NFL Draft Picks Made from Kerry and Dublin for First Time – Sport for Business

The NFL Draft is one of the set piece events of the sport where each of the 32 teams in the league take it in turn to select the very best of talent coming out of College football.

This year was extra special for Ireland with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars announcing their fourth round picks from Ireland.

Broadcasting live from The Europe Hotel in Killarney, Kerry Senior Football Captain and Steelers fan, Paudie Clifford, announced that Mason McCormick from South Dakota State University has been selected as the Pittsburgh Steelers fourth round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

That followed on from super fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars Stephen Howlin announcing from the Sport Ireland campus that Javon Foster from Missouri Tigers would be heading to Florida.

At peak times over the last three days the TV audience for the Draft hit a little over 54 million and the benefit for Ireland of being involved in this highlight of the spring sports calendar in the United States is hard to guage.

This was the first time that Ireland had been a venue for a pick in thee draft which took place in the main live from Detroit.

Announcing their fourth round picks from Ireland have been the latest event in a series of activities that the NFL teams have hosted on the island of Ireland since being granted the rights to expand their brand and activities for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of the NFL’s ‘Global Markets Program.

The Steelers were in Ireland for a week of activity earlier this month, including meeting with Shamrock Rovers, hosting a kicking clinic at the Sport Ireland Campus with Tadhg Leader and a business breakfast at Croke Park with Sport for Business.

The Jaguars will also be visiting Dublin as part of the annual player tour at the end of June, where current roster players will take part in a fan event and community activities.

The NFL’s Global Markets Program grants NFL clubs access to international markets to expand and raise further awareness of the game through activities such as fan and youth events, along with corporate sponsorship and merchandise sales.

With botyh teams activating and with the teams known for each of the next three Aer Lingus College football Classic games in Dublin, fans of the sport in ireland have never had it so good.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Sport Ireland Campus are full members of the Sport for Business community.

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