From Ireland to the NFL: Saints Kicker Charlie Smyth's Incredible Journey

What does it take to go from a small village in Northern Ireland to becoming the starting kicker for the New Orleans Saints? For Charlie Smyth, the answer includes years of dedication, an obsession with mastering his craft, and the courage to pursue an opportunity most people would consider impossible. 

In this episode of the Overruled Podcast, David Vicknair sits down with the Saints kicker to discuss his remarkable journey from Gaelic football to the NFL. Charlie shares stories about growing up in Mayobridge, discovering American football, navigating the NFL International Player Pathway Program, earning his spot with the Saints, and embracing life in New Orleans. Along the way, he offers valuable lessons about discipline, preparation, process-driven thinking, and what it means to bet on yourself.

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

🏈 Charlie went from never kicking an NFL football to becoming the Saints' starting kicker in less than two years.

🇮🇪 His Gaelic football background helped develop the leg strength and discipline that translated to the NFL.

🧠 Success comes from focusing on the process, not obsessing over outcomes.

🎯 Elite performers often share a common trait: mastering the fundamentals repeatedly.

⚜️ New Orleans has become a second home thanks to its passionate football culture and strong sense of community.

Injured? Begin the process here: 

Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers: https://www.scottvicknair.com/

Car Accident Lawyer: https://www.scottvicknair.com/new-orleans/car-accident-lawyer/ 

Truck Accident Lawyer: https://www.scottvicknair.com/new-orleans/truck-accident-lawyer/ 

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer: https://www.scottvicknair.com/new-orleans/motorcycle-accident-lawyer/ 

Probate, Succession and Estate Legal Needs?
Visit Scott Law Group – Estate Counsel: https://www.louisianasuccessionattorney.com/

More Resources

Subscribe to the Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scottvicknairlaw?sub_confirmation=1

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Scott Vignair, injured turnies, we fight for the win. What's going on everybody? Welcome to the Overrule Podcast brought to you by the Scott Vignair Law Firm. I am your host, David Vignair, and very excited to welcome in a special guest today, the starting kicker for the New Orleans Saints, Charlie Smith. Charlie, thanks so much for being here and welcome to the Overrule Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yeah, David, thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure. And uh yeah, that's that's uh yeah, it's a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Well, awesome. I'm ready to jump right into it, Charlie. You are for our listeners who are not aware, originally from Ireland and from a town called Mayo Bridge, which I think the population and getting pre ready for the show today is 1,069. Did I hit it on or about uh the right?

SPEAKER_00 0:40

It's probably probably a little more now, but yeah, it's probably in around 1,500 to 2,000, probably at the minute. So yeah, you're you're spot on. I know those good Wikipedia there now.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

So uh I'm an expert Wikipedia research.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um I it's a small enough village now, and we've got a pub, we've got uh you know, a couple of Gaelic football fields, a couple of supermarkets, maybe one super big supermarket, and and uh we're well known for a pharmacy, but that's about it. Mayor Bridge is a very small town and we're known for our Gaelic football and and uh yeah, I suppose it's uh What was it like growing up there, Charlie?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Because um in reading about you preparing for the show, um I learned that I think you've been you have began playing Gaelic football since you were four years old. So was that just something intuitively that you kind of started and your parents got you immediately into when you were younger?

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Yeah, it's it's Gaelic football is very it's very deep meaning and culture in Ireland. It's like you grow up and whenever I was growing up, um basically your Mayo Bridge compete in the county championship, so there's all sorts of like villages and um who have like Gaelic football teams and you all compete together to win the county championship. And when I was growing up, Mayo Bridge were winning all the down, county down championships, and I suppose like when you're young you just want to grow up and be like the people who represent Mayo Bridge at the senior level, and and uh like Gaelic football is Ireland's most popular sport, and it's it means it's so different because you can only play for where you're from. Like I can't transfer and play for a neighbouring parish, I can only play for Mayo Bridge, and then whenever you you know you you push up the ranks, then you're 15, 16, 17, you get the opportunity to represent your county if we were good enough, uh which my county is down, and um so I suppose like my real you know dream growing up was to win county championships with Mayor Bridge and uh get to represent down and play in Crook Park, which is our national stadium, which is holds 82 and a half thousand. The Pittsburgh Steelers game was there last year. Oh wow, okay. Um against the Minnesota Vikings, and um yeah, I suppose that's that's what that's what life is all about when I was young. I just loved McGaelic football and I still do, but uh obviously you know we're we're over here now and life's pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Yeah, and so uh you're envisioning yourself younger being in the Gaelic football championships and you now you're in the NFL, which we'll get to that process and how you got there in a second. But what are some of the have you seen some similarities being from Ireland um since you've been in New Orleans about a year and a half now? What are some similarities or maybe differences that you've been like experiencing?

