Former Derry under-20 footballer Jude McAtamney’s NFL debut is unlikely to take place this weekend after the New York Giants signed kicker Greg Joseph from the Detroit Lions practice squad.
McAtamney, an Ulster under-20 winner in 2018, was hoping to get elevated to starting kicker for the Giants after the player holding down that position, Graham Gano, suffered a hamstring injury in the opening stages of last weekend’s defeat to the Washington Commanders.
On that occasion, with 24-year-old McAtamney not on the active list, the Giants had to call upon punter Jamie Gillan to deputise as kicker as they had no replacement.
With Gano to be sidelined for several weeks, the Giants had to decide whether to promote rookie McAtamney to the starting roster this weekend or bring in a free agent for their game against the Cleveland Browns.
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The Giants looked at four different kickers on Monday - Zane Gonzalez, Riley Patterson, Tanner Brown and Randy Bullock, but ultimately they have opted for former Minnesota Vikings kicker Joseph, who has been working out with the Detroit practice squad in recent weeks.
“The New York Giants are signing my client Greg Joseph to their active roster,” stated NFL agent Brett Tessler.
Speaking to the media in New York on Monday, Giants coach Brian Daboll had been asked about his plans for starting kicker against the Browns.
“We’ll work guys out and Jude has been with us, so we’ll make a decision off of the workout, based on how they do in the workout, and then Jude,” he said.
The Giants opted not to bring in McAtamney, who did get game time in preseason, from the practice squad last Sunday, despite Gano entering the fixture against the Commanders with an injury concern. And it appears the former Derry footballer will not get his chance as starting kicker this weekend, with seven-year veteran Joseph now expected to be handed that role.
McAtamney’s journey to the NFL is different from those taken by Dan Whelan (Green Bay Packers) and Charlie Smyth (New Orleans Saints).
The Swatragh native contacted David Shanahan (Georgia Tech) to see if the Kerry man could help him get in touch with Prokick, the Australian organisation specialising in training players (mostly AFL) to become NFL kickers and punters, and in 2021 McAtamney earned a scholarship to Chowan University in North Carolina.
After one season in Carolina, he joined Rutgers University in New Jersey where he played for two campaigns before impressing on a pro day where NFL scouts, including those from the Giants, were in attendance.
In April, the Giants signed McAtamney through the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme.
