Galway man Tadhg Leader is employed by the National Football league (NFL) to scour the world to find kickers for the 32 major teams in the US
So maintains Galway man Tadhg Leader, who is employed by the National Football league (NFL) to scour the world to find kickers for the 32 major teams in the US.
While the NFL employ seven coaches, Tadhg is the only one they have who specialises in kickers.
“Growing up in Galway I was involved in the rugby world, with Galwegians. After leaving school I got involved with professional rugby with Connacht and did that for seven or eight years,” explains Tadhg, who hails from Castlegar and now lives in Loughrea.
“Myself and my brother Darragh, who now works with me, were both kickers. We would have spent our Christmases getting rugby balls and boots off Santa and going kicking for hours.
“I then found American football during Covid, having had no interest in it until then. It totally changed my life.”
Tadhg developed Leader Kicking, in sourcing kickers from the world of GAA and rugby initially for college football teams.
“They found me. Because the year before I sent guys to play in college. I found them and developed them to play in college and were a huge success,” he notes.
“Then when the NFL opened up an international programme. They noticed I sent guys to college who weren’t Americans but were foreigners. I also play professional rugby for Team USA so I know both sides of the coin.
Irishman Charlie Smyth scores the winning kick for New Orleans Saints
Irishman Charlie Smyth scores the winning kick for New Orleans Saints
“I’m the only coach that does kicking, there’s around eight coaches but I’m the only one for kicking. We do trials all over the world, India, South Africa, Brazil and we pick the five best.”
Five Irishmen were sent for trials last year, with former Down goalkeeper Charile Smyth securing a contract as a reserve kicker with the New Orleans Saints.
“Charlie signed a new two year contract a couple of weeks ago. There’s only around 40 to 42 guys in the world who get to be a kicker or a reserve kicker. Most teams don’t carry a reserve kicker,” he points out.
“A minimum salary for a kicker would be about $900,000 but the main guys would each be getting a couple of million.”
Charlie (23) is estimated to be on a salary for about €250,000.
So there’s a strong likelihood he will be a multimillionaire by the time he’s 30? “Hopefully”, replies Tadhg
He believes that because the market is so small for kickers he has found little resentment from Irish teams at the [possibility of losing players.
Charlie Smyth got signed
Charlie Smyth got signed
“Maybe with the AF (Australian Football league) there’s more of a concern,” he stresses. “Every single player in the AFL on the pitch needs to run and kick the ball. Obviously a lot of guys can go down there. With American football only one guy gets to kick, you only need one guy.
“Also the AFL versus NFL, I doubt AFL is even in the top 50 sports groups in terms of value, whereas the NFL is number one. If a lad gets a shot at the NFL it changes everything for him, whereas with the AFL that’s not really the case.
“The NFL the world’s most valuable sport, higher than the Premiere League. It’s the biggest business in sport.
“The top kicker in the NFL is probably Jake Elliott, who won the Super Bowl a few weeks ago (with the Philadelphia Eagles). He’d be on about six million.
“The quarterbacks are higher paid. Patrick Mahomes (of the Kansas City Chiefs) signed for something like half a billion.”
There is a major trial in Tampa in Florida on Wednesday involving all 32 NFL teams at which two Irishmen will be getting the chance to show off their skill, who include Laois GAA player Ross Bolger and Dubliner Mark McNamee.
“Ross was playing college football in Colorado and came back to Ireland but hopefully he’ll get signed by the NFL,” he adds.
“Mark McNamee plays for Ballyboden St Enda’s and has played under age football for Dublin.
“We found them at an open session we arranged. A lot of the lads go through the NFL route or the college route, which is a bit more common to do. It’s the second-biggest sport in the US after NFL. There’s seven or eight Irish guys in that.”
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It tens to be mainly goalkeepers who try and give the American football kicking a go, with Monaghan star Rory Beggan attending trials in America last year.
“It’s not only goalkeepers. Ross Bolger wasn’t a goalkeeper,” Tadgh argues.
“But I think the skill translates very well for being a goalkeeper.
“There’s 32 teams but only seven or eight carry a reserve kicker. It’s like becoming a top 40 golfer in the world, that’s the type of leverage, it’s a huge opportunity.
“Our advice is just attend the sessions in Dublin or Cork or whatever. The guys who show ability can have a huge chance. Out next camp with be at Sport Ireland in April.”
Punt: The Irish and the NFL RTÉ1 tomorrow 10.35pm