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Um I think there's a lot of similarities, and the one thing that really sticks out to me is that like everybody tells me it's very hard to leave New Orleans. Yeah, like once you're there, it's like very hard to leave it. It's kind of the same in Ireland, like like all of my family in Ireland, like my grand to my grandmother lives, uh my dad's mum lives in uh my parish Mayo Bridge. My uh my grannies, we call her, she lives in Uri, which is five miles in the road, which is where my mum's from.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

So like I have all my aunts and uncles within like a 15-minute drive, like, and that's like the standard in Ireland, like it's like everybody kind of lives where they're from, and uh it's also it's very hard to leave, you know. Uh well say I got out of it, but uh most a lot of people would emigrate to Australia and things like that. But though that's probably the biggest similarity. I think it comes from like the the Catholic traditions, like Ireland and New Orleans are very Catholic cities, and um I think that's the probably the one of the more similar things, and it's funny actually as well, because this city's like uh logo is fleur-de-lee, and on my nana's gates. So I just noticed this after I signed with the Saints that on her gates, you know, there's like spikes in people's gates, spikes are like fleur-de-lees. Wow. So it's like I don't know if there's meaning of it of the fleur de Lee in Ireland as well. I would have to do a bit more research on that, but I always see fleur-de-lees everywhere in old buildings in Ireland. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Interesting. Yeah, well, it's it's not the uh you know, it's a very s South Louisiana thing, is most families live very close together and don't hell. I I'm from Thibodeau originally, which is an hour outside of New Orleans, and nearly all of my family is there and lives within a minute of each other. So maybe that is sort of like a similar Catholic tradition that the places are very more similar than you think. Um but for those of our listeners, Charlie, who are huge Saints fans or NFL football fans, and maybe know a little bit about European football, um, could you explain a little bit about what Gaelic football is? I was kind of looking into it. It looks like a pretty fun and wild combination of rugby basketball and American football all in one.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

Yeah. Um that's uh it's a pretty good description. So um for the majority of the game, you have the ball in your hand and then you like kick it so you drop it to your foot and kick it. Um the skill that I tr um I practiced the most was so like in soccer, that when there's a bad tackle, there's a foul, you can put the ball on the ground and kick it through uprights. So it's not like a snap hole kick, it's just the ball's on the ground, it's you, the ball, the uprights, there's no s you know, the everything is just down to you. And and uh that skill I practiced over and over and over again growing up, and like the gate of football is much heavier as well, um and it's round, so it's it's harder to elevate, especially in the winter time when the ground gets pretty mucky, and so I was just like you know, I might have been getting the results when I was thirty tw eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen with a heavier ball, but I would I would practice like nobody else would at home, and I was confident I always used to say to myself nobody else is practicing as much as I am, yeah, um, and it was just like a real passion of mine, and um you know, kind of like how golfers get addicted to their craft, I was addicted to that skill of kicking the ball three uprights, and um yeah, I suppose then when I grew, then when I was 17, 18, I grew and got the longer levers, had the technique from 12, 13, 14, then I started to see some really good results and I was able to kick the ball really far and accurate, and um and that was just around then uh when I was 15-16 I came across my first football game. So I already had the passion for place kicking in Gaelic football, but the first football game I watched in the last two minutes of the divisional round in the playoff game there were three uh three kicks in the last two minutes, 50 plus yards, and one of them was a game winner. Okay. So in my mind I'm thinking I think it paid just to kick the ball. Yeah. So like I was a pretty good Gaelic footballer, but I mean I really well too. My my my the what I what I was known for was kicking the ball through uprights. You know, if uh there was a foul, get Charlie come up, hit the free.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Because you play goalkeeper too, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I I only played goalkeeper when I was twenty.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Because of goalkeeper is also like nearly like the quarterback, you put the ball in a T and you pass the ball to your teammate, and you just like ping it, you just ping it. So it's different to like the place kicking. It's kind of more similar to like the kickoff now, where you're just like trying to put the ball in an area, gotcha, you know, you're just little ping little pitching welds to the five-yard line, right? Um, you know, inside the five or whatever. So um there's a lot of similarities with that as well, but um I always kind of thought that from that moment on I from that game, then American football, the NFL was like I always sat up to 4 a.m. watching some games like print end games, and and uh yeah, I suppose here we are. So it's uh life happens fast. Yeah, I kind of planted a seed, and I always thought I could I could do it, like and um yeah, I mean we got a really cool opportunity when I was 22 then.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

I think that's a great uh lesson for a lot of people though, is like you envision yourself and convince yourself that you could do it. Absolutely, yeah, and that it wasn't some unattainable thing. So then like going back in 2021, 2022, and 2023, you're having a lot of success in the Gaelic Football League. Yeah, and then you don't kick your first as a wild uh stat, which I actually was talking to you ahead of the show, uh, that I I even only learned about this. I was watching Shane Lowry talk about you and the golfer, PJ golfer, and uh I did that you didn't kick an NFL football until 2023. Is that the first time you ever kicked it?

SPEAKER_00 8:38

It was it was the first time for Fotton was uh September, no, August of 2023. Wow. And then we went like six weeks maybe without kicking it. Um and then of September of 2023, um it was actually week three of the regular season. I remember that because I was told that there was a chance I could go to the NFL, and then I went home and actually was watching Red Zone, was watching the Saints. Yeah. And they played the Packers that day, and um I was watching that game, and then uh that was the moment I found I I could go to the there's a possibility that the international uh kickers and punters could go and kick at the NFL combine in the in in Indianapolis, which I knew very well what that was. Like I used to watch the 40-yard dashes every year and run rich run and uh you know all that sort of stuff. Like I I knew I knew I was a big fan of Pat McAfee's show, and yeah, that was kind of like my niche thing that nobody else was doing in Ireland that I would watch all this, and I you know, even in school, like you know, we'd be we'd be doing our A levels is what they're called, it's like your high school um exams, and uh you know, in the mornings we're supposed to be doing coursework, I'd I'd have like two tabs that have NFL highlights and I'd have the coursework on and clicking the full screen when the teacher wasn't looking, and you know, uh on a Monday morning if I didn't stay up that night uh or didn't get to watch some of the other games, like that was pretty heavily supporting it. Like, so I knew what it was like and knew all the rules and coming over and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Do you think before we jump into you during the NFL, do you think I I'm just curious that all those years kicking the Gaelic ball football, which was heavier, do you think that made your transition easier or harder to kick the NFL football?

