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Is it possible to make it to the NFL if your Irish?

  • 22-11-2011 12:54AM
    #1
    nfl mad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    Hello everyone.

    So is it possible? I fear that no will be the answer. Im a young lad and i love the NFL, i would someday love to play in it but i cant seem to see that happening given i live in ireland, as it seems very much the case that you need to play college ball in the US and if you dont, your screwed.
    I play soccer and rugby, and even though im pretty good at rugby, i dont like it to be honest. Everyone tell's me i will be a star in the future, even my coach stopped my mum in the street not long ago and started going on about how 'great i am' bla bla bla, the man is even going to get some guy out from the irfu or something to have a look, a development coach or something. In fairness, he's right. i easily run in a minimum of 10/12 trys per match, largely down to my speed but i only play it to keep everyone happy. There's no way i want to be playing in a few year's, not a hope. Im going to play pure ****e when/if this guy comes out. Anyway, to get back on point, is their any hope of the NFL dream? Maybe im just an idiot with ridiculous notions. Also i know there's a big difference between rugby and the NFL.

    Thanks all.:)


«1

Comments

  • #2
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    nfl mad wrote: »
    Hello everyone.

    So is it possible? I fear that no will be the answer. Im a young lad and i love the NFL, i would someday love to play in it but i cant seem to see that happening given i live in ireland, as it seems very much the case that you need to play college ball in the US and if you dont, your screwed.
    I play soccer and rugby, and even though im pretty good at rugby, i dont like it to be honest. Everyone tell's me i will be star in the future, even my coach stopped my mum in the street not long ago and started going on about how 'great i am' bla bla bla, the man is even going to get some guy out from the irfu or something to have a look, a development coach or something. In fairness, he's right. i easily run in a minimum of 10/12 trys per match, largely down to my speed but i only play it to keep everyone happy. There's no way i want to be playing in a few year's, not a hope. Im going to play pure ****e when/if this guy comes out. Anyway, to get back on point, is their any hope of the NFL dream? Maybe im just an idiot with ridiculous notions. Also i know there's a big difference between rugby and the NFL.

    Thanks all.:)

    A good start to trying the sport is joining an IAFL team here in Ireland.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70888669&postcount=169

    But realistically unless you start at a high school level in the US your chances are pretty slim. Another route would be to pay about 30-60k to go to a D1 college and try walk on but even then you are at a disadvantage.

    There are a few ex IAFL guys playing in lower division college football DII or DIII and some more trying to make it happen. They most likely wont make the NFL but the experience they will gain from stepping from the IAFL into NCAA football would be huge.

    As I said give the sport a try to start and see if you actually like playing it or are any good at it. If you are as good the athlete you say you are you wont have any problems fitting in if you listen to the coaches.


  • #3
    Syferus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,966 ✭✭✭Syferus


    nfl mad wrote: »
    Hello everyone.

    So is it possible? I fear that no will be the answer. Im a young lad and i love the NFL, i would someday love to play in it but i cant seem to see that happening given i live in ireland, as it seems very much the case that you need to play college ball in the US and if you dont, your screwed.
    I play soccer and rugby, and even though im pretty good at rugby, i dont like it to be honest. Everyone tell's me i will be a star in the future, even my coach stopped my mum in the street not long ago and started going on about how 'great i am' bla bla bla, the man is even going to get some guy out from the irfu or something to have a look, a development coach or something. In fairness, he's right. i easily run in a minimum of 10/12 trys per match, largely down to my speed but i only play it to keep everyone happy. There's no way i want to be playing in a few year's, not a hope. Im going to play pure ****e when/if this guy comes out. Anyway, to get back on point, is their any hope of the NFL dream? Maybe im just an idiot with ridiculous notions. Also i know there's a big difference between rugby and the NFL.

