MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- It was approaching 9 p.m. in Mayobridge, County Down, Northern Ireland when the cheers roared and the taps got busy.
There was the native son getting his first chance to play this foreign game across the Atlantic. Maybe those watching from the local pub weren't exactly sure about the difficulty of what he was lining up for, but they knew the payoff: If New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth made his first NFL field goal attempt from 56 yards out, they got their free pint.
The snap and hold were good, the ball left Smyth's foot true, and the kicker didn't even wait to watch it go through the uprights before he started celebrating.
"I blacked out. I can't remember," Smyth said. "... I looked up and saw it was going down the middle. I knew I had enough power on it anyway, the way it felt off the foot."
Smyth joined a rare fraternity as a native Irishman to appear in an NFL game. He has been with the Saints developing behind the scenes for the last 18 months, but Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins was his first chance to show his talent in a meaningful professional game.
The chances were limited, but boy, did he make them count.
In addition to his long field goal, Smyth also pulled off the rare successful onside kick late in the fourth quarter, giving the Saints a chance at a go-ahead score in the final minute. The onside kick was a result of film study, noting the way Miami's hands team did not block the player that would be in Devaughn Vele's position.
Learning an onside kick is new stuff for Smyth, too. This specific kick was only put into the game plan this week.
"We caught our own hands team off-guard (in practice)," Smyth said. "Me and (special-teams coordinator Phil Galiano) had a discussion about it, and we went for it. Vele did a great job; everybody did a great job."
And he got to do that in front of his parents and sisters, who purchased last-minute flights from Ireland to Miami in order to watch him play.
Smyth learned he would make his NFL debut Friday afternoon, and his first call went to his mother. His father had to call him back, because he was helping someone at the counter at the shop where he works.
His family booked last-minute flights, endured weather delays in Chicago because of snow, but they made it on time to see Smyth play -- and they're not staying in the States for long.
"They're going home on Monday, because my mom's a school teacher and she got a sub in Monday and she's back to work Tuesday," Smyth said. "I don't know what my dad's doing; he's trying to get sorted on his work holidays as well. But they made it work."
Smyth signed with the Saints in March 2024 through the International Player Pathway (IPP), only months after he'd kicked an American football for the first time in his life. The former Gaelic football player grew up appreciating the game from afar, but he'd never tried it for himself until he heard about a workshop being put on by Tadhg Leader, the IPP's lead punting and kicking coach.
Up until Sunday's game he'd mainly served as a curiosity -- a talent who could dazzle with his ability to kick long field goals but whose rawness showed up in inconsistent training camp practices. New Orleans kept him on the practice squad, taking advantage of the roster exemption they received for an international player, and the patience paid off Sunday.
"Charlie's earned this opportunity," said coach Kellen Moore. "We have a lot of confidence in him. He's worked at this thing for a number of years now. He's prepared himself really well. We have a lot of confidence in him. He obviously has the leg to make some big-time kicks."
The opportunity came about because the Saints could no longer be patient with Blake Grupe. The team reached a breaking point with Grupe after his seventh and eighth misses of the season in Week 12 against Atlanta.
New Orleans released Grupe on Tuesday, then included Smyth in the tryout with veterans Cade York and Justin Tucker. After signing York, they had Smyth and York compete again Thursday before making the final call to elevate Smyth onto the active roster.
"Tuesday was strange emotions, because you saw your opportunity potentially coming up, but seeing (Blake) like that, it was tough because we're friends," Smyth said. "You get your head right, and I was buzzing. Thursday was a big day, and I kicked really well.
"I was just excited to get the opportunity, and to be honest, I'm hiding it a little bit. I'm absolutely buzzing."
Even though they had to wait for their free drink, there's a good chance the people in the pub back home were buzzing, too.