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Um I think there's always like a natural transition. I think what the advantage it's given me is leg strength.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Like I've I believe that I've I mean I don't want to put a a wild claim out there, but I'm very comfortable in my leg strength that you could send me out from long distances. Absolutely and you know the people in the building know that like they've they see it every day. So um I think that's given me a huge advantage that I'm used to kicking a heavier ball, and like to kick that heavier ball, you'd really need to give it a thump to get it to get underneath it and get it get it elevated, and you know, um so yeah, I think that's the biggest advantage. Obviously, the snap hole was the biggest thing, like adjusting to that, and like you're starting your run-up before the ball's on the ground, and you know, you you but you just build that chemistry and it just becomes natural over time. And like I've been with the same long snapper my whole time, being with the same Zach Woods. With Zach, yeah, Zach's one of the best, and yeah, and then Rand obviously coming in as well, and you know, and a couple of great holders and Matt Heball, Kay, um, you know, so um I've been lucky to we've been lucky to have Zach as long as we have, and most fans who don't really know the game don't know Zach.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

That's a good thing. Yeah, you don't know the long snapper, that means he's really good at his game.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Like he's been he should have had a couple of promotions this past couple years.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Um and so let's jump into your transition now. So you kick the football in 2023, but then uh you enter into the NFO International Pat Player Pathway Program Um in January of 24. So can you talk us through a little bit about like how'd you find it? That was there somebody helping you through it, and what was that process like? Because shortly thereafter, you're at the you know, you're talking about seeing the Pac McAfee show and watching people in Indianapolis at the Combine. Shortly thereafter, you're at the Combine, you're having a pro day, like what was that whole was it like a whirlwind?

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Oh, yeah, it was class. Those are those are great memories. So they were like um just the whole like initial October, November, December training in Ireland and freezing cold conditions, but like you know, kicking in gale force breezes, like struggling to make it an extra point because this one wind was that strong, like you're really like having to thump it. I was like a 70-yarder just to make an extra point like those.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Super homes of breeze after that, huh?

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, those are the conditions I was used to at home. But um O'Cluck No, it was it was brilliant, like it was just great memories. Um, my coach Tag uh leader had just started his like kicking program uh in Ireland, so he's like formed a kicking business, called Leader Kicking, and um he was I just went to his sessions for fun and then he knew people in the NFL UK offices and convinced them that there's guys that can do this, yeah. Um, you know, if you give them a chance on the international programme. Like kicking is the easiest sport for Europeans to transfer into because we grew up kicking, right? You know, so um you know, like for example, like Americans play pickup basketball, we'll play pickup soccer, and just we're constantly kicking, we all constantly have the ball out our foot. Um, you know, so that that's the way it was growing up. Like, so it's actually funny because we have a basketball hoop in the team building and the boys give me a hard time for my jump shot. But I'm making more than some of them. I've I've got a fucking technique, but uh just a little side story, but uh but anyways, uh yeah, so where was I? Um back to the APP. Um so yeah, we go out to um Florida. So we we went to Boston for like five days. That was my first time in America in January of 24. Okay. Then we went to Florida in the uh just uh uh like the 10th of February, 8th of February, I think it was of 2024 for uh three weeks to get right for the for the combine. So I was my first time in America for a sustained period of time, and we got the kick of the combine and Will Records are Cam Little, you know, Spencer Schrader, like um you know, Cardi got drafted that year. And there's more guys, I think there's another couple of but like these are some of the best kickers in the league now, and you know I didn't know who anybody was because I promised myself that I wouldn't look up who was who, I just would focus on myself and do my process, and I was pretty happy with how it went, you know, and um and then yeah, um after that we had another three-week um block to get right for a pro day then, and yeah, we we were just a couple of teams calling and then the Saints said they wanted to bring me in for a visit and you know the rest is history. Yeah, so we went, it was it was we went it started in kicking properly in October of twenty three and part of the Saints by the end of March of 24.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

So I mean if you think about it in the grand scheme of things, like five months, you went from that to the end of five or six months. It's yeah, it's I bet it was a whirlwind to live it, and then in on in March of 24, the Saints give you a three-year contract.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

I think I read you the first GA player to sign an NFL contract, is that right?

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Uh yeah, I'm pr I'm pretty sure, yeah. Um I think there was a fella, Neil O'Donahu, um, who played college football, and I think he played a bit of Gaelic back in the day. He played for the Buccaneers and a couple of other teams, but yeah, first guy to come through the IPP and you know not having played any football before. So yeah, look, uh you know, I pinch myself every day. Yeah, I get to walk into the building and I'm just but then there's also the side of me is like, no, I deserve to be there. I've I've you know I've worked hard in the dark, but I will have to give the Saints a massive, you know, I suppose that they don't need a shout-out, like, but I'm I'm trying to be like for them to see the potential in me. Like I didn't make all my kicks in my visit to with the Saints, but they saw that okay, this he's only been doing it for a few months, like the IPP spot is there for him. Um the leg strength is obviously what attracted them, I think, and the my age and how eager I was, and um so you know, Rizi, Phil, you know, all the front office, I'm just extremely grateful to them, and I always will be, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

So absolutely. Yeah. And so when you first came in, um, we had Blake Grupi, uh, who the Saints had drafted, um, and so he was the starting kicker at the time that you came in. Um, what was your mindset coming in with a kicker who was quote unquote established because as we know now in history, Blake has now left and now you're the starter going into the season. Um, was it just to improve every day and work on yourself? Like what was your mindset coming in a situation where you know you think there's a presumptive starter? I mean, in football, you never know, right? When somebody's gonna get your one injury away, one thing away from having your shot. So, what were you thinking about coming into that situation?

