The thought can quickly arise that you have to be an American to be able to play there at all. After all, the 32 NFL teams recruit their players mostly from colleges in the USA – not like the teams in the Bundesliga, which rely on their own talent, players from Germany or the surrounding countries.
If you take a closer look, of course, it quickly becomes clear that the NFL is also an international affair. In addition to a few Canadians, Australians and English there are also five Germans in the league. The best-known of the five German players is currently Kasim Edebali, who was last active as a defensive end at the New Orleans Saints. Then there are Moritz Böhringer (tight end, free agent), Jakob Johnson (fullback, New England Patriots), Mark Nzeocha (linebacker, San Francisco 49ers) and Vyncint Smith (wide receiver, New York Jets).
A wave from Down Under
One country that has attracted a remarkable number of players recently is Australia – long known as a very sporting country. Just as Australian footballers have made it into the Bundesliga and Australian cyclists succeed in the world’s greatest races such as the Tour de France, some Australians have been able to gain a foothold in the NFL over time.
With Jarryd Hayne, the San Francisco 49ers brought out a true superstar Rugby League across the Pacific. The best fullback in the world in rugby league, Hayne tried his hand at football as a running back and punt returner. Thanks to Hayne, the NFL now has a very loyal audience in Australia too. Australian players are of course mostly used in the NFL according to their rugby skills. Most of the time, it’s about kicking – as a placekicker at the kickoff or for field goals and points-after-touchdown or as a punter for tactical gain of space. Michael Dickson, an Australian kicker, surprised the Seattle Seahawks in January 2019 with some dropkicks at the punt and also at the kickoff.
It is no surprise that Australian athletes are in high demand in the world of sports. After all, Australians are increasingly playing a very sporting role in the entertainment world. In addition to football, the focus is usually on surfing. For example in the film “The Shallows – Danger from the Deep”, which is about a surfer who is surprised by a shark on the Australian coast. She tries to escape this throughout the film. The casino industry also likes to associate Australia with surfing. For example in Online Slots become like “Aussie Adventure”. Symbols appear on the reels that are reminiscent of certain destinations in Australia, including cities like Melbourne, Darwin or Brisbane – even a surfing koala bear can be seen.
Denmark, England, Canada
For many years the NFL’s most famous import player was a Dane. Morten Andersen moved to the United States in 1977 and made his debut for the New Orleans Saints in 1982 – even before that „Danish Dynamite“ was trendy in football. Andersen never won the Super Bowl, but his reliable kicks ensured that he stayed in the league for almost 25 years, with a total of six teams.
Among the slightly more than a handful of English players there is an interesting player in Christian Wade. Wade was one of the Wasps’ best wingers in rugby union for years – but there were still better players in the way of the England national team. Wade decided to try his hand at the NFL in 2018 and ended up running back for the Buffalo Bills, but is still waiting for his first NFL appearance.
The fact that you can meet some Canadians in the NFL is not just due to the geographical proximity to the USA. Canada has its own “Gridiron Football Game”, Canadian Football, with the CFL as the highest league. Talented footballers who do not make it to the NFL in the USA sometimes find shelter there in professional sport – and conversely, particularly good CFL players occasionally find a place on an NFL team.
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