Down’s Charlie Smyth had the NFL debut of his dreams as he hit the game-winning field goal with seconds remaining for the New Orleans Saints yesterday.
It was Smyth’s first attempt in an NFL uniform since signing with the Louisiana-based team this off-season, and it was enough to give the Saints a 16-14 victory in their pre-season clash with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 22-year-old from Newry made the 37-yard winning field goal with ease in his first field goal attempt at any level of American football.
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“I thought it was awesome,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “For him to knock it through in a pressure situation like that was cool to see.”
The Saints blasted U2 music during the postgame celebration in the locker room.
Meanwhile, former Welsh rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit had his first NFL outing in Jacksonville as his Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by the Jaguars.
The former Wales winger performed as running back, kicker and kick-returner during Saturday’s match, in addition to being part of the punt coverage team.
He finished with two carries for one yard, one reception for three yards and one tackle on special teams. He even took a kick-off in the fourth quarter.
“It was a great first experience,” Rees-Zammit told the Irish NFL Show following the 26-13 loss at EverBank Stadium in Florida.
“I loved it, I loved getting the snaps I did, on special teams as well, which was great.
“I’ve just got to look back on this, review it and see how I can get better.
“The atmosphere was great, it was pretty electric in the stadium and there was a load of Chiefs fans, which helped massively. It was a great game and I’m looking forward to the next one.”