Whether it be on the field or off of it, the women of Europe are working hard to fulfill their goals and aspirations in the American football community. Women are not only present in the American football environment – they are creating their own. With women becoming an increasing presence in management among men’s teams […]
England
Introducing American Football to English Schools
The roots of American football in England date all the way back to World War II. U.S. and Canadian troops stationed throughout Europe would meet in the United Kingdom regularly to compete in rivalry matches throughout the war. These contests were met with positive reception from the British locals. In the two largest events, pitting […]
Soaking Up the NFL International Series Experience
Dating back to the 2007 season, the National Football League has been playing at least one regular season game abroad each year. Beginning as an annual event, the NFL International Series expanded to multiple contests in 2013 and now features four regular season games every year. While the first 15 games were held exclusively at […]
Beyond the Budget: Dominating American Football on a Shoestring
While conducting research for Travis Brody’s upcoming book, which aims to cover the past, present and future of American Football in Europe, Travis and I have collectively interviewed dozens of American football teams from nearly every European country. Altogether, this exploration is rapidly becoming the most exhaustive body of research in existence concerning American […]
What is the Likelihood of an NFL Franchise in London?
The potential of a move to London by an NFL team has not gone without its doubters. Since the National Football League first brought the NFL International Series to the U.K. in 2007, many claimed that the league had some fairly unrealistic expectations about the growth of American football abroad. Yet since that initial […]
Fiona Quimbre: The First Lady of the Gridiron
When Fiona Quimbre first tried out for Cardiff University’s American football team, not many who were present thought she would return. Five months later she became the first female to play for the Cobras. The 18-year-old cornerback ran onto the field for her first taste of full-contact football in a live game for Cardiff’s end-of-season […]
From the Big Ten to Britain’s University League: The Clay Rust Story
By chance, a choice of clothing led former University of Wisconsin quarterback Clay Rust on an unexpected football journey in England. Rust, a chemistry major at Wisconsin, quit the Badgers football team after the 2012 season and moved in the fall of 2014 to Bristol, a city in the west of England, for an […]
The Hastings Conquerors: A New Model for American Football?
The Hastings Conquerors looked around at other American football clubs across the United Kingdom for direction before starting their own franchise in 2013. They just chose to go in a completely different way. As one of the UK’s newest American football franchises, they’ve quickly instituted an efficient management structure and have begun to establish […]
The History of the NFL International Series in London
When the National Football League announced that it was shutting down NFL Europe in 2007, the league was quick to state that they would be returning to Europe with an NFL regular season game in London later that year. They’ve since followed up on that promise, and then some. What started out as one […]