Kerryman Makes College Football Debut For Georgia Tech

Kerryman Makes College Football Debut For Georgia Tech
PJ Browne
By PJ Browne
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David Shanahan made his debut for Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Kerryman plays as a punter for the Yellow Jackets' college football team.

Shanahan - playing in what was his first ever competitive game of American football - punted the ball three times, averaging 52.7 yards per kick. His longest kick was 63 yards, while two were taken as touchbacks.

Georgia Tech agonisingly lost the game 22-21 to Northern Illinois.

In the post-match press conference, Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins name checked Shanahan as part of the team's improving kicking game.

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"You've seen how much the kicking game has improved," said Collins.

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"I thought Gavin Stewart did a great job kicking off for us. Even David Shanahan, for the first time punting in a college football game, I think he averaged 52 or 53 yards per punt in his first action."

After going 14-0 down, Georgia Tech fought back to lead 21-14. In the final minute, Northern Illinois scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion to take the win.

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Shanahan, who played for the Castleisland Desmonds club, was part of the Kerry U17 football panel which won the 2017 Munster title. Last year, he was awarded a full scholarship to attend Georgia Tech and play college football.

When he was 15, Shanahan noticed that many of the punters in college football are Australian.

"I suppose that was kind of my light bulb moment," he told Balls last year.

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"I got the notion that I could be a punter."

While researching punting technique, he came across Prokick, an Australian company which helps athletes become American football punters and placekickers.

Shanahan sent them a video package of him kicking, and one of their coaches flew to Ireland for a trial. He later moved to Melbourne to train with Prokick, and through their contacts, he earned the scholarship.

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Kerryman David Shanahan makes

Georgia Tech debut

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david shanahan kerry georgia tech punter debut
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