CHARLIE Smyth looks to have secured himself a future in the NFL after signing a two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints despite having never kicked a ball in a competitive game for the side to date.
The Louisiana-based franchise missed out on the playoffs this year finishing with a record of five wins and 12 losses in the 17 games they played, finishing as one of the 10 worst performing teams in the league.
Smyth is yet to make his competitive game debut for the Saints but did feature in all three of their preseason games, kicking the game-winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals with his very first kick in a game of American football.
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The Down and St Mary’s goalkeeper was signed onto NOLA’s practise squad as an International Player Pathway signing and has been spotted on the sideline of a few of the Saints' games this season.
However, he has served mainly as the understudy to Blake Grupe this season, who scored 87.1 per cent of his kicks this season, with his longest coming from 57 yards, a distance that Smyth has well exceeded in training.
In an interview with The Irish News after he was signed, the Maybridge clubman cited a lack of opportunities with ‘Bridge and the Mournemen to develop his Gaelic football career prompted his move Stateside, although he always has been a fan of the sport, supporting the Green Bay Packers.
As the off-season commences, Smyth will be relieved at the faith shown by the Saints to have signed him for a further two years, meaning he avoids the turbulent free agency market, which has often proved unkind to kickers like him.