SPEAKER_00 16:31

I was I was coming in thinking that I was competing for the job, and I believe I was, and and uh yeah, look, it all just happened so fast, and I'm probably grateful now that I didn't get thrown into it straight away because I mean it just happened so fast, like you know, so I feel like I'm so so much better for having that year to working myself and you know, and uh I mean yeah, I I came in and I I was pretty happy with how I performed. OTS was a big transition because of like first football practice and all the screaming and yelling and you know and this field goal, and you know, it's just there's just a big circus, all the big fellas coming off the field, I'm coming on field, you know, and I just was like this is so much different than I've ever faced. But yeah, by training camp, then I had a had a grasp of what OTS was and how football practices are run, and um yeah, I was pretty happy with how it went, and then I had had a kick against the Cardinals and that was my first game, and and uh then yeah, I just sat in the practice squad for a year and then you know Blake obviously won the job again and just kept doing my thing, kept turning up every day with the right attitude. I'm gonna get my work in. People might see my work, but eventually it's gonna be my time to shine, trust in that, and there was days where it was harder, harder to do that because Blake was kicking so well. Um, and not that I was wishing his downfall, I was just look, whatever happens, happens, and I'm just gonna make sure that I'm covering my bases and you know, trying to impress you know whoever's watching, all the coaches in front office, obviously. And um, yeah, look, it it just happened then that you know towards the end of the last season that got me a chance, and you know, it was it was uh those are cool six weeks now.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

Yeah, well that's uh it's such a good life lesson, too, right? It's um you can't really focus on everybody else or whatever else else. Just the controllable thing. You can control you showing up every day, and it's easier said than done, like you said. Like some days not hard to do it, but those are the most important days to go, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Yeah, it's it's all about like taking the emotion out of it. Like I try and take the emotion out of a lot of the things I do, even like one of the biggest things I change, and I say this analogy all the time, but like like somebody those roads outside and downtown are crazy, and I was trying to get in a different lane, and somebody beep behind me, and the old the old man might have like you know was like what do you add or whatever, you know. But I was like, I'm not gonna let them bother me. Just little things I got, like you know, just any sort of whatever happens, you just it just happens and then you just stay calm and you breathe. So like that was kind of like my mindset where like you know, it's easy to like vent and be frustrated, and you know, I'm not playing, like what's going on. But I didn't show up, I didn't ask questions every day, I just turned up to my thing, and and that was it. And I think that you know that's the way it should be, you know. You just turn up to your thing and just let let everybody else take care of the rest, you know.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

And then the Saints move on from Blake Groupie, and you get the opportunity. What's going through your head? I remember watching the game and a wild game, your first kick, um, which we really should have won that game against the Dolphins, but your first kick um is a 56-yard field goal. Is that amazing? Um and so what's your mindset when that, you know, this is your shot, right? Like they the Saints move on from Blake, like what's going through your head, like and up until you do that kick. And then what even won't even show up on the stats from that game is you kick that onside kick that Vel Vele almost recovered. He was like, He got it, he got it. He did, but I think they ruled he was like short. No, no, that we did we get it.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

Okay, yeah, it actually it probably was short by that much. So um but on the whatever, they never showed the angle on the TV, but on the big screen in the stadium, it looked like it hit somebody's thumb. Ah, okay. So I think they're real I think it on the way in it hit one of the Dolphins players' thumbs, and then we recovered it. And then Gotcha. I mean, yeah, look, like that swing, that onside kick is like it's just I just spin the ball and I know what the physics of the ball is going to take it back. So yeah, I mean obviously it was well executed, but I mean Vele and the boys did a great job in getting it back. But uh uh going to the field goal, then we spoke about himself, Kaizak, we're saying, Oh, I'd love the first one to be along well, like you know, just bring it on, you know. And I was so I was kicking really well that day in pregame, and I was hitting from all sorts of distances, and and uh then we says we hope it's like a you know 55 plus or whatever, and turned out fourth quarter. I didn't think I'd have to wait all game for now. Yeah, I th I was thinking like all my parents have flown in from Ireland, and you know, uh my coach is here, and my girlfriend and her family are here, and I'm not gonna get a kick in my first game, you know, because we we had two touchdowns, but we had to go for two two-point conversions. So I was thinking, but then they kicked the field goal to go 11 up, and then that's obviously you know, touchdown, two-point conversion, field goal. Uh-huh. So I was like, right, we're gonna need a field goal then to get back in, and and then they sent me out, and I was like, here we're going.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

It's a wild game. I'm actually neighbors with Nathan Shepard. And so I was talking, we were both taking our dogs out, and I was talking to Nathan after that week because I was like, Man, you know, it's been a somewhat down season for us, but it's amazing how hard y'all are playing, and we're in all these games. And he's like, We should have got that Dolphins. I'm like, I know we should have won that game. It was a wild game. Yeah, yeah. I mean, an awesome game that you get your first kick and it's a fifty six yarder. Um, and then you have a great rest of the season. You're going into the season. Let's jump to the Saints as a presumptive story. You got OTAs going on right now. Um, how would you describe like your mindset um going into this year now? Now that you the Saints are like you're the guy, you're our kicker. Yeah. Like how has that shifted and what are you doing to prepare for that?

