By Michael McQuaid
Special to NewOrleansSaints.com
MAYOBRIDGE, COUNTY DOWN — In a postgame interview after Sunday’s win against the Panthers, Charlie Smyth was beaming. Suddenly, he was interrupted by his teammate, veteran Saints linebacker Demario Davis . “They should make a movie about this guy,” he exclaimed.
At the same time, some 4,340 miles away in what the locals call “the wee hours of the morning,” the village of Mayobridge was struggling to come to terms with the fact that they had to sleep. You see, their local lad Charlie had just kicked a game-winning 47-yard field goal for the New Orleans Saints in what was only his third regular season game in the NFL.
Sports fandom isn’t new to Mayobridge, a small town 90 minutes north of Dublin. But Gaelic sports like rugby and soccer tend to dominate. And here, you play for your village or town — the pinnacle is playing for your county; trying to win the famous Sam Maguire Cup in Gaelic Football, or the Liam MacCarthy in hurling.
Gaelic sports are played on an amateur basis and with no salary. You would play in front of 82,300 on a Sunday, and the next morning, you would get up and go to work. It’s played for the love of the game and pride in where you come from. For Smyth and thousands of athletes like him, it’s what makes sports special across the island of Ireland.
Yes, we have had various players make the move down under to play Australian Rules football. But a Mayobridge local moving to the United States to take on the NFL is unheard of. In fact, Smyth’s debut in the NFL introduced many to American football.
To be clear: Smyth’s story has transcended sport in Ireland in recent weeks. On Monday morning, news of his game-winning field goal was the top read story on Ireland’s national broadcasters website. In a world where many teams now play internationally as much as they can, Smyth has taken the exposure of the game in Ireland to a different level in just under a month.
THE ROAD SOUTH
So how does a young man from a village of 1,000 people make it to Louisiana?
Enter Tadhg Leader, a former rugby player turned coach for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. When Smyth attended a session for the first time, it was clear to Leader that there was something very special ahead.
“It was obvious from the beginning that Charlie had the raw potential,” he said. “What allowed me to give my absolute all in terms of Charlie’s development was his mind-set and his willingness to get better — but also his willingness to embrace challenges and things others might see as uncomfortable.
“He wanted it. He wanted to feel as under pressure at all times as possible. He had, and continues to have, a unique mentality about everything. As a coach, when you meet a guy like that, you can’t help but go all in. I’m so proud of the journey that he has made.”
In Mayobridge, it was intriguing to say the least. Charlie’s friend Liam McManus was stunned when he heard the idea.
“When he first told us about all the kicking he was doing with Leader, we told him to catch himself on. We’d be heading for pints and he’d say no — he was going to Dublin to kick,” he said.
“There was laughter between friends, but it was clear he was focused. When Charlie sets his mind to something, I don’t know a more determined lad. He’s fiercely competitive, fancies himself at most things, and even if you beat him, he’ll still tell you he’s better.”
Leader took Smyth and four other athletes to the NFL’s International spotlight at the Combine in February of last year.
In Ireland at least, nobody could have expected what was to come. The reality is, that after a Super Bowl — when there are no more weekly games — the sport goes quiet. Never before was an NFL Combine as publicized as Smyth’s. National media and sports fans across Ireland were tuned in. When a young man from a village in Ireland decides to give the NFL a whack, it creates a whirl of discussion around the area.
“How did Charlie get on? Do you think he could make it?” I was asked in a grocery store the evening after the NFL Combine finished. “Ah, sure it will be too difficult to make it over there with no experience.”
Less than a month later, Smyth was signed by the New Orleans Saints.
It’s easy — and almost a real element of Irishness — to be pessimistic about something, especially when nobody has done it.
But Smyth had the experience of kicking a ball for his local club in Mayobridge, for the Down county team, and at his alma mater, St. Colman’s College and St. Mary’s University College, where he studied to be a teacher. With Down, Smyth won the Ulster Under-20 Championship, scoring in every game of the campaign.
It was clear that a bright future lay ahead.
