It was a whirlwind introduction when kicking off less than 24 hours after touching down in the United States, but the former gaelic footballer took it in his stride and when presented with the opportunity said “there’s no way I’m not taking it”.
He took all of the kick-offs in that game against the Jets. Although he converted two extra points and landed a 43-yard field goal against the Indianapolis Colts the following week, there was also a miss from 39 yards and from another extra-point.
“It wasn’t in the script to miss two easy field goals, but that’s sport,” he said.
“I was pretty quick in the door and I feel I need time to settle in and feel comfortable. Matt [Orzech, snapper] and Dan [Whelan, holder] are like clockwork, but it took time to sync up with them.
“I think I kicked three or four times with them before the game and I was probably trying to get it off too quickly, which is on me. I’ve felt way more comfortable since, so it’s simple fixes.
“I was down to kick field goals in the second half against the Seahawks [in the final pre-season game], but unfortunately we didn’t get one.”
Although delighted to be recalled to the Packers’ practice squad, McNamee is not making any bold predictions as to where he will be this time next year.
Instead, his sole focus is on continued development and he will not look “too far ahead” as he learns from starting kicker Brandon McManus.
“I’ll reassess at the end of the season if I’m still here,” he said.
“Right now, I kicked yesterday, recover today, recover tomorrow and watch film, then get ready to kick again, so that’s all on my mind.”