SPEAKER_00 22:06

Yeah, I'm very much like again, you know, preparing like day by day, and I have to have to earn the job in training camp again. And and um I'm very much focused on having a good session on Wednesday when I'm mopping team field goal again, and and then obviously like with the long-term goal in mind, and you're thinking about you know, okay, we'll play Chicago at the end of November or whenever it is, mid-November, uh like thinking about all the conditions that you know, and just imagining yourself, okay, a first kick it's a 50-yarder, what are you gonna do? Like little scenarios I got just you know, the game winner against the Giants, week six, like it's little things I got that are just constantly playing in my mind, but I'm very much like uh focused on the here and the now, and I think this offseason I've really sort of delved into growing with this role of like being a starting kicker and you know, like how I turn up every day, my body language, how I be thinking, how I talk to people, and um yeah, I mean I mean I'm I've I'm also quite relaxed off the field, but I'm very much like whenever it's my time to kick, like I'm I'm locked in, there's nothing getting in my way. And um then I've I've been talking to some people and I've you know got to meet Shane Larry, got to talk to Podrick Harrington, who's also a three-time major winner from Ireland and delving into their sort of brains and watched the Roy McElroy documentary, and been watching like all these like elite athletes and listening to um you know audiobooks and and about like how these guys perform under pressure and um and what they'd be thinking about because I think in golf there's it's very transferable to being a kicker, like there's a lot of scenarios that are similar.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

It's funny, I was thinking the same thing when I was preparing for today because watching you and it seemed like you and Shane Lauer really bonded.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Yeah, we we were just talking about uh our county teams uh in Ireland, so uh and Brooks Kafka's in the middle of us, 50-time major winner, and he's uh he's sitting there like, What's going on? But Brooks' Gaddy's from from up north as well, so he he would probably be familiar with Gaelic football. But I'm from down, Shane's from Awfully, and Down and Offley played recently together, and we were taxing about it and stuff. And nice, yeah, it's uh it's it's funny, but but yeah, I mean, just really delving into like all these great performers and how can I take what he does in this moment, like McElroy talks about getting in his own little bubble. So like I'm thinking, well, if I can get in my own little bubble where I'm not thinking about you know anybody else or whatever, I'm just thinking about myself and how I turn up every day, and you know, I think that's gonna help me, you know, um be a be as best as a kicker as possible and go turn up and have good results.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

And in this year's Kellen's second year as a head coach, um, what's the I mean I can I can tell you that talking to a lot of Saints fans, I've been a Saints fan my whole life, we're really freaking excited about the season, probably for the first time in a long time since since Drew retired, that we're just really excited and optimistic about the season and the future of the organization. So what's the mood in the room like, especially with Kellen coming into his second year and having a little bit more experience under his belt, and all of you guys knowing each other a bit more and knowing Kellen's program a bit more?

SPEAKER_00 25:10

Yeah, I I think it's great. Um like I think we're really establishing like a team sort of culture, and you know, I think a lot of people last year might have said about us doing all these team bonding events and going bowling instead of practicing or going doing golfing or whatever. Like, I think it's starting to pay off because what uh our head coach um his best trade is like he he delegates and he gives like he makes me feel relaxed when I'm going out kicking. He he he gives the power to everybody else to perform and he's a super chill and calm guy, and you know, um even when we were losing, like he was still the same every day. And we were like, is he ever gonna cuss somebody out? But that's not his style. His style is like like come on, like you know your you know your job, you know your role, like just go out and execute. And he always tells us just go for it, just go for it and have fun. And I think he stood by us when we were losing, and then obviously then guys respect you for that whenever it's time to win, because we he was the same person the whole time, and we were just figuring it out as a team, like you know, who's gonna be our guys and stuff. And um obviously Tyler had an amazing back end of the season, and uh it was really fun to be a part of those games, and um and then yeah, like even there tonight, like we're going bow fishing tonight down in southeastern Louisiana, so looking forward to that as well. And I've never killed uh anything before, so I'm looking see if my bow fishing's like you're gonna have a lot of fun, uh for sure. Yeah, so it's it's just been an all-around great programme, and our strength coaches as well, and you know, our nutritionists, like people in the cafeteria, our equipment staff, like um, you know, all our scouts, from all everybody coaches, like everybody in our building are great people, trainers, like I forgot to mention them, and yeah, it's just like a cool, like we can fully feel it. Like, even like Taylor had us around his house Memorial Weekend, and you know, we're we're bonding off the field as well now, which is uh which is what I was told.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

It's a piece of it, yeah. You know, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Yeah, whenever you know your teammates, and we've these little SWAT teams, and we had a dinner last week where we we go with like uh there's like 12 groups of 10 of our SWAT teams, and we had a dinner, and then we talk about like what's going on in our lives, like you know, we're not just like football players, we're like you know, sometimes every day you turn up and you ask how you are, but and we're like, Yeah, yeah, good, whatever, you know, and that's the conversation. But uh we actually said no, this is what it is what's going on, like this is how I feel right now, and it's it's been really cool to be a part of like we're we're really like growing and to get to know each other as a team more, and I think it's gonna pay off.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

Amazing. And we got Ryan Wright, who who's the Saints bring in as a punter, so he's gonna be you know the punter, uh Zach, the snapper, and you as a kicker. Y'all are a really close group because I I guess Ryan's gonna hold for you. Yeah, yeah. Um, and how's that been like working with him? He's also a two-lane guy, so he's a New Orleans guy coming home from the Vikings. Yeah, and what's that been like working with him so far?

