NFL star has kick-around with Meath seniors
Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan had a kick around with some Meath GAA senior footballers on Tuesday evening at Dunganny.
Recently, there has been an influx of GAA players trying to make it as a kicker or punter in the NFL. There is also a strategy in place by the NFL to appeal to a more global audience. Meath GAA played their part in the movement on Tuesday evening when they hosted Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan at Dunganny. The Wicklow native had a kicking competition with a few of the Meath seniors.
“They're very good (Sean Brennan, Billy Hogan, Cian McBride), they were better than I was. I wasn't expecting the GAA ball to be as heavy. It was my first time kicking a GAA ball in years. It takes a lot of touch to get the curl right. It was good fun. We got in yesterday (Monday) morning and got some rest. I did a couple of interviews there today and then we had the kicking competition this evening. Tonight was the first time I have kicked a ball since the Chicago (Bears) game” said Whelan.
“I grew up in Enniskerry in Wicklow, I lived there until I was 13. I then moved to California and went to high School and College there. I was with the New Orleans Saints then I played in the XFL for a while before I joined the Packers. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had taken over the XFL so he was my boss and I had a few interactions with him. He is massive!”
As a punter, Whelan’s role mainly consists of maximising field position for his team. Over the last couple of years, Whelan has gotten used to playing in front of the massive crowds that an NFL game draws.
“My job as a punter is basically to get a good field position. If we don’t get a first down, I will run out there and try and pin them deep. I try to get the defence a good field position so they can hopefully get a safety or a turnover. When I started in the NFL, I was a bit nervous in front of the big crowds. Every stadium looked like a spaceship to me. These days, I am able to block out the noise, keep focused and be in the moment. The Packers' stadium, Lambeau, is a sensational place. I think everyone should go there once in their lives for a game!”
The New Orleans Saints kicker, Charlie Smyth from Down is a fantastic example of how other sports including GAA can be very beneficial to a kicker or a punter in the NFL. Whelan himself played a lot of other sports when he was younger and explained how the skills gained from them were very transferable to his career as a punter.
“When I was younger, I played a lot of other sports and then figured out what sport I liked. I played a lot of rugby, soccer, cricket, tennis, swimming, track and some field hockey. All the attributes that I picked up from those days of playing different sports have molded my body in to what it is now. Obviously, I am not going to pick up something like snowboarding at this stage, but you can pick up a lot of strength training and conditioning from other sports.”
The NFL season which runs from September to February is a hectic time for those involved. The schedule on a weekly basis for Whelan during that time is very busy but even on off days, Whelan spoke about how he finds it difficult to switch off.
“During the season, we could have a game on a Thursday, Sunday or Monday. For Thursday games, we don’t practice all week because we would have had a game the Sunday before. Those weeks are not fun. Games on Sundays are good because you have a routine and you pick it up each week. We will practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. For away games, we will fly out the day before. On Mondays we have meetings and work-out and then Tuesday is our day off," said Whelan.
“Sleep and recovery are one of the most important aspects of being an elite athlete. I go to the Sauna a lot, I find it great for recovery. It can be tricky sometimes on off days to switch off your mind. You are still thinking about the next game or the last game. I am getting better at dealing with it. You don’t really have time to be thinking about loses or the bad stuff. You can use the good stuff as positivity for the next game,” concluded Whelan
Whelan and Smith are the only Irish natives since Neil O’Donoghue retired in 1985 to play in the NFL. However, if American Football keeps expanding to a more global audience and GAA players continue to explore it as a career option, it may not be long before we see a Meath man feature for an NFL side.