American Football players have paid a visit to Loughborough University as part of a two day NFL event. This comes as the UK-based NFL Academy has announced it will be moving operations to the East Midlands campus. One of the days saw the trials for the prestigious academy take place, with the NFL National Flag Football Championships happening also. Evidently, American Football’s popularity in the UK incomparable to its status over the pond.
However, there is growing support for the game, especially at British Universities. Opportunities like the NFL Academy are making it possible for British talents to make it in the game. The link between the NFL and Loughborough only aims to further this, aiming to assist skilled British American Football players in both sport and education.
What is the NFL Academy?
The NFL Academy is a global intiative which hopes to ‘use American Football to create life-changing opportunities for young people.’ Set up in September 2019, the UK branch will move from Barnet and Southgate College to Loughborough at the start of the 2022/23 academic year. It allows 16-19 year olds a chance to play NCAA American Football alongside education and pathways into employment.
Moreover, the Academy has a proven track record of its students making it to the big time. Four players have made the step-up from the Academy to college football stateside: Freddie Pelling, Seydou Traore, Darren Agu, and Tyler Harvey-Fallows. The trials for the next cohort were held as part of the NFL sporting festival at Loughborough.
Hosting the NFL National Flag Football Championships
Flag Football is a sport which is growing rapidly around Britain, with a reported 20,000 participants. It offers a way for younger people to try the basics of American Football without the contact. The idea for the sport began in the 1990s, when the NFL aiming to make the sport more accessible. Flag Football was born, allowing everyone an opportunity to play, irregardless of gender or age.
There are over 500,000 participants in America alone. In the UK, tournaments for Years 5/6, as well Years 7/8, happen nationwide. The winners head to National Finals, which were held at Loughborough University. Little Ealing Primary School came out victorous, earning a place in the Las Vegas Pro Bowl to represent Great Britain.
Meeting British NFL Stars
In addition to the trials and the Championships, British American Football players made the trip to the Loughborough campus. As well as the selfie opportunities, those taking part in the events were also able to take some tips from the pros. Those in attendance included Efe Obada, the British defensive end who became the first player to make it in the NFL directly from a European league. Jamie Gillan, the Inverness-born punter, was another star in attendance.
BBC pundit and former cornerback, Jason Bell, also made the trip, as well as Russell Wilson, K.J. Osborn, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. For those hoping to make it in the NFL, their go-to star would have been Adedayo Odeleye. The current Loughborough student has earned his dream move to the Houston Texans through the International Player Pathway program.