SPEAKER_00 27:57

Yeah, it's been it's been great. Ryan's been great, Zach's been great. Um, you know, we're we're we're we're getting that chemistry where you know I'm obviously coming in with a new holder, like these these are little things I like, and just having good conversations about that, and and Ryan's been great, and you know, I'm pretty sure we're we're we're we're getting on board, we're gaining that chemistry, and you know, we're we're trying to put a good product together for training camp, and then obviously putting that into the season. But uh yeah, OTS is really about learning, getting to know each other, and obviously, you know, just going out and performing the M and it's team field goal or you know, team ponder, whatever it is. But Ryan's been great. Um, you know, it's really cool for him getting to come back to New Orleans after spending all his years in Tulane, and you know, he knows some people here already, so it's probably a a cool acclamation for him to get to come back as an NFL player and player for the scene. So really happy for him.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

Amazing. And um what I wanted to ask you, you know, how does crowd as a kicker, how does you hit on this a little bit earlier, how you're so in the zone, and especially like watching a lot of stuff about Rory and some of these high performing athletes, how does crowd noise play into when you're kicking, or are you just so in the zone thinking about what you have to do, the snap, the hold, the kick, and your steps that you kind of zone out? Like what is that like and how does crowd noise affect kicking?

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Um I I don't think it really affects it too much for me, anyway. So I think what's good about it is because we kick in the stadium an hour and twenty before the game.

SPEAKER_01 29:24

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

And the stadium's empty then. So you get to kick in the stadium. I mean, there might be a maybe a a thousand a couple of thousand maybe in the stadium at that stage, but you get to kick in the stadium when it's empty, so you're really just playing the stadium. So then when it's game time, you just take what you've learned about pre-game into the kicks in the game, and obviously, you know, it's the NFL, like you know, people are watching, so you for sure you go out onto the field knowing that's obviously it's important you make your kicks, like it's you know, it's you know, yeah, where the kickers were points, so uh you only win the game by scoring points. So like I know that, but then I also just lock into my process, it's a very process-driven, you know what I do, my steps, my walk-off, what's my target line if we're outdoors, you know. Um, you know, how should my ball look? You know, um just you know, going out and doing a thing that I've wrapped over and over again with my snapper and holder and trusting the offensive line are gonna do a good job. And we've got some big dudes up there. So it's uh you know, they do a great job.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

And some new ones coming in, David Edwards coming in. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. A good all pro um coming in. What's it been like being around Tyler coming into his second year? He's also kind of on this j maybe a little bit of this journey the same way as you, where he's new into the league and he's a starter coming into this year and trying to step up into a leadership role and kind of like learn that in the NFL stage too. What have you noticed about him? Uh obviously that position is such a highlighted position. The quarterback's a number one spot on the team, especially in the NFL these days. So, what have you seen of him and growing and getting ready to kind of take over as the number one quarterback for the team?

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Yeah, it's it's Tyler Tyler's been outstanding and like he's really stepped up in the leadership role, and I know some people have been talking about you know, Demario's gone, you know, Cam's not here obviously at the minute, um, you know, TSM's not here either. And we're we're kind of we're a much younger team, and you know, like people talk about who's gonna fill the voids or whatever, but like we're just growing together, it's just naturally happening, and obviously being the quarterback is obviously a naturally uh a massive leadership role in the team. They touch the ball every play on offense, so um he's been great, but he turns up every day and has fun. Like that's his big thing. Was like, you know, we even we were we were talking about that and how it's like there's enough pressure on us as there is, and I really took something from that because you know, like sometimes you you turn up and you're like, you know, it's I need to make all my kicks, but it's more than you just have you're you're free, you're you're relaxing, you have fun with it as well. And don't get me wrong, like when there's time to lock in, there's time to lock in, which which I think I do, but um I really took that from him. Just just have more fun. Like it's yeah, like we get to play a like I get paid to kick a football, you know. It's it's like I that's what I mean. I pinch myself every day with that, and you know, like people talking about like all the like other jobs, and I'm like, I don't have to think about that. I just I get I get to think about kicking in playoff games and and you know I go to sleep at night and just you know that's that's what it's about. But I just feel yeah, I feel so fortunate and and um you know I'm sure Tyler feels the same, and that's probably why I said that. But he's been great, and you know, everybody's just grown. I think we're just growing as a team together, and we're really looking forward to you know, just keeping it going in the process every day, and just not looking too far ahead, just win the day. When I kick him by and say, let's go have a good day, Wednesday, you know, like just little things they got, and yeah, we're just we're we're growing together. It's it's been fun so far.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

Amazing. Okay, let's have some fun discussion about New Orleans and Wrestling and stuff, Charlie. All right, so you walked in the St. Paddy's Day parade this year. Yeah, um, what was that like? And maybe give us a one of your funniest or best stories from the parade. I'm tiny, yeah. What stories you got from it?

