O’Neill to take punt at NFL dream

The son of Cork All-Ireland winner Colm O’Neill is shaping up as a possible NFL punting prospect in Colorado.

Darragh O’Neill, the 20-year-old son of the Midleton full-forward sent off in the 1990 All-Ireland final against Meath, is making waves with his special teams kicking at Colorado University. Though his college team are 1-9 overall, O’Neill’s 66 punts rank third in the Pac-12 Conference and 18th nationally, with an average of 43.8 yards per punt. And he admits his dream is to make it into the NFL, possibly with the Denver Broncos.

“Every day when I go out to practise, I think, ‘What can I do to get to the next level?’” O’Neill said. “That’s definitely what I focus on every single day. Next year, I would like to put myself on the next level to where I’m in the top five or 10 punters in the country. That’s what I’m working for.”