WHERE ARE WE for the latest sport crossover story?
Is Rory Beggan for the Braves or the Warriors, or indeed the Buffalo Bills?
The last one might not be completely off the mark as the Irish Independent confirmed today that Beggan, along with Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson, are to take part in a combine in Indianapolis between 27 February and 5 March.
The idea of athletes trying different codes is intriguing but hardly a well-worn path.
The most common one that we in Ireland are familiar with is Gaelic footballers and occasional hurlers heading off to play Australian Rules, and there are numerous links to ease the passage.
It’s become a notable facet of the ladies’ game. Following the AFLW this season has revealed that the best players in Gaelic football; Orla O’Dwyer, Aishling Moloney, Niamh Kelly, Aimee Mackin among others, happen to be the best players in the Australian Football League Women’s game.
33 players representing 16 different counties were on the rosters this year and that figure will only grow. The chance to play paid sport in the sunshine, with more than a headstart has to be insanely tempting given the average, unpaid workload that a top player for club and county would have in Gaelic football.
American Football has the potential to become a new Goldrush sport and there’s been a few links to Gaelic football.
The first of its’ case was Tom Furlong, brother of Offaly goalkeeper Martin who togged out for the Atlanta Falcons, but picked up an injury in the final pre-season game. His chance then vanished.
Mick O’Connell, to many people’s minds the greatest of the Kerry midfielders, was reputedly very close to being offered a contract with the Los Angeles Rams after impressing assistant coach Jack Faulkner while on holiday on the American west coast. His age at the time – 36 – was the issue.
In 2003, with Ireland Rugby looking in good shape heading into a World Cup, Ronan O’Gara found himself playing a game for Cork Con in mid-March. Afterwards, he confirmed to reporters that he had been talking to the owner of the Miami Dolphins, H Wayne Huizenga. The offer on the table was reputedly $12 million for four years.
Rory Beggan is 31. He has worked as a county coach, and a sales manager. There is no reason he would not go.
And his age is no real cause for concern now.
In 2014, the Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri became the fourth kicker in NFL history to convert every single kick over a full season.
When asked about his success, he talked of “Trying to stay consistent,” and taking good care of his body. By that stage, in the form of his life, he was blowing out 42 candles on his last birthday cake.
What is required physically of American football kickers depends on what you deem important.
Vinatieri was in the form of his life but he wasn’t tearing things up in the gym.
“I don’t get under a heavy squat rack or do a lot of heavy power cleaning anymore,” he said in an interview.
“It’s hard on the joints and when you get a little bit older, you can do other things that doesn’t take quite as much strain on your body. I do a lot of core stuff to keep my core and hips loose and limber and strong. The workouts have evolved.”
Expectations are constantly being upgraded about accuracy over 50 metres in the NFL. The question might remain if Beggan is supple enough.
Some of these kickers are on a par with the David Clifford ability to bring your kneecap to your forehead, in order to get over the block.
Beggan does not kick like that. He has a beautiful stroke and gets plenty of air into the kick, but there is very little follow-through. Does that matter?
The goals are 18 feet, six inches wide in American football, significantly tighter that the 21-plus feet width of GAA goals.
However, Beggan’s strength is undoubtedly his ability to block out everything around him, and even a run of misses – such as he had in the first half of the Ulster club win over Kilcoo a few weeks back, doesn’t prevent him from stepping up to kick the winner.
The average career of a kicker/punter, according to a study conducted last September, is the longest of all positions in the NFL, but that’s still only 4.87 seasons.
None of that will discourage Beggan. The disappointment of losing the Ulster club final to Glen on Sunday, now will give way to anticipation and excitement of a possible career change.
It would seem likely that Monaghan will miss him for league games against Dublin, Kerry, Derry, Roscommon and Galway.
Within the club, Beggan has seen off the challenge of Conor Forde, who was the Monaghan minor goalkeeper, who won the Ulster title in 2013, the day Beggan won the senior title.
Forde later joined the senior panel for club and county, but, frustrated with his lack of playing time, transferred to nearby Emyvale.
From time to time, Cian Mohan, a cousin of Ryan McAnespie, has floated around the Monaghan panel too. He is the Scotstown reserve goalkeeper.
In Beggan’s absence could come substitute goalkeeper Darren McDonnell of Clontibret; his understudy last season.
But in truth, there’s no replacing Rory Beggan.