Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth signs with New Orleans Saints

Charlie Smyth has signed with the New Orleans Saints, becoming the first Irishman to sign an NFL contract as part of the international player pathway programme.

Smyth, a former Down under-20 goalkeeper, is understood to have signed a three-year contract as a kicker with the Super Bowl 44 champions.

The Mayobridge native travelled to Florida in February alongside fellow GAA goalkeepers Rory Beggan and Mark Jackson, and former Connacht rugby player Darragh Leader, to train ahead of the NFL Combine.

At the showpiece in front of scouts in Indianapolis, Smyth was successful with 12 of his 16 attempts, leaving him as the most accurate Irish kicker on the day. At a pro day at the University of South Florida last year, Smyth converted eight out of his 10 kicks.

The 22-year-old visited the Saints’ training facility in Louisiana on Friday before putting pen to paper. He will report for off-season workouts on April 15th before spending the summer at the team’s training camp.

Smyth will be in competition for the starting kicker’s role with Blake Grupe, a second-year player. Should Smyth fail to make the active roster, he could be signed to the practice roster on the designated spot reserved for graduates of the international pathway.

Meanwhile former Derry footballer Jude McAtamney has become the latest Irishman to schedule a visit with an NFL franchise in a bid to secure a professional contract.

McAtamney, who won an Ulster Under-20 title with the Oakleaf county in 2018, will train with both the New York Giants and New York Jets next week in the hope of earning an invite to training camp as a kicker. The Swatragh native has spent the previous two years playing for Rutgers University in New Jersey having first moved to America in 2021.

After training with Prokick, an Australian organisation which trains AFL players to become kickers and punters, McAtamney earned a scholarship to Chowan University in North Carolina. He played there for one season before committing to Rutgers, a NCAA Division One programme, in 2022.

As the starting kicker for the Scarlet Knights in 2022, McAtamney had a 67 per cent success rate, making 12 field goals from 18 attempts. He was successful with 23 of his 24 attempted extra points that year.

In 2023, McAtamney lost his job as the starting kicker. After kicking in front of scouts at the Rutgers pro day on Thursday, he was invited to visit both New York franchises.

McAtamney has not declared for the NFL draft and will instead seek to earn a contract as a free agent.

• Join us for The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast live in Belfast on April 10th
• Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
• Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date