younger students and sports teams.
“The support the community is giving, they’re really getting behind me, buying tickets for the game at the Aviva and making posters,” said McCann-Gibbs. “It’s incredible to see your community doing that for you.
“I have little cousins at the primary school and they were getting photos with all the lads. It’s incredible that you get the opportunity to put your hometown and Ireland on a global stage.
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“You feel an immense sense of pride doing that. It’s been a nice wee break because your life is a million miles an hour over there. It’s nice to look back and debrief on what’s happened. It definitely has hit home.”
Family support has also been vital during a time of big change. McCann-Gibbs describes his mother, Cheryl, as his “rock” through the move, alongside his father James, sister Ellie and twin brother Mark.
The family even got the opportunity to spend time with UNC head coach Bill Belichick, one of the most decorated figures in NFL history.
“My brother was always the one who liked baseball and basketball, so he’s all for this,” McCann-Gibbs said.
“They came over and it was great to show Mark around the place. He loved it and thinks it’s incredible. They know this is a great opportunity to really go for it.”
