Jude McAtamney Bio
Jude McAtamney is a professional American football placekicker from Northern Ireland whose career has carried him from Gaelic football pitches in County Derry to the National Football League. Born on 9 May 2000 in Derry, he first gained attention as an unconventional rookie who learned the kicking trade as an adult. He signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and went on to appear in regular-season games for the franchise during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Early Life and Background
McAtamney was raised in the village of Swatragh in County Derry, Northern Ireland, where Gaelic football was the dominant sporting tradition. His grandfather, Harry Cassidy, was a Gaelic footballer for, and manager of, Bellaghy GAC and the Derry county football team, embedding the sport in the family from an early age. Growing up alongside six brothers, McAtamney played Gaelic football throughout his childhood and youth, eventually representing the Derry under-20 football team. He helped that squad win the Ulster Under-20 Football Championship in 2018.
For his schooling, McAtamney attended St Patrick’s College in Maghera before spending two years studying at St Mary’s University College in Belfast. His sporting focus at this stage remained firmly on Gaelic football, and there was little indication during his school years that he would later pursue a career in American football.
Path to American Football
McAtamney’s interest in American football began in May 2020, when he noticed on Twitter that Irish punter David Shanahan had accepted an athletic scholarship to play college football in the United States for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Intrigued by the possibility, McAtamney bought used equipment on eBay and began practising at a local Gaelic football pitch, recording clips of his kicking and sending a message to Shanahan for advice.
Shanahan referred McAtamney to ProKick Australia, a well-known development program for college football punters and placekickers. Travel to Australia was initially blocked by COVID-19 restrictions, so former NFL punter Tom Hackett offered to train McAtamney and Shanahan together. After a short training camp in Serbia in January 2021, the pair cleared travel restrictions and McAtamney spent several months working with Hackett, eventually demonstrating the ability to make 50-yard field goals in practice.
Jude McAtamney Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
In July 2021, McAtamney accepted a scholarship offer to play for the Chowan Hawks of Chowan University in North Carolina, an NCAA Division II program. In his first collegiate season he appeared in nine games, converting all 47 of his extra-point attempts while making 6 of 10 field goals, and produced 19 touchbacks across 60 kickoffs. After the season he entered the NCAA transfer portal and spent the 2022 off-season training with ProKick Australia to refine his technique against top competition.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Breakthrough (2022–2024)
McAtamney transferred to the FBS-level Rutgers Scarlet Knights and won the starting placekicker role. In his first season at Rutgers he played 12 games, going 12 of 18 on field goals with a long of 49 yards and 23 of 24 on extra points, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 59 total points. He also handled 47 kickoffs for 2,787 yards with 17 touchbacks, establishing himself as a reliable all-purpose kicker.
In his final college season, McAtamney attempted only one field goal, a miss, after being replaced on field-goal duties by Jai Patel, but he remained the kickoff specialist and set a Rutgers team record with 40 touchbacks on 60 kickoffs. His combination of kickoff power and field-goal accuracy was enough to attract NFL attention by the end of his college career.
New York Giants Era (2024–Present)
After impressing at his pro day, McAtamney was invited to try out for the New York Giants and made all 10 of his attempted kicks in front of scouts. He went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft but signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent and was assigned the team’s exempt/international roster spot through the International Player Pathway Program. He signed a reserve/future contract with the franchise on January 6, 2025.
McAtamney made his NFL debut against the Washington Commanders on November 3, 2024, converting an extra point and a 31-yard field goal after being called up from the practice squad. On August 26, 2025, he was waived by the Giants as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on September 27, 2025, after kicker Graham Gano was injured, and was officially signed to the active roster on October 9, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although McAtamney is a kicker rather than a driver, his professional profile centres on a powerful left leg developed through years of Gaelic football and dedicated placekicking coaching. His track-type strength is the kickoff, where his long-distance leg control produces a high rate of touchbacks, while his time at Rutgers showed dependable accuracy inside 50 yards on field goals and extra points.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among McAtamney’s standout moments are his first NFL field goal against Washington in November 2024, his team-record 40 touchbacks on kickoffs in his final Rutgers season, and his rapid rise from Gaelic football in Swatragh to an NFL active roster in just a few years. A more difficult chapter came in a Week 7 matchup against the Denver Broncos in 2025, when he missed two extra-point attempts, including one late in the fourth quarter, and the Giants lost 33–32 on a last-second field goal by Wil Lutz. He was released from the practice squad on November 24, 2025.
Jude McAtamney Career Wins
As a specialist, McAtamney’s career victories are measured in successful field goals, extra points, and team milestones rather than race wins. Across his college and NFL career he has recorded consistent accuracy on extra-point attempts and has produced a high volume of touchbacks on kickoffs at both the collegiate and professional levels.
NFL Highlights
McAtamney’s NFL production includes his debut field goal and extra point against the Washington Commanders on November 3, 2024, along with multiple practice-squad promotions and a promotion to the active roster in September 2025. His tenure with the Giants has been marked by quick transitions between the practice squad and active roster as the team managed injuries at the kicker position.
Other Wins & Performances
At the college level, McAtamney was the leading scorer for Rutgers in his first season in the program, posted a single-season program record 40 touchbacks on kickoffs in his final year, and earlier helped Derry’s under-20 side win the Ulster Under-20 Football Championship in 2018. These performances reflect his progression from Gaelic football to becoming a record-setting collegiate kicker and an NFL contributor.
Jude McAtamney Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
McAtamney comes from a family with a strong Gaelic football tradition in County Derry. His grandfather, Harry Cassidy, played for and managed Bellaghy GAC as well as the Derry county football team, and McAtamney himself grew up playing Gaelic football with his six brothers. That athletic heritage provided the foundation for his later transition into placekicking at the highest level of American football.
Personal Life
McAtamney was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, and grew up in the village of Swatragh, where much of his early training took place on local Gaelic football pitches. Publicly available details about his current residence and personal relationships are limited, and he has largely kept his private life out of the spotlight while focusing on his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a turbulent but instructive year for McAtamney with the New York Giants. He entered the fall as a member of the practice squad before being waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts and quickly re-signed the following day. His opportunity came on September 27, when he was promoted to the active roster after Graham Gano was injured, and he was officially signed to the active roster on October 9.
McAtamney’s most high-profile moment of the season came in a narrow Week 7 loss to the Denver Broncos, when missed extra-point attempts, including one with 37 seconds left, played a role in a 33–32 defeat decided by a last-second Wil Lutz field goal. The Giants adjusted their special-teams approach afterward, and McAtamney was moved back to the practice squad before being released on November 24.
For a young international kicker still early in his NFL career, the 2025 season provided both an expanded workload and a steep learning curve, reinforcing his value as a developmental prospect with a strong kickoff leg. His next steps will likely depend on how his special-teams performance is evaluated by NFL clubs during the 2025 off-season.