NFL opportunity is 'stuff of dreams' for Smyth

Charlie Smyth feels for illustration nan "luckiest man alive" arsenic he chases his NFL dream pinch nan New Orleans Saints.

The 23-year-old, from County Down successful Northern Ireland, came done nan NFL's world subordinate pathway (IPP) programme and signed a three-year-deal pinch nan Saints successful March.

In what was his first ever footwear successful an NFL crippled connected Saturday night, nan erstwhile Gaelic shot goalkeeper connected connected a 37-yard section extremity successful nan last seconds to spot his broadside hit nan Arizona Cardinals 16-14 successful a pre-season contest.

As he looks to make nan 53-man roster up of adjacent month's regular play kick-off, Smyth's adjacent chance to impressment will travel against nan five-time Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers successful nan early hours of Monday morning.

"That's erstwhile it starts to deed you, playing these large NFL teams," nan Mayobridge man told BBC Sport NI.

"To ideate a twelvemonth ago, erstwhile I'd ne'er kicked a shot before, to wherever I americium now, there's excessively galore group to convey astatine this stage.

"I consciousness for illustration nan luckiest man live correct now. It's unbelievable.

"To beryllium retired present and showcasing yourself connected nan shape that it is, successful nan world's biggest league, it doesn't get overmuch amended than that."

With past year's starter successful his position, Blake Grupe, taking nan earlier kicks successful nan game, Smyth sat connected nan sidelines connected Saturday unsure if he would get nan opportunity to footwear a section extremity successful his Saints debut.

However, pinch nan Cardinals holding a precocious lead, and nan Saints successful possession of nan shot arsenic clip ticked away, he sensed nan crippled would travel down to his correct foot.

While nan athletics whitethorn still beryllium comparatively new, it was a script he faced galore times down nan years successful his first sporting love, Gaelic football.

"You miss, you suffer aliases you people and you win," he said. "For that to beryllium my first kick, it was nan worldly of dreams. You ideate those scenarios erstwhile you’re increasing up, past infinitesimal of nan crippled scoring a '45'.

"If I missed that footwear group would make assumptions, ‘he can’t grip nan pressure’, but I conscionable showed that I tin and that’s why it felt truthful important."

While nan 37-yard region would beryllium viewed arsenic comparatively regular for an NFL kicker, Smyth said he landed an effort from arsenic agelong arsenic 66 yards during his warm-ups, pinch training campy offering an opportunity to show his scope to nan coaches.

"You person to effort and impressment retired present each time to triumph a occupation truthful that’s what I’ve been doing," he added.

After taking connected nan 49ers, location is 1 last pre-season crippled for nan Saints, against nan Tennessee Titans connected 25 August, earlier roster decisions are made and nan squad commencement their regular play schedule astatine location to nan Carolina Panthers connected 8 September.

Should Smyth suffer retired connected a spot to nan much knowledgeable Grupe, who made 30 of his 37 section extremity attempts past season, he could still beryllium retained connected nan Saints' believe squad, though nan rookie remains "hopeful" that things will break his way.

"There is simply a batch to beryllium played retired earlier then, 2 much weeks of training campy and 2 games," he said. "The wide head is nan 1 who makes nan decisions, but I’ve been told conscionable to attraction connected my kicks.

"I want to beryllium nan starting kicker, but I can’t power that, each I tin do is support making kicks and that will thief power nan decision.

"I’m hopeful, but astatine nan extremity of nan time I’m still caller to nan NFL and immoderate nan result is I will judge arsenic what is meant to be."