All it takes is one shining moment for an athlete to get their big break. Just ask Irish soccer player Charlie Smyth.
On Friday, the New Orleans Saints signed Smyth through the NFAL’s International Player Pathway. He’ll get to compete with Saints kicker Blake Grupe this offseason.
Smyth, 22, was a goalkeeper for the Gaelic football club in Ireland. During the month of March, he showcased his skillset in front of scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and South Florida Pro Day.
Clearly, the Saints were impressed with Smyth’s potential.
Earlier this week, a video of Smyth making a 63-yard field goal surfaced on social media. The way his attempt cut through the wind was truly impressive.
Check out this unreal 63-yard rocket from IPP Class of ’24 prospect Charlie Smyth!! 🇮🇪
🎥 (al.exander9228/IG) pic.twitter.com/oXuHesNohc
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) March 26, 2024
For what it’s worth, Smyth made 12 of his 16 field goal attempts at the NFL Combine.
The Saints will begin their offseason program in April 15. That gives Smyth a few more weeks to
It’ll be interesting to see if Smyth can dethrone Grupe as the starting kicker for the Saints.
Last season, Grupe converted 30 of his 37 field goal attempts. Oddly enough, two of his misses came from the 20-29 yard range.