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Well, so first of all, I have never seen that many people in the streets for anything ever.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Wait until have you been to Mardi Gras? I haven't been to Mardi Gras yet.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Okay, we're gonna have to wait till that's an opportunity for me to go home and see my family, but I definitely want to do it next year. Um, but I always said no, like let's do the St. Patrick's Dead Parade, I have to like, you know, and I didn't know what it was, I didn't expect it to be that big a deal. Like, yeah, but it was the amount of people there, it was mad, it was mad, I couldn't believe it.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

It's a very big deal.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

And then obviously, like the the hand out the you know, the flowers and little things they got there, but I remember we ran into somebody who had like a pig, like a little baby pig on the streets with like uh the last thing I expected with like a little like uh you know, like a little leprechaun hat. So I was like a pig? So just just seeing that. I don't know about this New Orleans place.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

A pig with a leprechaun hat.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Yeah, I was like, what is going on here? But I just thought it was hilarious. So uh I just I I I mean the whole day I was just mad, like it was it was just class. And then the next day, then you know, I I was asked to do the the old Mattery parade as well, but I just I thought you know, obviously, you know, you're gonna have a few drinks in the in the when you're walking, so it's like no, I'll just I'll just do the one on Saturday. But me and the girlfriend then went to the one on the Sunday then next thing you know, I'm just getting standing at the side of the street, I'm just getting pile drive with potatoes and lemons. I must have caught like 50 lemons that day, and you know, that was it was brilliant. I because I actually got to see the parade then, you know. Yeah, so they all the I got to see all the floats whereas when you're walking, you don't get to see it. So I just we just me and the girlfriend stalled at the side of the street and this is class, man. You know, so uh it was it was brilliant, so it was but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Amazing. Well, it looked like it was a lot of fun. Uh talk about uh let's shift to the New Orleans heat. Um probably I don't know, have you experienced heat and humidity like this before? And I'm from Ireland. Yeah. How does it affect kicking, or does it?

SPEAKER_00 34:56

I used to uh it was actually my first year, and you know, you have your helmet on, so it's just you know, obviously my hit and her and my helmet, but my first couple of times kicking outside, and especially like you know, real hot 95 degree weather, you would nod. Next thing you know, a bit of sweat goes in your eyes. So you're approaching the ball and you're like you're like half blinking, but then you're like, Well, I have to kick here. So then you know, so then started wearing a headband to stop with the sweat coming down in the eyes.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

Uh that was that was just a remember that was a funny thing that happened to me. Um, but I mean obviously uh heat kind of helps with like the ball pressure, it helps nearly go further. Gotcha. But we're below sea level, so the there's a bigger gravity pull. So it kind of like probably evens out, but um, yeah, I mean you just you just get used to it. Like it's like you know, it's it's it's almost whenever you're in the evening time when you get home and you're like, you know, if I was in Ireland, like I could take the dog for a walk, but it's like it's 90 degrees. I'd say I already sweated, like I've already lost like eight. I'm just a kicker and I've already lost like eight pounds a day of water weight. So uh like, do I go out and walk in the levee? I'm like, uh nah, I'll let it be. I'll sit in a nice aircon in here. So uh that's the biggest thing. And then golf, uh you play golf, and you next thing you know it's like you're sweating through your shorts, and I'm like, wait, I didn't know it was possible to sweat through your shorts without it actually working out.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

So in southern Louisiana it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But uh what's one thing, Charlie, that you didn't expect about New Orleans coming from Ireland? Uh you're like, yeah, I don't know, I don't know what to expect when I get to this New Orleans and South Louisiana. What's something you didn't expect, good or bad? Um could be both.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Yeah, I mean, probably the thing that what's the well first of all I didn't even know where New Orleans was on the map because I was obviously watching NFL games and I kind of like judging by the stadiums, but the dome was enclosed, so you never the competitors never talked about heat or whatever. So I didn't know what it was and then I got here so hard. Like and then I looked at the location and realised how muggy it was, and yeah, uh that was probably something um how passionate the people are about football here is insane. Like it's insane. Whenever I first came here, I wasn't driving for six months because I didn't have a license, and uh all the Uber drivers wanted to talk about was Saints football, like Saints football. And I wasn't telling them like that I played for the Saints, yeah, but that's all I wanted to talk about. We got off to 2-0 in uh in 2024, and like just how like happy the city was around there, and then you can just feel it like and and that's what that's what it's all about as well. Like, we really want to deliver a product where like you know the city's a happier place whenever Saints are winning, so like we really do mean a lot to this city, and and we know that and uh it's it's it's a fun place whenever you're winning games here.

SPEAKER_01 37:40

Absolutely. Um what are some of your favorite places to grab by T in New Orleans?

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Yeah, so last night we went to Barcar and Road. Yeah, we go to Junior's quite a lot as well. It's closer to our house. Um, where else have I been? I've been to Sofia the Italian spot. Oh yeah, we're enjoying you right here. Yeah, yeah. We went uh to Doris Metropolitan last week. It's a great steak, great steak place.

SPEAKER_01 38:02

Um it's my favourite steak restaurant, right? Yeah, it's pretty great.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Yeah, it was it was elite. We had like all the like the steaks and on the board with the fire and all it's I do enjoy a good uh Desivegas burger as well with milkshakes, you know. I'll maybe treat myself to that um after a game or something, and after you know, I've like, oh I've done well today. I'll maybe get a Desivegashake. But uh those are some of my favourite spots. Those are great spots.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

What about a drink? What are some of your favourite places to grab a drink in New Orleans?