    Thanks all.:)

    Are you sure you're not playing World Rugby Challenge on the PS3? :pac:

    Simple answer is you'd need to attended an american college, preferably a junior one and make enough of an impression on their football team for a Division I college to want to bring you to their program. Even then you'd have to be exceedingly good to make the team, let alone get an NFL team interested. You could just try to be a walk-on for a major college, but that would involve even more money on tuition, and you'd need to meet their significantly higher academic standards as well.

    There's no other way unless you plan on being a punter or kicker.


  • #4
    nfl mad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭nfl mad


    Syferus wrote: »
    Are you sure you're not playing World Rugby Challenge on the PS3? :pac:

    Simple answer is you'd need to attended an american college, preferably a junior one and make enough of an impression on their football team for a Division I college to want to bring you to their program. Even then you'd have to be exceedingly good to make the team, let alone get an NFL team interested. You could just try to be a walk-on for a major college, but that would involve even more money on tuition, and you'd need to meet their significantly higher academic standards as well.

    There's no other way unless you plan on being a punter or kicker.

    Ha! Ha! No, it's the real deal.:pac:


  • #5
    nfl mad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭nfl mad


    Yeah, i was afraid of those answers. Whats a punter/kicker btw lads?
    Thanks for the replie's btw, il check out that website too.


  • #6
    Dohnny Jepp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭Dohnny Jepp


    nfl mad wrote: »
    Whats a punter/kicker btw lads?

    Stick to rugby :P


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  • #7
    Peyton Manning
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,658 ✭✭✭✭Peyton Manning


    Oh good Jesus


  • #8
    Benny Cake
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,145 ✭✭✭Benny Cake


    Seeing how you've mastered imaginary rugby, the jump to imaginary NFL should be easy... go for it!!


  • #9
    Frisbee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,579 ✭✭✭✭Frisbee


    nfl mad wrote: »
    Yeah, i was afraid of those answers. Whats a punter/kicker btw lads?

    So not only are you some sort of hybrid of Brian Habana and T-1000. You are also absolutely mad about Football and have aspirations of playing in the NFL but have no idea what a punter/kicker is.

    Skeptical Frisbee is skeptical.


  • #10
    killwill
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,785 ✭✭✭killwill


    Wasn't there talks of Ronan O'Gara heading over to try out a couple of years ago?
    I believe he even mentioned it in his autobiography.


  • #11
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    killwill wrote: »
    Wasn't there talks of Ronan O'Gara heading over to try out a couple of years ago?
    I believe he even mentioned it in his autobiography.

    Try 8 years ago :D And yup there was an informal conversation between the Miami Dolphins Agents and O'Gara to bring him in and try out as a kicker.


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  • #12
    Syferus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,966 ✭✭✭Syferus


    tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »
    Try 8 years ago :D And yup there was an informal conversation between the Miami Dolphins Agents and O'Gara to bring him in and try out as a kicker.

    And the irony of economics meant being a place-kicker or a punter on minimum NFL wages for those positions means he'd make magnitudes more than he does being a star out-half here.

    If a rugby out-half, particularly a Ronan O'Gara type that's excellent at kicking for position and place-kicking wanted a sunset career they could do alot worse than trying their hand at the NFL, the age profile for kickers (and indeed the places they're looking for kickers in, like Australia and Aussie Rules football) makes it a viable option.


  • #13
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    Syferus wrote: »
    And the irony of economics meant being a place-kicker or a punter on minimum NFL wages for those positions means he'd make magnitudes more than he does being a star out-half here.

    He wasn't prepared to give up on his contract here to only try out for the Dolphins. The fact it was an informal offer to try out means no money would have even been on the table and at the time O'Gara would have been mad to give up his already paid job which he was good at to try out for a sport he might not have been good at.


  • #14
    Syferus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,966 ✭✭✭Syferus


    tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »
    He wasn't prepared to give up on his contract here to only try out for the Dolphins. The fact it was an informal offer to try out means no money would have even been on the table and at the time O'Gara would have been mad to give up his already paid job which he was good at to try out for a sport he might not have been good at.

