After a quick scrub, Smyth was told he was going to be taken upstairs. A good sign, he thought.
He was right. Upstairs, he met the general manager Mickey Loomis and was offered a three-year contract.
After going through the terms with his agent, Smyth signed and his life would never be the same again. Smyth hadn’t kicked an American football before last August. Now he has a genuine shot at playing in the NFL.
The last couple of weeks have been, by his own admission, “absolutely insane”.
“It’s just been unbelievable. The phone has been hopping with just the support from everyone back home has been unbelievable.
“I just feel very lucky and grateful.”
Lucky indeed. If Smyth makes the Saints’ active roster, he could earn around $800,000 (£630,680) a year. But coming from a GAA background, he’s not one for getting bogged down in the big sums.
Smyth knows that he’s entered a cut-throat world, an environment in which his position is far from invulnerable.
“They can cut you anytime [from your contract],” he explains.
“If you’re on the practice squad, it’s obviously different to what you’d be earning on the active roster.
“It’s probably about four times that amount. For me, I know I’m talking about money here, but for me it really has nothing to do with that.
“Genuinely it’s not, I’ve been a huge fan of the sport from about seven or eight years ago. For me it’s all about making the best version of myself.”
