THERE IS GREAT anticipation in the halls of St Gerard’s School in Bray, as one of their former students prepares to chase history in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers punter Dan Whelan attended the school in Bray up to the third year before moving to California with his family at the age of 13. He was a budding out-half for St Gerard’s prior to the move, showing an early flair with his kicking skills.
It was anticipated that Whelan would be in line to break new ground with the Packers this year, following the release of veteran punter Pat O’Donnell. And the excitement intensified when the team’s 53-man roster was confirmed on Tuesday, with Whelan named as the only punter for the upcoming campaign.
Should he feature against the Bears, Whelan will become the first Irish-born player to feature in the NFL since 1985.
“It’s a very proud moment for the school,” says Whelan’s former PE teacher Ken Jolly who is the head of Boys’ Sport at St Gerard’s.
“He played 10 and I was his coach at the time. He was eager to learn, took instruction very well. He wouldn’t have been the the most vocal of the lot but not a lot of first years are at that stage.
“They don’t tend to want to stand out when they’re just starting school. But he was a dependable player. It wouldn’t have been groundbreaking and saying that this guy is going to make it big but he put the work in.
“He had a good boot on him for that age and he’s been slotting through the posts from an early age in that sense.”
After moving to Palm Springs, California, Whelan was enrolled into Rancho Mirage High School where he originally played soccer. He was then invited to try out as a kicker for the school’s football team and quickly flourished, kicking a 72-yard field goal during practice.
Whelan later attended the University of California-Davis where he entered the NFL draft in 2022. He signed for the New Orleans Saints last summer, and after his release, Whelan then joined XFL side the DC Defenders which led to his opportunity with the Packers.
Those who helped him take his formative steps in sport back in Ireland have always kept in touch with his progress through the years.
“Information is sent back to us from time to time,” says Jolly.
“And it’s all over the media now so it’s a lot easier for us. I suppose the first time we heard was when he was emerging out of the High School side of things.
“I know one of his relatives reached out to us, so there is a link there.
“As the season comes back in, a lot of the students get together to watch Red Zone and make a night of it. That might be a little more prominent now that Daniel is featuring.”
Whelan joins an elite group of former students who walked the halls of St Gerard’s. Ireland rugby star Jack Conan matriculated there before embarking on a career that is headed for a World Cup in the coming weeks. Hockey international Lena Tice was once part of the St Gerard’s community too.
And now Whelan will make his mark, as he prepares to follow in the footsteps of fellow Irishman Neil O’Donoghue who kicked for the St Louis Cardinals in 1985.
“We like to grow the player for longevity in sport. We know we won’t be producing world-beating teams but it’s always nice to have individuals out there representing the school, and the country as well,” says Jolly.
“We’ll definitely be putting out to the school community on social media and there is great excitement around the school for him.”
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