    Well, of course. The fact is that the sort of money even high profile out-halves can be offered by NFL teams would make any of them think about it, particularly if they're nearing - or in - their thirties. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the better club out-halves getting try-outs in the future.


  • #15
    bruschi
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 4,149 Mod ✭✭✭✭bruschi


    nfl mad wrote: »
    i love the NFL,
    nfl mad wrote: »
    Whats a punter/kicker btw lads?

    :D brilliant! best of luck with that by the way! hope you get your NFL dream!

    as regards the other points on herre, surprised that no rugby place kicker has gone to America to make it. There are 3 aussies punting, McBriar at Dallas (although he didnt come through the AFL route, although he had played it underage, but went through college at Hawaii. how bad??!!!), Sav Rocca at Redskins (through Philly and a long and good career with Aussie Rules side Collingwood), and Ben Graham (through Jets, Saints and recently Cardinals who let him go not so long ago after playing AFL career with Geelong). it'd be a great addition to a carrer playing another sport to be able to 'retire' with a few kicks a week and getting paid a crapload.

    seeing some of the place kickers in college, and I'd always wonder how I'd even go with it! some of them look pure useless, and their stats are terrible. granted, the pressure on the kick, lads running at you, crowd, quick snaps etc, but still, kickers missing chip shots in front of the goal is criminal!


  • #16
    jester1980
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 742 ✭✭✭jester1980


    D_Red_Army wrote: »
    Seeing how you've mastered imaginary rugby, the jump to imaginary NFL should be easy... go for it!!

    Thats hilarous HA HA HA


  • #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    An Irish kicker played in the 70s and 80s, cannot remember his name but I'll try and find it.

    Also there was a news story on RTE a few yaers back about a guy from Althone getting a scholarship to play linebacker at some Div III school in suburban Boston.

    As for rugby kickers not making the NFL I think a lot may have to do with the kicking technique.

    A rugby kicker has the ball placed on the tee, then takes an age to do his side steps, wiggle his feet, bend his knees, fix his hair etc and then he kicks.

    An NFL kicker gets the snap placed for him then has a couple of seconds to get the kick off with 300+ lb giants baring down on him, big difference.

    Found Him http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/NFLtrialists.html
    O'Donoghue, Neil - Born in Ireland, he attended Auburn College and was their kicker. He was a 5th round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 1977. He played 5 games for the Bills, and then joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who he played for in 1978 and 1979 completing 24 of 43 field goals and 55 of 64 PATs. He played for the St Louis Cardinals between 1980 and 1985 completing 86 of 141 field goals and 181 of 188 PATs. His best season was 1984 when he scored 117 points.Holds several kicking records for the Cardinals, Tampa Bay and Buffalo.http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/05890097 and
    http://www.bucpower.com/neil-odonoghue.html.


  • #18
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,013 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Didn't the O'Gara thing to turn out to be a ploy by his agent when he was negotiatinga deal. A journalist called the Dolphins and they said somthign like "what? Who? Never heard of him"


  • #19
    bruschi
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 4,149 Mod ✭✭✭✭bruschi


    Dodge wrote: »
    Didn't the O'Gara thing to turn out to be a ploy by his agent when he was negotiatinga deal. A journalist called the Dolphins and they said somthign like "what? Who? Never heard of him"

    I had thought the very same as well to be honest, that there was no truth to the rumours.

    edit, quick google has heaps of articles with offers of $12 million contracts for him (WTF?).

    and then one quick articles that puts all the rest to bed.

    http://irishecho.com/?p=55827
    “While amused, the Dolphins denied reports they offered Irish rugby star Ronan O’Gara $12 million to be a punter. British television and the Irish Times reported Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga met with O’Gara in Ireland and expressed interest in signing him. Dolphins’ vice-president Rick Spielman said he has never heard of O’Gara.”

    was it mentioned in his autobigraphy about it maybe?


  • #20
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,013 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Just googled it myself. Apparently his autobiography states that it was a bargaining move.

    He met the owner. Was contacted by a journalist and didn't deny it. Snowballed from there.