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Uh initially when I first got here it was wrong iron.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

Ah, nice.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

And then obviously, then you learn that there's Irish people at Fin McLeol's. Oh. So every now and then I'll pop over there and just have a Guinness, you know, or so, or you know, maybe at the weekend, or um, I'll I'll pop over there. We watched the Ireland soccer game there recently, and it was a great day. And um yeah, so those are probably the the the two spots that would go grab a beer.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

But um Finn McCool's a good vibe, yeah, especially for I'm sure it's gonna be rocking for the World Cup.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. Because the hard is like the big soccer bar in New Orleans as well.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

So I'm gonna have to go down there maybe another time or two. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

Okay, so uh in closing, Charlie, uh the season coming up, you know, I'm a big I'm very positive. We're making the playoffs this year. I'm just feeling it. Um what's your overall take on this year? I'm sure you're really excited to like what are some of the things that without you know giving away secret plays or anything like that, but like what are some of the things that you're gonna do? I don't know them anyways. It's just a kicker too. They don't tell you this, they just get your ass out there and kick.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Whenever it's fake goal is fake go, I I don't know what uh all this uh mic into the year means. I wouldn't have a clue. Like, you know, I on kickoff, I just put the ball where it needs to go, and then Field Go put it through the operates, and that's my job, you know.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

So what are some of the biggest things the fans can look out for this season?

SPEAKER_00 39:47

Um yeah, I I just think we're you know, we're we're just a young, hungry team who love playing with each other and care for each other. So I think we're a very process-oriented team, so we're not sitting here you know saying that uh yeah, like let's go, you know, let's go win every game by 40 points. It's no, it's like let's take care of the process that builds up to that. We're very much let's have good days and OTAs, and then I'm sure it'll be the same come training camp, and and and that's kind of the general feeling about it. So we're very excited, but I don't think we're looking too far ahead. I think we're very much let's love the process, and that's you know, I think if you're thinking about outcomes that can put more weight and pressure on you. So we're we're trying to be lighthearted and just have fun and own the process, and then you know, let's let's take care of the rest. But I'm very also very excited about the the Paris game as well. So yeah, I'm gonna be there. You're gonna be there, and so I'm excited for that. I'm probably gonna have about a hundred ticket requests on that one. It's only uh it's only a two-hour flight across the water.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

So you're gonna be uh buzzing the ticket office pretty hard on that. That yeah, yeah, that process mindset, Charlie. Does that come from Kellen? Because uh when you say it, you know, I think uh one of the the fur people at the firm here gets sick of me hearing talking about him. I talk about Nick Saban all the time. Yeah. Because I love we kind of talk about the same thing. He's cool, I watch his videos too. Yeah, is like focusing on the process, like what you do consistently every day is what matters, and not the results will come if you focus on the process. So it's kind of true to me in business and with all the team here at the law firm. And so is a lot of that come from Kellen, or uh is it just the overall theme of the coaching staff, the players? Because I I do think that a lot of the football teams that you see have success are the ones that focus on the process and let the outcome take care of themselves.

SPEAKER_00 41:33

Yeah, I think it is, and uh he really I think that's something that comes from our head coach. Um and I think it's just a a theme that we would watch a lot of like other sports as well and team meetings, and we'd watch like a lot of like before every game last year, we would have little like hype video and just like little snippets from like great athletes who've done great things. And um, like for example, like last week we had uh um something up about the the Spurs and how they go about their business and how successful they've been, and then the next like talking about how you know united they are as well. And so it's not just like coming from Marvel, it's like what are the great teams and athletes doing and then we can learn from that. And that's something that I've very much like uh even before I got here, it's something that I really changed about myself as well was you know, kicking's very black and white, it's make or miss, right? But it's how do I get the ball? How what's the best chance of me getting the ball through the operates? Is that if I do the same thing consistently every time, and that requires a process, and owning that process and being mentally indulged in that and um making that your everyday thing and adjusting it if you need to, but you rap rap rap the same process over and over, and that's what's gonna put the ball through the operates and that ultimately give you good results. So I think it's just an overall theme of of of how we like to go better at things and um learning from learning from the best, you know.

SPEAKER_01 42:54

Amazing. Well, thanks so much for being here, Charlie. Uh I love talking about your journey to the NFL. I think it's uh a really inspirational story because you just took a shot on yourself, right? You took that jump and and jumped from the completely different league and the Gaelic league over to the NFL. What feels like probably not to you, it was a process, but to looking at it from the 30,000 foot view, like man, you've accomplished so much in such a short period of time. So uh it's really amazing, and I think it's also inspirational for a lot of younger athletes and kids who are watching your story that like anything's possible.

SPEAKER_00 43:27

Yeah, exactly. And and that's one of my ways of why I'm doing it. Like I feel like I've got a country behind me where there's a lot of young kids that are DMing me and on Instagram and whatever other apps, TikTok or whatever, and you know, I take that responsibility of you know being the first of this next crop of Irish people to to come over and chance their arm at American football and go through the college system and hopefully get into the NFL. And you know, I don't take that lately. I've got people at home who are really, you know, really happy for me and you know, give them some people at home to talk about. So I've just I turned I I I write that down in my notes as as to why I'm doing this and and ultimately as well to you know help my team win and have this city, you know, be happy and just yeah, I I'm just very grateful to be here and and I've had a lot of good people help me along the way. So how may that continue, David?

SPEAKER_01 44:16

You know, we're all rooting for you. My uh godson Brady, I was texting this morning, he wanted to try to make it here to meet you, he couldn't. He's about an hour outside of town, but he's a huge fan of yours. I had to mention him, he's 15, and so he's rooting for you, we're all rooting for you, Charlie. I know you're gonna have a great season. We're really excited to have you on the show. Thanks so much for being here. Yeah, thank you, David, I appreciate it. All right, and thanks to all of you. It's been a great episode of the Overrule Podcast brought to you by the Scott Vignair Law Firm. Love chatting with Charlie about the upcoming season, his journey from Ireland to the NFL, and a little bit of random New Orleans information. Thank you all for listening in, and we'll see you all next time.