Rory Beggan: GAA star says next weeks 'unknown' after he takes part in NFL Combine
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Rory Beggan and fellow inter-county GAA goalkeepers Charlie Smyth and Mark Jackson are attempting to earn lucrative NFL contracts
Monaghan GAA star Rory Beggan says "whatever happens, happens" over the next weeks after he took part in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday.
Beggan was joined by fellow inter-county keepers Down's Charlie Smyth and Wicklow's Mark Jackson as they aim for lucrative NFL contracts as kickers.
The Combine is an event where college graduates showcase their talents before teams select players at the NFL Draft.
"The next few weeks are unknown," added Beggan on Instagram., external
"Great experience over the last few days and months.
"Competing with the colleges' finest in an NFL combine is not something I would have envisaged a year ago."
The GAA trio have joined the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP), which aims to discover new talent and expand American football's global reach.
They have been training in Florida since January and on Sunday they joined fellow NFL hopefuls in Indianapolis, attempting kicks from various distances from 25 to 60 yards and taking part in kick-off drills.
Down's Charlie Smyth is hoping to land an NFL kicking contact
Beggan, Smyth and Jackson are now regarded as free agents and can be approached by any NFL team, with the new season starting in September. They can either join their active roster or spend the season on their practice squad, giving them time to learn the game further.
Lead coach of the IPP programme's kicking/punting group, Irishman Tadhg Leader praised the trio's performances, external on Sunday in a social media post on X.
"Proud of these lads," he said. "It's been a crazy couple of months for all involved. I couldn't ask for a better group to pioneer this and represent Ireland."
Leader's younger brother Darragh is also hoping to earn a contract as a punter as part of the ongoing IPP programme.
Beggan set to miss vital Monaghan games
Tadhg Leader told RTE Sport that a "couple of NFL teams" had told him following Sunday's event that they were "quite interested in your guys".
Leader added that the goalkeeping trio will now remain on in the US for the next three weeks which appears to rule out any prospect of Beggan featuring for relegation-threatened Monaghan in their remaining Allianz Football League games against Tyrone and Mayo.
"Initially the plan was to fly them back to Ireland tomorrow but as a result of all the interest we got, we decided we're going to keep them down in Florida for another three weeks because the expectation is teams are going to fly them into their facilities for medicals, for interviews, for workouts," said Leader.
Beggan hasn't featured for Monaghan so far in 2024 as he chases an NFL contract.