Dan Whelan made history last night, January 15, becoming the first Irishman to play in the NFL playoffs since Dublin-born Neil O'Donoghue in 1983.
Whelan, 24, helped propel the Green Bay Packers to their own historic victory over the Dallas Cowboys, becoming the first seventh-seed in the history of the NFL to win a playoff game.
The Packers toppled the Cowboys with a final score of 48-32 in the playoff game that saw Whelan punt the ball three times for a total of 113 yards, averaging 37.7 yards per kick.
The first Irish NFL player to appear in the playoffs for almost 40 years, it's @dan__whelan time! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/PW2LVHd7Wm
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) January 14, 2024
In the stands for the big game on Sunday night was Whelan's proud mum, Anne Marie Doyle.
"#IrishFamily in the house for @Packers game," Anne Marie said on X.
#irishfamily in the house @packers game. Great to see @dan__whelan play. So proud ❤️🇮🇪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GL2AhqtSTO
— Anne Marie Doyle (@AMTWhelan) January 15, 2024
Anne Marie shared some snaps of her son after the game, adding "San Francisco here we come."
Nicely done @dan__whelan great team win @packers in the @NFL wildcard game - #SanFrancisco here we come #GoPackGo 🇮🇪🇺🇸🙏 pic.twitter.com/eA4ScNmMTw
— Anne Marie Doyle (@AMTWhelan) January 15, 2024
After Sunday's game, Whelan got a shout-out from Matt LaFleur, the Packers head coach.
"Give it up for our kick-off team," LaFleur told the excited players in the locker room after their big win.
"How about Daniel Whelan?! Three punts inside the ten!"
The FIRST seventh seed to EVER win a playoff game.#CreateHistory | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/fUxtPy4ONV
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 15, 2024
Green Bay - and Whelan - now march on to the NFL Division Round, where they will face top-seeds the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, January 21.
Whelan was 13 years old when he moved from Ireland to the US with his mom. A talented athlete, Whelan played rugby and soccer in Ireland and tennis in the US before trying out American football during his junior year at Rancho Mirage High School in California.
In 2016, when he was still in high school, Whelan went viral for kicking a 72-yard field goal at practice, shattering the current NFL record of 66 yards.
After graduating in the top ten percent of his high school class, Whelan went on to study Sustainable Environmental Design at UC Davis in California. When he graduated, he was ranked number one in the school's history in punting average (44.0) and punts inside the 20 (86).
Whelan entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in May 2022 but was released that July, which he later said was "humbling."
After a stint in the XFL with the DC Defenders, Whelan signed with the Green Bay Packers in May 2023 where he made a strong impression during training camps, ultimately winning the punter position over veteran Pat O'Donnell.
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On September 10, Whelan became the first Irish-born player to feature in an NFL game since 1985 when he starred in the Green Bay Packers' 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Whelan is now the 11th Irish-born player in the NFL. According to Pro Football Reference, the others are Neil O'Donoghue, John Sinnott, Adrian Young, Tom Graham, Bob Nash, France Fitzgerald, Brian McGrath, Mickey Fallon, Con O'Brien, and Birtie Maher.
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