There's some fascinating news for fans of the GAA and American football this morning as Monaghan's Rory Beggan and Wicklow's Mark Jackson have both been linked to trials at next year's NFL combine.
Beggan and Jackson, both goalkeepers, are two of the best dead ball specialists in gaelic football.
According to a report in this morning's Irish Independent, they've both been invited to the 2024 NFL combine in Indianapolis where they can audition beside recently-drafted kickers and punters.
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Rory Beggan about to join the NFL?
These are really exciting times for Irish NFL fans. Daniel Whelan, who was born in Wicklow before moving to California, has excelled with the Green Bay Packers this season their punter. He's the first Irish-born NFL player since Neil O'Donoghue in 1985.
Castleisland's Daniel Shanahan has enjoyed a great season with Georgia Tech in the college game this year.
As the NFL has looked to expand its global footprint, we've wondered how long it would be until a player with a GAA background transitioned into the NFL ranks.
It's incredible that a player as high-profile as Beggan is one of the players being linked to a move stateside.
Beggan's 2023 season has just finished after Scotstown lost the Ulster final on Sunday: it was full of memorable, clutch kicks and it would be so fun to watch one of the GAA's best players taking in a helmet and shoulder pads.
While Beggan is in his 30s, NFL kickers tend to have longevity: hall-of-fame kicker Morten Anderson didn't retire until he was 47 years old.
Jackson himself has a huge boot and eclipsed the 100 point mark for Wicklow during last year's league despite only being 24-years-old.
Beggan and Jackson are two of the three intercounty goalkeepers who've eclipsed the 100 point mark.
Of course, placekicking and punting are two of the toughest jobs in the NFL, with very little margin for error.
The Independent report says that both players took part in a kicking combine in London in October, where they earned the right to kick in front of NFL teams at next year's combine.
It would obviously be a huge blow for both counties, especially for Vinny Corey and Farney men as they look to retain Division 1 status.
But for the two men, it sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
