Jude McAtamney made his lone field goal attempt from 31 yards, as well as an extra point on Sunday, November 3 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
It marked the former Derry GAA star’s regular NFL season debut, as well as the first time an Irish man kicked a field goal in an NFL game since Dublin native Neil O’Donoghue scored for the St. Louis Cardinals on October 27, 1985.
On Saturday, the Giants announced that McAtamney was elevated from the team’s practice squad after Greg Joseph was placed on injured reserve with an abdominal injury.
The Giants ultimately lost 27-22 to the Washington Commanders.
Ireland’s Jude McAtamney is GOOD from 31-yards – his first NFL field goal! pic.twitter.com/CO28f1BqgL
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) November 3, 2024
The 24-year-old had the support of his hometown of Swatragh in Co Derry before he took the field on Sunday.
Michael Davitt’s GAC, McAtamney’s former club, said “Go Giants:”
— Michael Davitt GAC | Swatragh (@davittswatragh) November 3, 2024
McAtamney’s former school, St. Patrick’s College in Maghera, said they were so proud of their past pupil:
Dermot McEldowney, who taught McAtamney in primary school, told BBC Sport NI that it is “no surprise” that he’s made it.
Teacher knows best 🧑🏫
Jude McAtamney’s former teacher at primary school, Dermot McEldowney spotted his star quality at an early age ⤵️ #BBCNFL 🏈 #BBCGAA 🏐 pic.twitter.com/ryw02FrSYA
— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) November 4, 2024
Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, also sent her best wishes.
🏈 An incredible moment as South Derry’s Jude McAtamney makes his NFL debut with the New York Giants!
A very proud day for Jude, his family, the Swatragh community, and the GAA. Best wishes, Jude— everyone back home is behind you! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/LRjZNqNKkU
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) November 3, 2024
In August, McAtamney became the first-ever Irish-born person to play for the NFL’s New York Giants when he took the field during the preseason opener against the Detroit Lions.
While he’s the first Irish-born player for the Giants, he’s hardly the first Irish-born player in the NFL. According to Pro Football Reference, the other Irish-born NFL players are Daniel Whelan, Neil O’Donoghue, John Sinnott, Adrian Young, Tom Graham, Bob Nash, France Fitzgerald, Brian McGrath, Mickey Fallon, Con O’Brien, and Birtie Maher.
McAtamney, a former Gaelic football player who helped Derry win the inaugural Ulster Under-20 Football Championship in 2018, was signed as a rookie free agent by the New York Giants back in May through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.
He told IrishCentral in July that being selected by the Giants was the culmination of four years of hard work which were spurred by a “light bulb moment” after encountering Georgia Tech punter and Co Kerry native David Shanahan in May 2020.
After a year of training and repurposing the kicking skills he had learned through the GAA for American football, McAtamney received a scholarship for Chowan University, a Division 2 school in North Carolina.
“When people found out at home that I was going away, they thought I was mad because I just came off a decent enough year with Derry under 20s,” McAtamney told IrishCentral.
“It was my last year (as an under-20) and I was hoping to maybe get onto the senior squad after that.
“Then I left to go after kicking, and everyone’s like, ‘What the f*ck’s this guy doing’.”
After a season as the primary placekicker and kickoff specialist at Chowan, McAtamney was traded to Rutgers for the 2022 – 2023 seasons.
While at Rutgers, he impressed on his Pro Day, the most common source of player recruitment in the NFL, where he caught the attention of the New York Giants.
McAtamney went on to tell IrishCentral he has carried the “nuts and bolts” of kicking over from Gaelic football, but noted that he has had to learn the mental side of playing American football.
The Derry kicker emphasized the importance of being mentally sharp on game day, stating that American football games are “98% mental” as a placekicker.
“I do my warm-up and I might not get a kick again on the field for another two hours,” McAtamney said.
“And when you get that chance to kick again in two hours time, you have to take it. There’s no do-over.”