NFL opportunity is ‘stuff of dreams’ for Smyth

Charlie Smyth feels like the “luckiest man alive” as he chases his NFL dream with the New Orleans Saints.

The 23-year-old, from County Down in Northern Ireland, came through the NFL’s international player pathway (IPP) programme and signed a three-year-deal with the Saints in March.

In what was his first ever kick in an NFL game on Saturday night, the former Gaelic football goalkeeper connected on a 37-yard field goal in the final seconds to see his side beat the Arizona Cardinals 16-14 in a pre-season contest.

As he looks to make the 53-man roster before next month’s regular season kick-off, Smyth’s next chance to impress will come against five-time Super Bowl champions San Francisco 49ers in the early hours of Monday morning (BST).

“That’s when it starts to hit you, playing these big NFL teams,” the Mayobridge man told BBC Sport NI.

“To imagine a year ago, when I’d never kicked a football before, to where I am now, there’s too many people to thank at this stage.

“I feel like the luckiest man alive right now. It’s unbelievable.

“To be out here and showcasing yourself on the stage that it is, in the world’s biggest league, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

With last year’s starter in his position, Blake Grupe, taking the earlier kicks in the game, Smyth sat on the sidelines on Saturday unsure if he would get the opportunity to kick a field goal in his Saints debut.

However, with the Cardinals holding a late lead, and the Saints in possession of the ball as time ticked away, he sensed the game would come down to his right foot.

While the sport may still be relatively new to him, it was a scenario he faced many times down the years in his first sporting love, Gaelic football.

“You miss, you lose or you score and you win,” he said. “For that to be my first kick, it was the stuff of dreams. You imagine those scenarios when you’re growing up, last minute of the game scoring a ’45’.

“If I missed that kick people would make assumptions, ‘he can’t handle the pressure’, but I just showed that I can and that’s why it felt so important.”

While the 37-yard distance would be viewed as relatively routine for an NFL kicker, Smyth said he landed an attempt from as long as 66 yards during his warm-ups, with training camp offering an opportunity to show his range to the coaches.

“You have to try and impress out here every day to win a job so that’s what I’ve been doing,” he added.

After taking on the 49ers, there is one final pre-season game for the Saints, against the Tennessee Titans on 25 August, before roster decisions are made and the team start their regular season schedule at home to the Carolina Panthers on 8 September.

Should Smyth lose out on a spot to the more experienced Grupe, who made 30 of his 37 field goal attempts last season, he could still be retained on the Saints’ practice squad, although the rookie remains “hopeful” that things will break his way.

“There is a lot to be played out before then, two more weeks of training camp and two games,” he said. “The general manager is the one who makes the decisions, but I’ve been told just to focus on my kicks.

“I want to be the starting kicker, but I can’t control that, all I can do is keep making kicks and that will help influence the decision.

“I’m hopeful, but at the end of the day I’m still new to the NFL and whatever the outcome is I will accept as what is meant to be.”