Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – For West Virginia kicker Jack Cassidy, playing American football in rural Northern Ireland was never part of the plan. Instead, he grew up playing Gaelic football and hurling.
It was a random discovery on social media that changed the trajectory of Cassidy’s athletic career, taking him from County Derry to Western Kentucky and eventually to the Mountain State.
“I didn’t think it would happen as fast as it did,” he said. “I fully bought in January 2025 and within by May I had signed to Western Kentucky University, so it happened very fast.”
Cassidy grew up in Slaughtneil, a small community in County Derry, where Gaelic football and hurling were more than just sports. They were family traditions and a way of life.
“So, I grew up in a rural part of County Derry in Ireland and place called Slaughtneil where I grew up playing hurling and Gaelic football. So, they’re the national sports of Ireland. That’s a completely amateur sport, so you play for pride of place where you’re from,” he said.
For the 6-foot-6, 234-pound kicker, the ties to Gaelic football ran deep in his family. His great-uncles founded the local club, while his father and other relatives played for the team.
“My great uncles founded the club,” Cassidy said. “My father and nearly everybody who’s related to me has played for the club, so um it’s a pretty special part of the world and it meant a lot to me and to be honest, I kind of thought that I was going to spend the rest of my years there.”
Despite his family’s deep ties to Gaelic sports, Cassidy never imagined playing football across the ocean. His kicking ability, however, opened a door he had never thought possible.
Cassidy discovered Leader Kicking, a program that helped Gaelic football players develop their kicking skills for American football. He watched as players with similar backgrounds pursued opportunities in the United States, including Charlie Smith, who signed with the New Orleans Saints.
He attended several kicking sessions and quickly recognized the possibilities that were out there for him.
Althoughhe transition happened quickly, adapting to American football required more than transferring his kicking ability to a different type of ball.
The St. Mary’s Grammar School alum had experience kicking from the ground and taking kick-outs as a goalkeeper in Gaelic football. Those skills provided a foundation, but the differences between the sports required him to continue learning.
“So, with Gaelic football, I I played goalkeeper for a period of time, and there’s kick-outs in Gaelic football, which is similar to kicking off. You’re kicking off a tee, and you’re trying to kick it as far as possible,” Cassidy said.
“And then, for field goals then, there’s also free kicks. So, you get to kick the ball off the ground. Obviously, it’s completely different size ball, so um our Gaelic football is round and leather and obviously, American football is oval, so it’s definitely different.”
Cassidy began his American football journey at Western Kentucky before transferring to the Mountaineers for his final season. The opportunity to compete at a major college football program made the decision an easy one.
“I had one more year of eligibility, and I really just kind of dipping my feet into the sport. I didn’t know anything about the sport, and I just became fully set on trying to take this journey that I’m on as far as possible, so I want to play at the highest level,” he said.
“And, West Virginia’s obviously a massive football program so um once once they came knocking, you know, it was a no-brainer for me to come here, compete, play on the biggest stage, and see how far I can I can take this career and I’ve loved every minute of it so far.”
The scale of college football has been one of the biggest differences from life back home, where he played on a smaller stage.
“I’m the most amount of people I maybe played at back home was 40,000 and now it’s like week on week you’re playing in front of 60,000 and it’s just the regular,” he said. “And for me for where I come from it’s it’s not normal, but you just have to kind of take it day by day and appreciate every chance you get.”
While Cassidy has embraced the opportunity in Morgantown, moving across the Atlantic has meant leaving behind important people in his life, including his family and a girlfriend of six years .
“I have a girlfriend Elan back home, who I’ve been with for 6 years so doing long long distance relationship,” Cassidy said. “Obviously, my family are at home. That’s probably the hardest part.
However, he hasn’t made the journey alone. Thirteen people from Ireland attended his first game at WVU, giving him a piece of home as he adjusted to a new country and a different sport.
Cassidy credits much of his success to his girlfriend for her support.
“Now, she’s my everything. I wouldn’t be here without her, so couldn’t say enough about her,” he said.
With his transition to American football relatively new, Cassidy knows there is room to continue developing his craft. He has only played in 18 football games and continues to learn from the Mountaineer coaching staff and his teammates.
With that in mind, Cassidy is preparing for whatever comes next.
“I’m just always trying to get better,” he said. “I’m trying to be as perfect as possible. Trying to I want to play at the next level.”
Despite all the new challenges in his life, Cassidy is ready to see just how far he can go in his new journey.
Photo Credit: Kelsie LeRose, WVSN
