Ross Bolger, a Laois Gaelic footballer, is attempting to make it big in the NFL in the US as a placekicker.
Bolger, a Gaelic footballer from Co Laois, has been training at Pace University in New York, impressing coaches with his ability to punt off both feet.
A video of Bolger kicking off both feet has gone viral on social media, amassing more than 1.7 million views on The GAA Corner TikTok page:
@thegaacorner Massive opportunity for Ross Bolger to travel and showcase his kicking ability in the US to get recruited for a college football team.
♬ original sound - The Gaa Corner
"The coaches asked me could I kick off my left foot as well," Bolger recently told RTE News. "And being used to doing that in Gaelic football for years I said, 'yeah, no problem.'
"And they loved that then. They couldn't believe it really."
Bolger is currently working with Leader Kicking, a training program founded by Irishman Tadhg Leader.
Leader began his career playing rugby for Connacht before moving to the US and playing as a fly half with Lindenwood University.
He spent the majority of his career playing professional rugby in Major League Rugby before becoming an NFL placekicker.
Despite signing for multiple teams, Leader failed to make an impact and set his sights on becoming a coach for the next generation of Irish NFL hopefuls.
The Leader Kicking program aims to expose Irish athletes to NFL and set them up with opportunities to obtain scholarships for US colleges.
Leader told RTE that the NFL's international player program has been in touch about "getting more foreigners involved."
Would you look at this! ?@RossBolger3 on @rtenews tonight speaking about his journey so far in American Football.
There are so many more lads like Ross who can use their kicking skills and transfer them to American Football for scholarships https://t.co/y1UypjSrHj for info! https://t.co/GgHfJ0imGs
— Tadhg Leader (@TadhgLeader) January 24, 2023
Bolger has been transitioning into an NFL placekicker since last October and is aiming to gather momentum ahead of the 2023 season later in the year.
The DCU student is currently working with education professionals to help him navigate the US school system, while he is also working with other coaches to understand the science and mechanics behind kicking.
Bolger has recorded impressive numbers during his short American football career to date and is listed as having a 75-yard kick-off and a field goal speed of 70mph.
His ability to kick off both feet is also seen as a major advantage.
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