    Won't bother with links as they're just forums and stuff


  • #21
    Syferus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,966 ✭✭✭Syferus


    Dodge wrote: »
    Just googled it myself. Apparently his autobiography states that it was a bargaining move.

    He met the owner. Was contacted by a journalist and didn't deny it. Snowballed from there.

    Won't bother with links as they're just forums and stuff

    Yeah, but I'm surprised more teams don't make more than informal meetings or offers. They need to be trying out these players in the off-season (both sports' overlap between May-August, at least in northern hemisphere rugby). Maybe they are and players try to keep it very quiet so as not to upset their current paymasters, but I'd expect one to have made it to the big time if that was the case.

    Even with the difference in kicking technique all out-halves have to be good at punting and drop-kicks, which are very much like field goals in terms of pressure, rugby out-halves, given the two games common heritage as well, seem like the ideal breeding ground for kickers with the basic skills to be an all-round kicker/punter as well as having the ability to run fakes very effectively.


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  • #22
    Dodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,013 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    I think its probably more to do with being relative stars in their home countries 9in the sport they've played all their life) while being relative nobodies in the NFL too.

    An insane amount of ex-Aussie Rules guy as punters in the NFL now though


  • #23
    sReq | uTeK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,062 ✭✭✭sReq | uTeK


    good troll btw.


  • #24
    Syferus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,966 ✭✭✭Syferus


    Dodge wrote: »
    I think its probably more to do with being relative stars in their home countries 9in the sport they've played all their life) while being relative nobodies in the NFL too.

    An insane amount of ex-Aussie Rules guy as punters in the NFL now though

    I'd agree that that works for bigger stars like O'Gara or Sexton, who also have a bunch of money tied to lucrative commercial endorsements, but what about the Ian Keatleys or the Ian Humphries of the world, players who have good club careers but are never going to make much besides their relatively small contracts? Those are the players the NFL needs to be targeting and even NCAA Division I schools would be very, very smart to offer young out-halves scholarships to improve their kicking situation.


  • #25
    vinny chase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 816 ✭✭✭vinny chase


    Haven't heard of the linebacker from Athlone; but it's possible you were referring to a guy named Glenn Baker who went over years ago to play low-ish level college football. He was an offensive lineman I believe. He was actually from Cork but his family had moved to Athlone shortly before he left for America.

    Haven't heard about anything in the years since being honest. A friend of mine played rugby with him once or twice; and wasn't exactly complimentary of him. Said he had freakish size, but fitness was absolutely abysmal and he seemed a bit soft, in that he didn't seem to like the physicality. I don't know how you could be an o-lineman in those circumstances!


  • #26
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    vinny chase wrote: »
    Haven't heard of the linebacker from Athlone; but it's possible you were referring to a guy named Glenn Baker who went over years ago to play low-ish level college football. He was an offensive lineman I believe. He was actually from Cork but his family had moved to Athlone shortly before he left for America.

    Haven't heard about anything in the years since being honest. A friend of mine played rugby with him once or twice; and wasn't exactly complimentary of him. Said he had freakish size, but fitness was absolutely abysmal and he seemed a bit soft, in that he didn't seem to like the physicality. I don't know how you could be an o-lineman in those circumstances!

    Glenn was a Defensive Lineman and finished out high school in the US and then went on to Mount Ida College a DIII college. As for his size when I first met him he was just a big fat guy, but now the guy is a solid athlete and totally different to what he was before he left Ireland. Still a big dude but fit as a fiddle and 90% muscle now. They whipped him into shape in the high school.


  • #27
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    Syferus wrote: »
    I'd agree that that works for bigger stars like O'Gara or Sexton, who also have a bunch of money tied to lucrative commercial endorsements, but what about the Ian Keatleys or the Ian Humphries of the world, players who have good club careers but are never going to make much besides their relatively small contracts? Those are the players the NFL needs to be targeting and even NCAA Division I schools would be very, very smart to offer young out-halves scholarships to improve their kicking situation.

