GREEN BAY, WI The Green Bay Packers signed Irish-born kicker Mark McNamee on Tuesday, the day before the first training camp practice, to replace Australian-born kicker Alex Hale, who was released the day before.
McNamee, like Hale, will be a member of the team’s International Player Pathway Program, which means he won’t be considered for a spot on the 16-man practice squad or the 90-man roster.
Prior to his release on June 1, McNamee did not participate in any games during his final month with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL.
McNamee will relieve some of the load on the Packers’ veteran kicker, Brandon McManus, who is the team’s oldest player at 33.
McNamee will join Daniel Whelan, the Packers’ veteran punter, in Green Bay, but this will be a step in the right direction for him. Whelan hails from Ireland’s Enniskerry.
Regarding the popularity of the sport in his native country, Whelan stated, “It’s definitely growing.” Due to the abundance of rugby and Gaelic players, the kicking and punting side is undoubtedly expanding. It will soon become quite popular in Europe. Observe.
McNamee played goalie for Dublin’s Ballyboden St. Endas in Gaelic football, a cross between rugby and soccer. He made 13 of 14 field-goal attempts and received an invitation to the Scouting Combine.
“It went really well. McNamee told the BBC, “As a kicking unit, we wanted to go there and show off our talent, let the scouts know that we are there for a reason and on merit.” “I was more concerned with the process of kicking and making sure we came across well than I was with the numbers.”
According to the 25-year-old, adjusting to the American ball was necessary during the change from one sport to another.
He claimed that at first, he kicked the ball too low, causing it to overrotate and lose distance. It involved modifying my swing and angle, and after figuring out the sweet spot, I was able to add power and go a little deeper into the foot angle, follow through, and aim and Finish
I kick that ball like if I’ve been doing it for years, and I don’t really think about it anymore. I’ve increased distance as my technique has improved, and I have more in store.
To find international talent, the NFL hired Tadhg Leader, a former Irish rugby leader. McNamee is one of Leader Kicking’s students.
“As a child, I would have watched the Super Bowl with my dad, and that sparked my interest,” he said to Balls. For example. “It just grew as I got to watch the game more and more, especially the kicking side, starting when I was eleven or twelve.” I’ve been interested in NFL kickers for a long time because I watched a lot of kicking videos on YouTube of them as a child and nearly tried to mimic their stride and ball-kicking technique.
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