The Gaelic Gridiron Podcast With Ryan Fitzgerald

[Music] how are we doing guys welcome back to the GIC raron podcast it is officially game week in Dublin the earling college football classic taking place this Saturday in the Via Stadium the Georgia Tech Yellow jackets taking on the Florida state seals and a man who is sure to feature prominently on offense for the seals is H Mr Ryan Fitzgerald the kicker Ryan welcome to the podcast how are you hey I'm good how are you how are how excited are you for this trip across the ponds to to Dublin like it's going to be epic right yeah I'm super excited uh to get the opportunity to go overseas with my brothers um we're all just really excited for the opportunity so is it fair to say that with a name like Fitzgerald is a little bit of Irish in you somewhere yes sir that that would be correct yeah tell me tell me a bit about that so tell me a bit about your background um I think my uncle did uh sent the DNA off um or whatever that is and came back Irish and Scottish and I suppose like with that with that kind of ancestral background does that kind of make this whole trip a little bit more special for you or you know I suppose having the buildup as well it must really kind of be building the anticipation towards the game yeah you know I haven't really thought about that you know my ancest is having that Irish descent so it's it's pretty cool really cool Ryan you're going into your six season now with the seminal um and this season I suppose is a little bit different because it kicks off with that game in the Aviva Stadium but overall what are your kind of goals for the season ahead um you know I think just go out every day with a mindset of of getting better and and just being my best and really just improving each and every day and showing up and just executing does the fact that this is that you're coming into your into your final season now and having I suppose the experience of the years gone by does that make things a little bit kind of does that give things a little bit kind of more h of an edge or is there more kind of on this year from from from your point of view I think it it does give me an edge just uh knowing what to expect and not the comfort of it because it's never comfortable um with different situations but just knowing what to expect and and having that experience definitely puts me in a really good spot and yeah just trying to make the most of it like you said last year and so I mean the focus is in an all-time high this really excited to have with this last season I suppose being one of the players who has been on the on the team for quite some time now would you consider yourself as a as a leader or as a mentor to some of the younger players coming in and H how do you go about acting in that role yeah um I think there's I'm one of three guys that are in our sixth year now and so being the oldest guys on the team you know we we really really are looked upon as leaders and mentors and I think it's just cool opportunity because I look back to my first year having those mentors the older guys mentoring me and leading me so I think it's a responsibility that comes with that and you know it's really cool to be in that role too and help guys you know learn the standard of which we operate and yeah it's really cool this is a bit of a Revenge season I think we can kind of class it for Florida State after the disappointment of last year so is there that kind of sense in the room of that of of having a point to prove going at this year um you know I think that we are going to approach every day of just showing up and showing who we are our identity you know every team every year has a different identity our identity this year is different than last year um and we want to put it on full display every single opportunity we get uh regardless of what happened last year you know this is a new year a new team new faces and we want to put that identity on display this year Georgia Tech of course would be a familiar opponent for yourselves being in the same conference at in the ACC but who are you know having played to for for this length of time now I mean who would be some of the toughest teams in any division that you've that you've played against in your in your career um you know I think just the rivalry games uh the end State rivals and uh Clemson and another game you know all the all the rivals just the the the really cool games the atmospheres and dop Campbell and um it's just such a cool experience um playing against those teams and and just going out there to compete I'm slightly biased as you can see I have my Notre Dame top on me and I didn't I didn't wear it deliberately but I was actually at the game in 2018 when you guys played and played in south end that was probably your your freshman season was it I wasn't yet how was my senior year of high school and in terms of you know atmosphere wise you can kind of imagine that night games are probably you know the the better in that regard but what are your expectations for the atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium H with so many Florida State fans expected to travel over yeah I think it's going to be an incredible atmosphere um like you said you know the Florida State fans that are traveling over we always travel really well the marching Chiefs are going to be there our band they always bring great energy and support for us and so to have that support go across the water across the pond uh it's really cool and then the the locals the the local Irish uh having them at the game too is going to be really special and might get Rowdy loud I'm really excited for for a really fun atmosphere to play has the time difference affected you know preparations are you trying to climatize for that or in general how are preparation going for this week zero opening matchup um I think coach R has a really good plan in place for the time difference and how we're going to travel over there and acclimate to that um and we we're just going along with with his plan