Tom Furlong, a brother of Offaly's AllIreland winning goalkeeper Martin, came closest to kicking in the NFL back in 1966, only to pick up an injury in the Atlanta Falcons' final preseason game. Kerry legend Mick O'Connell was also close to being offered a contract by the Los Angeles Rams after he impressed assistant coach Jack Faulkner while on holiday on the West Coast. In the end his age (O'Connell was 36 at the time) proved the stumbling block..The first three weeks of the 2012 NFL season will always be remembered by the NFL official's lockout that brought in replacement officials to call the games. The NFL was trying to hold off from paying the regular officials a lucrative amount of money by bringing in replacement officials to call their games. However there were so many bad calls and controversy during the first three weeks of the season, the regular officials were able to push negotiations through and get the deal they bargained for.

EXPECTATIONS: Ryan is slimmer t