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

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