Rory Beggan and Mark Jackson secure NFL tryouts this weekend

The Panthers are in rebuild mode, as they finished with a 2–15 record in the NFC South last year. They are working under a new General manager in Dan Morgan and recently appointed head Coach in Dave Canales. Their current kicker is Eddy Pineiro and the team recently signed undrafted kicker Harrison Mevis, who set an SEC record with a 61-yard field goal last year in College Football. Pineiro was absent for voluntary veteran mini-camp in April, with Canales describing his absence as a "private" situation. 

For Leader, Beggans transition from the GAA to the NFL is a result of hard graft. “He really put in the time and effort to adapt his game from Gaelic Football to American Football and the biggest testament to Rory is everytime there has been huge pressure on the man, he has stayed so tranquil and so even and embedded in this process and he kept doing his job”, he said. “The main requirement of an NFL kicker is to block out any noise and focus on the process and Rory Beggan has shown he can do so time and time again. I am absolutely thrilled for Rory who has the chance to walk into the Carolina Panthers facility this weekend to truly put Irish athletes on the map.”

Speaking with the Pittsburgh Steelers on his arrival, Jackson spoke of his excitement of the opportunity. “It’s a surreal experience to be here at the Pittsburgh Steelers facility, being a lad from Ireland who never picked up an American football until seven or eight months ago,” he said. “It’s exciting. I appreciate the Steelers putting their faith in me, seeing there can be international guys out there who, granted, might not have played the sport for too long, but they have the physical and mental ability to play the sport. I am grateful to the Steelers for giving me the opportunity.”  

Before the Steelers Kicking Clinic last month in Dublin, Jackson took part in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program in Florida, arriving in the United States in early February. He trained with various players including Charlie Smyth and Louis Rees-Zammit at the facility before taking part in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where he impressed with his kicking power and height on the day. After this, Jackson kicked a seventy yard field goal at the IMG Academy before his Pro Day in late March - and he went viral for the kick itself. Jackson further impressed on his Pro Day later that week.

“It’s hard to fathom what has happened over the last seven months,” Leader said to Pro Football Ireland. “We came together as a group and discussed what we thought was possible and I painted a picture for the lads as to what we could do together as a group - with a key goal being walking into the front door of an NFL facility with the opportunity to earn a job in the worlds most valued sports league and thankfully that is what has been achieved - here we are today with the lads and that is what they are doing.”

Leader remembers meeting Jackson for the first time in Dublin at a tryout for his kicking academy. “That day, I remember pulling him aside in Dublin in the car park after the session and telling him that he has the raw talent  what I have seen after this first session - and that we should attack this”, Leader said. “From that very moment, Mark dropped everything and gave pure and utter focus to achieving this. He is one of the most diligent people I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach and he is one of the most talented ball strikers that I have come across so he is in the arena he belongs. I among many others are looking forward to seeing him go out to Pittsburgh this weekend and showing the world what Irish athletes can do on the world stage.”