Jude McAtamney of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights is congratulated by team-mate Adam Korsak<\/p>\n

Image caption,Jude McAtamney played college football for Rutgers University in New Jersey<\/p>\n

For former Derry Under-20s gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney, his potentially life-changing dream of signing for NFL side the New York Giants has become a reality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Following the NFL draft last week – where the game’s best college prospects are selected by the league’s 32 franchises – McAtamney has signed with the four-time Super Bowl winners as a free agent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The kicker, who won an Ulster Under-20s title with Derry, will now compete with Scottish-born Graham Gano for a roster spot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“We verbally agreed on Saturday, it was nice to have that clarity,” McAtamney told BBC Sport NI.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The amount of feedback the Giants gave me since the day I worked out with them, I would maybe have been surprised if they wouldn’t have taken me. I had a good feeling it was going to happen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It was a long day but the longer the day went on the more likely that I was going to get picked up. It was about 6:30 US time and I got a call to say: ‘Look, the offer’s there, if you want to take it take it.’ So me and my agent, we jumped on it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“From the interactions we had before if we were to pick a team [to be with] it would have been the Gian<\/p>\n

McAtamney played two college seasons for Rutgers University who, like the Giants, are based in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He is following in the footsteps of former Down GAA goalkeeper Charlie Smyth, who last month penned a deal with the New Orleans Saints.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wexford punter Dan Whelan made his debut for the Green Bay Packers last season, becoming the first Irish-born player in the NFL for 38 years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Charlie reached out and said congrats so that was nice. It’s cool to have another Irish person on an NFL team,” said McAtamney.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Also Dan. He played last year so it’s good to know that it’s possible.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Swatragh clubman also recalls a social media exchange he had with David Shanahan, the first Irishman to receive a full scholarship to play American College Football, in May 2020.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shanahan reposted the message on social media on Sunday in which McAtamney had said: “Well done on your scholarship! I’m a keen kicker of the ball myself and I was wondering if you had any tips on how to approach the guys at Prokick Australia? Thanks.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remembering the message, McAtamney added: “It seems kind of cringey now. He sent me it the other day and I burst out laughing, thinking ‘I can\u2019t believe I said that’. It was funny looking back and thinking how far we have both come since then.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

McAtamney ‘had a feeling’ Giants move would happen Jude McAtamney of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights is congratulated by team-mate Adam Korsak Image caption,Jude McAtamney played college football for Rutgers University in New Jersey For former Derry Under-20s gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney, his potentially life-changing dream of signing for NFL side the New York Giants has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[128,132],"class_list":["post-1565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-new-york-giants","tag-nft"],"yoast_head":"\n