Four Irish athletes move closer to joining the NFL in the US.Getty Images

Irish athletes Mark Jackson, Charlie Smyth, Darragh Leader, and Rory Beggan have all been included in the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP) class of 2024.

Jackson (Co Wicklow), Smyth (Co Down), and Beggan (Co Monaghan) are inter-county GAA players, while Leader (Co Galway) is a retired rugby player.

"It's an unbelievable opportunity," Beggan told BBC Sport NI.

"[It's] something that hasn't come around too often in Irish quarters.

"You're looking at Dan Whelan at the minute, who is nailing it with Green Bay [Packers], and that's something that we want to do.

"We're not going over here to just tick a box, to say we have been at the NFL Combine, that's not what we are trying to do. We're going over here to try and get a contract and try to become one of the best 32 kickers in the world.

"It's not a tick-box exercise or a bucket list, we are going over here to succeed."

Ireland has the most players on the 16-person roster which also features two from Australia, one from Austria, one from the Dominican Republic, three from England, three from Nigeria, one from Nigeria / Scotland, and one from Wales.

Also on Thursday, Tadhg Leader - Darragh's brother - announced he accepted a position as lead coach for the kicking / punting group with the NFL's international program.

The NFL says that its IPP aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately work to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

The IPP Class of 2024, including the program's first-ever specialists, spans talent from eight nations and represents a total of 16 players transitioning to the sport of American football.

Athletes come from various sporting backgrounds including rugby, basketball, track, Gaelic football, and Australian football, among others — showcasing how diverse sporting experience and capabilities can continue to enable the impact of international player pathways in enriching the fabric of the league.

"We are thrilled to welcome the International Player Pathway program Class of 2024," said Peter O'Reilly, executive vice president international, club business and major events at the NFL. 

"As we focus on the global growth of the game, expanding international talent within the NFL is critical — connecting our sport with fans across the world.

"The 2024 program participants are an elite, diverse group of athletes and we look forward to following their journeys in the months ahead."

Since its inception, 37 international players have signed with NFL teams (allocated, drafted or signed as a free agent), with 18 IPP athletes currently on NFL rosters. Five players - Jordan Mailata, Jakob Johnson, Efe Obada, Sammis Reyes, and David Bada – have seen active rosters with the Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders, and Washington Commanders, since the program began in 2017.

Players will begin training in the US this month at IMG Academy and will have the opportunity to showcase their talents to NFL club scouts in March.

The NFL has had several Irish-born players in the past: Neil O'Donoghue, John Sinnott, Adrian Young, Tom Graham, Bob Nash, France Fitzgerald, Brian McGrath, Mickey Fallon, Con O'Brien, Birtie Maher, and current Packers punter Daniel Whelan.

Meanwhile, two NFL teams - the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars - were granted international marketing rights in Ireland last year, potentially setting the stage for an official game on the Emerald Isle.

In July 1997, the Steelers played the Chicago Bears in a preseason match-up at Dublin's Croke Park, the only NFL game to ever be played in Ireland.