Irish kicker Charlie Smyth boots winning field goal for Saints in first attempt in a football game

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Charlie Smyth stepped up in a crucial moment for the New Orleans Saints, sized up a winning 37-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining, and booted it through the uprights like he does it every day.

He didn’t even need the luck of the Irish.

The 22-year-old from Newry, Ireland, made the winning field goal to lift that Saints over the Arizona Cardinals 16-14 in a preseason game Saturday night. It wasn’t just Smyth’s first field goal in his NFL career, but his first field goal attempt at any level of American football.

“I thought it was awesome,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “For him to knock it through in a pressure situation like that was cool to see.”

The Saints blasted music from noted Irish rock band U2 during the postgame celebration in the locker room. He played as a goalkeeper in Gaelic football before being selected by the NFL to participate in its International Pathway Program during the offseason.

“No matter the situation, I would have been nervous, but I just told myself to lock in on the process,” Smyth said.

Smyth sent an email to the NFL in 2019, requesting a tryout. Eventually, his request was granted. He made 12 of 16 field goal attempts at the NFL scouting combine during the offseason.

Smyth is the team’s backup kicker. Blake Grupe is the expected starter.