and what what what he says and uh our preparation in general for next week it's going really well and we we still have to continue to show up every day and improve you know it's not a finished product um and so every every moment we get is just to continue to prepare and and get ready now as a specialist and often times your position comes with a lot of pressure and you're often put in positions or in scenarios where the the winning or losing of the game could come down to you so it's not just about the physical preparation it's about the mental preparation I guess so how would your preparation kind of differ or um be unique compared to say that the rest of the teams um I think it's mostly similar maybe a little bit different but you know I'd say I'm very Pro process driven not results focused too much I I really focus on my process and preck routine and getting into that flow state of mind um and and just trust my process and let the results handle themselves and usually whenever I trust my process the results play out in a good way so yeah really process driven and just get my mind ready visualization you know looking at the stadium looking at the background looking up pictures of it at least right now and just seeing you know what my targets would be the uprights and just little things like that to just get prepared that of course that'll factor in heavily to your preparation is getting into the Via stadium and getting uh plenty of kicks in um in in the buildup to the game but how how important is it for kickers to get used to um get used to a venue especially for you know for the first time yeah I think uh just KN one the playing surface and uh weather conditions just no one to expect and targets the lights or or whatever just picking out your targets so that way you know whenever the game comes you're confident and you know you know where you're you're lining and aiming and to go out there and be confident now you spoke about some of the results there and the results of your preparation you had quite a a successful year last year in terms of making making to the all ACC and I believe leading the ACC in points as a kicker what talk to me about some of the highlights of your your career at Florida State so far I mean what are some of the kind of top top you know experiences you've had there as a semino yeah you know I think um well one of my first was a a game winner um against Syracuse in 2021 and we didn't start that season exactly how we wanted to um came up short in a few games beforehand and um drove the ball we were it was a close game in our fifth game of the season and we drove the ball offense defense got a stop and then offense got the ball back and drove right down the field put me in great position and we executed game-winning kick and won the game and um and just the cheese at bowl a couple years ago um in Orlando uh same thing defense got a stop offense drove the ball down put me in position and we executed again there and even the ACC Championship Game really that I think that's been my highlight so far in my career is winning the ACC Championship and going out there and being able to knock through some field goals uh under two minutes left to go to kind of seal the game I guess you could say uh I think that that would be really my favorite uh moment of my career so far is just to win an ACC Championship with my boys I mean that must be an incredible feeling to kick a game-winning field goal with the clock winding down I mean describe to me the whole I suppose the scenario as a kicker and everyone's looking at you and everyone knows that it's coming down to this to this this field goal attempt like what what ises that i' like yeah I mean you know all eyes are on you obviously on the sideline you know the cameras are panning to you watching you warm up in the net talking about where he's going to be good from and all that but really it's just it goes back to just your process having that same process obviously you're going to have some adrenaline flowing that's normal you know uh Justin Tucker the best Tu uh arguably the best kicker in the NFL he's talked about that you know the adrenaline's going to be there the nerves are going to be there um that never goes away it's just how you handle them and so in that situation you just got to focus on your process and just be confident because you've worked for it you prepared for it now it's your moment to shine so I think any any successful any confident kicker wants those moments because theyve prepared for them and they're ready for them let's talk now a little bit about Ireland and this is the first time that for many of for the for the SOS indeed that they've played the game internationally I think it'll be the first time that a large amount of your teammates have played a game internationally so describe to me I suppose the the sense or the the mood around the team right now with the prospect of this this uh this big game on the horizon in just a couple of days time I I think there's so much excitement um just being able to go overseas be able to have a different culture a different environment and yet we still get to do our job and go out there and execute and you know I think the trip itself is just such a cool experience you know the the meeting the people the food the the the visuals the the city seeing the city and you know it's just really exciting uh opportunity for us and we're we're just we just can't wait to get over there what would you say you're looking forward to the most met coming over and don't say Guinness because that's what everyone else has said so far so try to be a little bit original well I I mean I would say Obviously the game you know going out there and winning the game that's obviously number one that's the main objective of of this trip for us um second to that I would say really just uh just seeing the city I mean I I think it's so cool the history um the castles I mean everything over there I just really excited to to to see I'm kind of a history nerd um and just