While Adam McCann-Gibbs feels his journey from Gaelic footballer to college athlete has been like something from a film, the County Down teenager still acknowledges it is surreal to have one of the greatest American football coaches of all time play a leading role in his story.

Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach of the New England Patriots and two as an assistant with the New York Giants, swapped the NFL for the college game before last season and this weekend brings his North Carolina Tar Heels to Dublin for their season opener against Texas Christian University.

McCann-Gibbs, the team’s punter who will be making his debut at this level should he feature at the Aviva Stadium, only took up the sport in recent years and is still learning its nuances. Few, of course, are more detail-orientated than Belichick with the former Down minor keen to soak up whatever he can from the 74-year-old.

“You’re blown away whenever he goes up in a team meeting. Everyone shuts up really quickly and you’re able to feed off his knowledge of the game,” said McCann-Gibbs.

“It’s just incredible. I might not understand everything yet but I’m learning from the guy that’s at the top of his game.”

Belichick arrived at Chapel Hill amid much fanfare, signing a five-year $50m (£36m) deal to join a university which, thanks to the likes of Michael Jordan and legendary head coach Dean Smith, has a far greater legacy in basketball than American football.

His first year in college after almost 50 years in the NFL was markedly below expectations with North Carolina slumping to a 4-8 record.

While some have questioned how last season’s struggles, and his final years with the Patriots, will impact his reputation, linebacker Derek McDonald said it is “pretty special” to be working under the head coach.

“We’re just trying to soak up as much knowledge as we can,” said the transfer from Syracuse.

“He knows so much about football, but not even just about football, about life. He has so much more wisdom than us. He really just preaches the process and doing things the right way.

“He’s in here all day long and he loves football, loves doing everything he can to get us prepared. For us, it’s to understand that if we can work as hard as him and soak up some of that knowledge he has, then we’ll definitely find success.”

While Belichick will be a central storyline of the college football season, there will be plenty of attention on Gibbs-McCann come Saturday too. The 19-year-old said it will be “really special” to play in front of a home crowd in the Aviva Stadium.

Before his college bow, the latest prospect to have come through Leader Kicking academy has sought the advice of the programme’s most famous graduate – New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth.

Gibbs-McCann grew up fewer than 10 miles from the Mayobridge home of Smyth, who started six games for the Saints last season.

“Charlie’s obviously been a big inspiration for me. He’s helped me and through this we’ve been in contact a lot,” he said.

“Seeing that there’s a genuine pathway there that people have sort of paved for you, that really inspires you to go out there and want to do your job every week and obviously the ultimate goal is to go and play in the NFL.”