    Why would they when they have an already large playing pool who can already kick and as someone said have been doing for years.

    As for kicking the ball it is completely different so there would be a high chance a lot of development would be needed. The amount of Rugby guys I have come across in my time trying to kick an American football that just couldn't adjust to the size of the US ball even though they were flawless with a rugby ball.

    Most recent guy was a guy who is plays high level rugby here and he just couldn't get his head around the ball being snapped to him and the run up needed to kick it. My best kickers are a GAA player and Soccer player.

    Its mad that people automatically assume Rugby kicker because of the similar shape of the balls would be the better choice. Their ball is squarer in shape and a lot bigger.

    As for the Aussies they fit perfectly into punting because their own ball is similar in shape and the AFL has them kicking the ball the same way you would expect a punter to do it. They do it for the most part of every game they play in so they hon their skills.


  • #28
    vinny chase
    Closed Accounts Posts: 816 ✭✭✭vinny chase


    tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »
    Glenn was a Defensive Lineman and finished out high school in the US and then went on to Mount Ida College a DIII college. As for his size when I first met him he was just a big fat guy, but now the guy is a solid athlete and totally different to what he was before he left Ireland. Still a big dude but fit as a fiddle and 90% muscle now. They whipped him into shape in the high school.

    I didn't doubt they would make huge strides in terms of fitness; but hearing guys say he didn't like the physical side of it isn't something any amount of time in a gym is going to cure him of.

    Also; 90% sure he was an O-Lineman; think he played a spot of d-line too but pretty sure he was primarily O-Line.


  • #29
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    bruschi wrote: »

    seeing some of the place kickers in college, and I'd always wonder how I'd even go with it! some of them look pure useless, and their stats are terrible. granted, the pressure on the kick, lads running at you, crowd, quick snaps etc, but still, kickers missing chip shots in front of the goal is criminal!

    I asked a friend of mine who was a Special team coordinator in a college why is college kicking so bad and he said it was all down to the lack of consistency in blocking and the long snap back and the holder holding the football. He said when you take the pressure off the kick in practice those kicker nail almost all of them but when the pressure is added the mistakes happen and the kicker then takes the brunt of it.

    College football doesn't have the solid consistency the NFL does when it comes to the guys blocking, the long snapper and the holder and the kicker.

    Now there is some guys in college who are bad kicker on top of all that but if you look at some of the kickers in the NFL right now some of them had pretty average college careers. But as there is only 32 teams in the NFL and few hundred top colleges in the NCAA not to mention the other colleges outside the top divisions the NFL will never be short for top kickers.

    For example Billy Cundiff sits in the top 4 of the stats for kicker right now in the NFL. In his last season with Drake University a FCS(D1aa) school, He only had a 67% completion rating. But if you look at his kicks in the Pros he is one of the best out there. It shows the NFL are quite capable of finding good enough kickers from the NCAA system.


  • #30
    tallaghtoutlaws
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭tallaghtoutlaws


    vinny chase wrote: »
    I didn't doubt they would make huge strides in terms of fitness; but hearing guys say he didn't like the physical side of it isn't something any amount of time in a gym is going to cure him of.

    Also; 90% sure he was an O-Lineman; think he played a spot of d-line too but pretty sure he was primarily O-Line.

    Yup my bad I meant to say Offensive lineman. He played as a tackle and a guard. I used to play with Glenn here and still chat to him the odd time on FB.

    As for the physical side that is bs Glenn snapped out of that very quickly when he went to the US and did well on all fronts including the physical side.


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  • #31
    nfl mad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭nfl mad


    Frisbee wrote: »
    So not only are you some sort of hybrid of Brian Habana and T-1000. You are also absolutely mad about Football and have aspirations of playing in the NFL but have no idea what a punter/kicker is.

    Skeptical Frisbee is skeptical.

    The lads i play soccer with adore the game and yet half of them dont know how to take a throw in properly.:pac::P:o also i misread the post. sorry.:o


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