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The thrill and excitement of high school American football will return to Ireland.
Truly experience the wonders that the Emerald Isle has to offer.
The ultimate Gameday experience.
Official tickets of the College Football Classic.
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Experience what's been named "one of the greatest drives on earth", or explore the Giants causeway at the tip of County Antrim.
Stretching 2,500km along our western seaboard, the Wild Atlantic Way is the longest coastal touring route in the world.
July 12th 2024
David Shanahan’s American Football journey is truly a story like no-other, from Kerry to Atlanta, the punter for Georgia Tech has excelled on the College Football scene, and now he’s gearing up to launch his senior season from Dublin.
This August, kerry native David Shanahan will return to Ireland to kick-off his senior season with Georgia Tech Football at the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, when his Yellow Jackets take on the Florida State Seminoles.
It promises to be a spectacular moment for the Tech Punter. It’s not everyday you get to play in front of your home crowd!
Where it All Began:
Shanahan’s love for sport was always evident. The Georgia Tech punter played up to the under-17 level with Kerry, where the team enjoyed great success winning the 2017 Munster Championship.
After winning the 2017 Munster Championship, Shanahan sought another challenge, this time in a different sport: American Football. At that time, there was no real pathway for Irish athletes to be noticed on the American football scene, so Shanahan had to look abroad in order to build up his skillset.
In 2019, David attended the ProKick Australia kicking Academy in Melbourne. ProKick, is a well-recognised kicking academy which has produced numerous NFL kickers and punters.
It didn’t take long for the Kerryman to make the coaches swoon with his ability. Although Shanahan had little to no experience kicking American footballs, his raw athletic talent was clear, and the coaches knew that there was potential for Shanahan to kick at a high level.
Throughout covid-19 Shanahan continued to perfect his kicking technique, this time on his uncle’s dairy farm. Hard work and commitment to the game resulted in a full scholarship to college football giant Georgia Tech.
Shanahan continues to impress at Georgia Tech and logged another impressive season in 2023. Over the course of his three seasons with the ‘Yellow Jackets’, the Irishman has punted 179 times for 632 yards, with his longest punt reaching a distance of 71 yards.
Off the field, Shanahan is studying business administration at Georgia Tech and highlights the importance of being an NCAA athlete and a student at the same time.
“It's important to find the balance between football and school, but it’s really cool being able to get a degree from Georgia Tech, it’s something I never thought I'd be able to do,” Shanahan said.
This past season, Shanahan made the shortlist for the Ray Guy Award, an award that honours the best punter in college football. After a successful 23/24 campaign, the focus now turns to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
“It’s always on the back of my mind, it’s very exciting,” Shanahan said.
Inspiring the Next Generation
There was no blueprint for David to follow in order to become a college football player, he had to train hard, and search far and wide to find a pathway that would give him a shot at becoming an NCAA athlete.
Remarkably, David is the first Irishman to earn a full scholarship to play American college football, and continues to be a role model for young Irish athletes that are looking to follow in his footsteps
"I get probably five or six messages a week from 16, 17-year-old gaelic footballers asking me what to do and videos of them kicking American footballs. I definitely won't be the last one,” Shanahan told BBC.
When Worlds Collide:
Last July, Shanahan had the opportunity to bring some of his Georgia Tech Football teammates to Castleisland Kerry, to show them where his American Football journey originated from. His teammates met the Shanahan family and got a glimpse into David’s upbringing. Our official game partners at Kerry captured the special moments of the trip.
The Luck of The Irish
The 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic will mark the second time that the Yellow Jackets have played in Ireland. They previously featured in the 2016 Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Boston College, a game that they were victorious in.
Tech fans will be in high spirits entering this game as Georgia Tech finished the 2023 season on a high; winning the Gasparilla Bowl against UCF. This was their first bowl game victory since 2016 and led to Coach Key being nominated for the ACC Coach of the year in 2023.
The Official Aer Lingus College Football Classic App is now available for download! This is a must have for all fans, both domestic and international, joining us in Dublin for the 2024 College Football Season kick off. The Official Game App will provide users access to a rich resource of content at the touch of a button.
Download HERE!
