KICKING COACH TADHG Leader has delivered a positive review of the Irish performers at the recent NFL combine, predicting some may sign with professional sides within the next six weeks. 

Leader, a former Connacht rugby player, established Leader Kicking in 2022, aiming to bringing Irish talent into the NFL. It was through that scheme that Rory Beggan (Monaghan), Mark Jackson (Wicklow) and Charlie Smyth (Down) swapped Gaelic football for a showing at last Sunday’s international combine in Indianapolis, at which they were invited to display their kicking skills in front of representatives from each of the NFL’s 32 franchises. 

Leader says there has been interest in the Irish players, and as a result they will stay on in Florida rather than fly home, so as to be more readily available to fly out to meet any potential suitors in the NFL. 

“The general consensus was ‘Wow, you guys are competing against the best of the best, you didn’t look out of place on that field,’” Leader told RTÉ Sport. 

“A couple of NFL teams came over to me pretty quickly afterwards and said ‘We’re quite interested in your guys’.

“So, pretty mad thing to say, but I think a couple of the lads are going to be getting signed to contracts in the next two to six weeks. Potentially sooner but that’s the usual timeline for these things. Very real, it’s gotten very real.

“Talking about lads from Monaghan, Down, Wicklow and Galway dealing directly with NFL teams is mad.

“Rory Beggan looked extremely composed, Charlie Smyth and Mark took a kick or two to find their rhythm but once they found it, they hit really impressive kicks, which again was articulated by the NFL staff to me.”