Two-time Super Bowl winner Lawrence Tynes had NFL success that most can only dream of but his boyhood ambition was to pull on the green and white of Celtic.
Tynes played for three NFL teams during a storied kicking career that peaked with two New York Giants Super Bowl wins over the New England Patriots in 2008 and 2012.
Could he have instead been lifting silverware with the Bhoys? If his circumstances as a youngster had developed differently, very possibly.
His love for Celtic is well known, he’s talked about it in the media and on social media before. Now he’s shared with official club outlet The Celtic View that he was angling to be signed by the Bhoys as a youth football hopeful.
Tynes’ fandom all stems from his early life as a child in Scotland and his die-hard Celtic-supporting family. Had he not moved to Florida, he reckons there’s every chance he could have gone on to become a professional footballer.
Lawrence Tynes had Celtic dreams
He explained: “It was annoying when we left Scotland because I was just starting to get noticed playing football. In Campbeltown, you are so far away from people so no one was taking note, but my two brothers and I started to come through to Glasgow to play.
“We would travel through and take part in these indoor tournaments and I was a talented player and we would play against Celtic teams and I would carve it up!
“I have the belief that I was good enough to pull on the Hoops and play for Celtic for 15 years. Unfortunately, the only team interested in me were from the other side and my family would never have that happening!
“So when we moved to Florida, it put a wrench in my dreams because I was never going to get scouted over there and football (soccer) wasn’t a big deal in America at the time.
“Celtic gave me something to love and be passionate about and I think it’s what inspired me to be a professional American football player. I wanted to play for Celtic so badly that when I got to America I still had that passion and I put my energy into American football.”
Tynes’ qualities could have made him a success in ‘soccer’
Tynes is the only kicker in NFL history to have two overtime game-winning field goals in the playoffs. He also didn’t miss any of his attempted kicks in his two Super Bowl appearances – points that proved to be the difference between winning and losing.
That’s the kind of composure and reliability that would have transferred to any sport. His ability to execute when the stakes are highest shows he had the mentality to be a success in ‘soccer’ and it appears he even had the talent to catch the eye as a developing youth player.
Ultimately his career kicking a different kind of football didn’t turn out too badly so I doubt he has too many regrets. Pleasingly though, it seems those memories and dreams of Celtic are still alive.
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