to be able to to see the buildings the architecture and get a feel for the culture I think I'm really excited for that definitely lots of culture for you to explore and hopefully you will get the chance to do so you know I know you're going to have a busy agenda H Ryan as as I suppose one of the top kickers in college football that that has been proven I'd like to get your opinion on the large influx of Irish kickers making the transition to college football um in in recent years uh recent weeks and months and even uh Irish kickers going to the NFL what are your thoughts on that you know I think it's really cool um just coming from all over and still being able to play this sport that we love so much over here I think it's just a really cool opportunity to see guys come all across the world to be able to play this sport I think it just shows the respect this sport has and um the magnitude of it really and would you say that kicker some different codes be those Gaelic football Ruby you know Australian Rules would they have an advantage in terms of their kicking Style versus American kickers who have been as possibly learning the same way throughout their entire career yeah I think there there could be um in the way that you know Australian Rules Irish Rugby you know growing up you're you're kicking the ball all the time you know whereas over here you know I grew up kicking the ball kicking the footy you know and most most people over here uh others they play baseball they maybe yeah played soccer growing up and they're kicking and um whatnot um but a lot of kids in the yard over here growing up you know we throw the baseball around the football around and over there y kicking the kicking the footy around you know growing up as as kids so I think there's a little bit of an advantage there but at the same time you know guys over here most of I'd say over well over 90% of the kickers over here grew up playing soccer since they were four five so that uh foot to eye coordination has been developed uh very early and you you went to high school and grew up in Georgia of course which is known as a as a football as a high school football B hotbed and producing some of the best players in the country but did you always know that you wanted to be a kicker I mean was that the plan from day one when you started playing football was I'm I'm going to college to play to play kicker or did you have something else in mind no I did that was always my goal my my dream as a kid was always to be a college football player college football kicker and ever since I was six or seven you know just in the yard kicking the football with my dad and um I didn't even start playing football until 8ighth grade you know 13 14 years old but uh just growing up I always wanted to be one and always I stuck with soccer for the first half of of my school career and um and kicked on the side kick footballs on the side until we had a snapper and holder in middle school and finally went out to to kick for the team so yeah I've always wanted to be a college football kicker and now looking back on it now it's just so cool to see that my dream come true and I'm living out that dream and it just gives me that extra motivation every day it definitely must be rewarding to have your hard work come to fruition with kicking for one of the top high school football sorry the top college football programs in in America and getting to play on the national stage uh each and every weekend but I suppose looking forward to the future now obviously you you are um a super super senior I think a sixe senior at this stage as they as they call it over there what's the plan for the future now are you looking towards the NFL professionally or what are you hoping to to do next yes sir I'm looking forward to to going in the NFL and and giving it my best shot there and I feel really confident with my ability and what I can do at the next level and uh at some point whenever it is whenever football ends um I got my undergraduate degrees and insurance and accounting and I'm currently getting my masters in accounting right now so want to go into the business World once football's done um however long that may be and and yeah who would your dream franchise be to play for in the NFL I don't really have one I honest answer I don't really have one I'm a big football fan I've always been going up but I didn't really have a favorite NFL team going up to be completely honest well I'm sure there will be plenty of teams calling for your services uh with the the growing importance of having a reliable Place kicker um Ryan listen thank you very much for your time it's been a pleasure talking to you and getting to know about you and we're definitely looking forward to seeing you in action in the Eva stadium in couple of days time but before I let you go I have a final question for you and this is one that often catches some of the guests out so don't worry but it's it it always gives a good insight into a into uh into our guests and that is what is your favorite football memory favorite football memory honestly I would say the ACC Championship game last year you know being able to to win a conference Championship uh with my guys that have been here for 5 years and we've talked about that since freshman year and then finally being able to to get the opportunity to play for one and then to be able to execute and win it I think that's definitely my favorite football memory it's it's definitely a valid answer and I can imagine it the absolute scenes when you when you manage to to secure that Victory well L and Ryan thank you very much for coming on again I look forward to seeing you um in action in the Aviva stadium and I'm not sure who I'll be rooting for personally obviously we have our own David Shanahan on punting Judy for uh for Georgia Tech so out of out of that I might have to just uh support him but look no matter who wins it's going to be an absolutely um fantastic event for everyone involved yes sir thank you so much cheers Ryan cheers [Music]