Irishman Smyth Returns to Active Roster, Just Thrilled to Be Kicking for the Saints Again

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The Saints parted ways with veteran kicker Daniel Carlson this week and are calling up Irishman Charlie Smyth from the practice squad to take his place. Smyth kicked for the Saints last season. In his six games, he hit 12-of-the-16 field goals he tried, a 75% rate. His longest was a 57-yarder. He made all 13-extra points he attempted.

Smyth spoke with the media Wednesday. Here is a transcript of those conversations, edited lightly for clarity.

What do you make of being in this position once again?

I'm just very grateful for the opportunity. I'm really excited about Sunday now. The focus is on having a great kicking session on Friday and just building on top of the day. I'm just really grateful for the confidence the organization has shown in me. So yeah, I'm very excited for the opportunity.

Not knowing whether you were going to kick (in Paris) going into the uncertainty with Daniel and his family, do you think that helped you stay sharper or anything like that?

I don't think so, really. I think for me, I'm always trying to just focus on my own craft. Obviously, I was aware. Daniel told me at the start of the season that that was a possibility, that he wouldn't be able to go. Obviously, he was able to go then. I was gearing up to play in that game, but that's kind of how you have to treat it every week because you just don't know when your opportunity is going to come up, just like this week. You just have to stay ready and really focus on the craft and the process. Just coming in here every day with a smile on your face, even though you think nobody sees what you're doing, it shows that they do. I just love the process and just getting better. I'm really excited about Sunday now.

Charlie, does it help your nerves, I guess, that you've been in this situation several times now where you've had to kind of bide your time and wait?

Yeah, I think last year's experience is definitely going to stand by me. I thought last year was great. It wasn't perfect, but there was a lot of good moments. We had some big kicks in those games last year. I was really happy with how I felt in those moments and how I executed. Look, it's definitely going to stand by me going forward now. We can build on top of that. Again, focus on a really good session on Friday now, and that'll lead us into Sunday.

What were the things you needed to work on that you were able to clean up? Sorry? What were the things that you needed to work on that you felt that you needed to clean up?

Taking a look at the film from last year and the games. Obviously, the misses, three of them were from the left hash. I know (Special teams coordinator) Phil (Galiano) spoke about that at the end of the preseason. I've had a lot of time now to take a look at that and clean it up. Again, just all the little things. There's always something as a golfer. You're just always trying to clean up stuff. Obviously, for me, I'm in a process where I haven't been doing it as long as other guys, but I don't really care about that anymore. I'm just here. I'm grateful for the opportunity now. It's time to just go ball out and execute. That's really where my focus is at. It's great having all the support from home, but for me now, I'm in a position where that's great, but I just have to focus on being a great player for this team, and that's what I'm trying to be.

Have you been able to pinpoint anything specifically about the left hash?

It's kind of just like a reps thing. You just play about with it, and you just figure out what's going on. It's not really like people have said stuff about it. It's not that not-big-a-deal, honestly. For me, it's just like a confidence thing of just repping it over and over again these past six or seven weeks and just making kicks on it. Just trying to focus on making all your kicks, and that's where it lays.

Do you feel any extra pressure to drill that first kick after everything that's happened and releasing a kick right now you're back?

More than normal, I would say. You can't really look at it like that. You've just got to focus on making all your kicks and treating it one kick at a time. Again, I'm just in a position where I'm very grateful to get the opportunity now to play Sunday. You've got to make all your kicks. That's just the way it is. If you don't, that's not going to be good enough. That's really trying to treat it as a one-kick-at-a-time mentality. I'm just fired up to get the opportunity to play Sunday.

Even though Daniel's tenure maybe wasn't what you wanted it to be, because he was a veteran, did he help you? What kind of influence did he have on you?

Daniel's one of my favorite people I've been around in NFL buildings. I know it can be weird whenever you're both in the same position and you're in the same building, but genuinely, he is one of the nicest people I've ever been around. From the week one, from whenever he came in, we just talked kicking all the time. We both love it. I learned so much from him, and even how he goes about his weekly habits during the week, that I'm going to apply to how I go about things going forward. He's been a great pro. He's All-Pro twice now. If I can have the career he's had, then we're going well. He's going to get another opportunity again.

Sorry to harp on the left hash thing. I know you said it wasn't as big of a deal, but I'm just curious in terms of trying to improve in that area, do you actually dedicate more reps to that left hash? Do you have to figure it out?

I think in the early weeks, yeah, I was. But now it's back to normal. It's not even in my head anymore. The past couple of sessions have been great with it, so I'm just delighted with how that's going. Let's just ball out. That's what it's time for.

What kind of reaction have you gotten from fans or family even reaching out to you?

Again, it's great to have the support from home, but as I said, I'm trying to keep my circle small. As I said, I'm very grateful for all that, but it's time to just ball out now and just focus on football. That's where my mind's at, and that can all go on in the background, but I've just got to focus on coming in here every day with a smile on my face and just going out and loving my craft and trying to help this team win football games.

Is the family coming in (from Ireland) for this one?

Yeah, they're coming in, yeah. The flight's a little easier to get this time. I suppose they've done the trip now a couple of times, and we got to see them in Paris too, which was good.

Are you hoping for an extra point or a field goal in the first kick?

Whatever. Hopefully an extra point, because that means we'll score a touchdown. But look, if it's a long one, brilliant. If it's a short one, brilliant. Whatever it is, I've just got to treat it with the same mindset as all my kicks.

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