Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Rory Beggan gave his chances of securing an NFL contract a significant shot in the arm this evening, delivering a perfect display of field goal kicking in front of scouts from various NFL franchises.
The Monaghan All Star landed ten field goals from ten attempts while his compatriots also put in strong showings.
Down youngster Charlie Smyth hit nine of his ten kicks while Wicklow’s Mark Jackson landed seven from ten.
Overall, it was an impressive day with the boot for the Irish players who kicked from initially from 25 yards and worked all the way back to 60.
Footage from Conor Mangan, who was on site at the Pro Day in University of South Florida, showed Beggan’s record was spotless while Jackson also nailed his first seven before missing from 50, 55 and 60 yards.
Smyth missed from 55 yards but recovered to land the longest kick of the day though there was a question mark over one of his other efforts.
Beggan, Smyth and Jackson also took kick offs in front of watching scouts. Interestingly, Jackson also punted on the day, having kicked at the Combine earlier this month.
The other Irish player who is part of the International Player Pathway (IPP), former Connacht rugby player Darragh Leader, took limited part on the day as he continues to struggle with injury.
Today’s Sport News in 90 Seconds – 20th March
All four Irish players have been signed by agents. Beggan, Smyth and Leader are with Pro Star Sports while Jackson has signed with the same agency as Justin Tucker, the highest paid kicker in the history of the NFL.
There are significant incentives for NFL outfits to sign an international player. For the first time, each of the 32 NFL teams have a 17th roster spot on the practice squad specifically available for an international player.
Since the IPP program began in 2017, 37 participants have signed with NFL teams, and five have been active for at least one game. Both of those statistics are tipped to rocket.
The Irish players, as free agents, can be signed at any time though it’s likely that some teams could wait until after the Draft in Detroit at the end of April to fill out their roster.