Former Derry Under-20 footballer Jude McAtamney has joined the NFL's New York Giants as an undrafted free agent.
The kicker, who won an Ulster U20 title in 2020, recently graduated from Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he was an honours student majoring in Labor and Employment Relations.
McAtamney played 25 games in two seasons with the Division I Rutgers Scarlet Knights after a year at Division II Chowan University in North Carolina.
In his first year with Rutgers, who play in the prestigious Big 10 conference, McAtmaney scored 12/18 field-goal attempts (longest 49 yards) and completed 23/24 extra-point attempts.
Last year, he was supplanted as place-kicker by Jai Patel, but continued to take kick-offs, booting a school-record 40 touchbacks.
The Swatragh man will have the chance to compete for the place of Giants veteran Graham Gano (37), who missed the end of last season after undergoing knee surgery.
Big Blue ‼️@mcatamney_jude | @Giants pic.twitter.com/iFubHFWkaV
— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) April 29, 2024
NFL teams can have off-season rosters of up to 90 players but these must be trimmed to 53 by the end of pre-season. Teams also have practice squads of up to 16 players but generally only retain one kicker.
Former Down Under-20 goalkeeper Charlie Smyth last month signed a three-year deal to become a kicker with the New Orleans Saints
The 22-year-old signed as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP), which allows teams to add a 17th practice squad player.
Goalkeeping duo Rory Beggan of Monaghan and Wicklow's Mark Jackson both also participated in the IPP programme and remain hopeful of earning contracts.
Last year, Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan became the first Irish-born NFL player since Neil O'Donoghue in 1985.
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