Stories involving Irish punters are more often seen during Cheltenham Week, but this weekend the spotlight will be on one Patrick Murray, starting kicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they take on the Carolina Panthers in their season opener.
Pat is the son of Ciarán Murray, who played for the Monaghan senior team during the 1980s, while his Uncle Aidan won an All-Star award when he captained them to an All-Ireland semi final and a National League title.
Murray junior was born in Mahwah, New Jersey in 1991. He attended Don Bosco Prep High School which has quite an impressive pedigree when it comes to producing NFL and College Football talent, with former Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant being foremost among them.
Unsurprisingly, given his lineage, Pat played Gaelic Football during much of his youth and credits it with his development as a kicker. He even won a State Championship with his local GAA team while in high school.
Listen to Part 1 of the Murray interview here
Murray's successful college career with Fordham Rams in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) came to an end in 2012. It culminated with numerous awards and school records as both a punter and a kicker. Being able to perform both roles at such a high level is rather unusual in the NFL as many fans will know - most specialise in one discipline or the other. However, Pat won the award for best Punt Performer award in NCAA FCS College Football in 2011 and won the award for Placekicker of the Year and was a First Team All-American in 2012. As he is quick to point out, versatility is his greatest asset and a key reason why he is on the Buccaneers team heading into the season.
NFL fans will know that the life of a kicker or punter can be a long and difficult one. Many guys spend years just looking for that opportunity to get into a training camp. They are seen as highly disposable and while fans are quick to belittle their importance, one error on special teams will immediately see cries of “Cut him” on various social media. Pat went to tryouts during the 2013 season of two of his local teams -the New York Giants and the Jets, but unfortunately he didn’t earn a contract. However, he caught the eye of Scott Cohen, one of the Jets coaching staff.
Cohen moved to Tampa during last season, and when the off-season came, the Buccaneers moved to sign some special teams players. Pat Murray was the first on the list and he signed a futures contract with the Buccaneers in early January.
Essentially, the Buccs held his rights for the year unless they decided to release him. He also had to displace veteran Connor Barth, holder of the franchise record in field goal accuracy. Pat impressed during preseason action, slotting all of his kicks and performing solidly on the punting team and kickoff team when asked. I attended Buccaneers camp during the preseason and what struck me was Pat’s style which is still reminiscent of a Gaelic footballer's. He even soloed the ball between punts.
I suppose what’s interesting in all this is that Pat is not alone in being the son of an Irish emigrant having success in American Football. Darragh O’Neill, son of Cork footballer Colm O’Neill (of the 1989 and 1990 All-Ireland Winning sides) and nephew of Maurice Fitzgerald, is a current punter for the University of Colorado Buffaloes. He is also the brother of Shane O’Neill, current defender for MLS side the Colorado Rapids, who has previously appeared on Balls.
Last weekend's Croke Park classic also featured an Irishman. Seán Galvin, who moved to Orlando ten years ago from Bandon and is a prominent member of the UCF kickoff team. I got to speak with Seán during the summer and he seemed to think that the NFL could be a breeding ground for potential punters and kickers. Pat Murray, after all, spent much of his summer break practicing his kicking technique. However he did it the same way that Monaghan keeper Rory Beggan does it. Pat, who pays regular visits Ireland, kicked 45s in Clones for a few hours at a time.
Since the days of Jim Stynes we have seen plenty GAA men make the journey to Australia to take a chance at playing professional sports. Of course, Australian rules mirrors the skill set of football a lot more closely than American Football. However, with the relative success of this small number of guys with GAA backgrounds, is there perhaps something to be said for NFL teams trying to pick up some guys here? Perhaps that's asking too much right now but you never know, such a trend was nearly started in the early 1960s when Offaly man Tom Furlong was signed by the New York Giants. Before making his appearance on the first team, he ended up suffering a career-ending knee injury.
Part 2 of the Murray interview here
Pat Murray’s resolve and work ethic in making the team cannot be overstated. From briefly talking to some of the backroom staff in early August, I felt optimistic about his chances but with a guy like Connor Barth in front of him he was certainly up against it. His Head Coach Lovie Smith singled him out in one of his press conferences a couple of weeks back saying “I think he is a kicker who belongs in the league” also noting that “Patrick performed every single day he was on the field”.
I interviewed Pat in early February prior to training camp and I can remember him talking about the mental qualities needed to play such a specialist position. He is a believer in visualisation and the power of consistent practice, something he'll have got enough of through training camp and preseason. Pat has already done an incredible job in only his second NFL season. The coaching staff have a great amount of faith in him and with good reason.
Patrick Murray's goal in the off-season was “to make the team and start week one”. He has achieved this, but knowing the high standards he continues to set and exceed, he will do a lot more than that this season. We certainly wish him all the best and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him over the course of the season and beyond.
