A wave of foreign-developed NFL talent may actually be beginning

[BADOLBILZ]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37668211/emmanuel-okoye-goes-nigeria-nfl-academy-vols-commit

 

There have been a lot of players coming from Africa and taking up football in the states...........but Osi Umeniyora is heavily involved in getting young players in development in Africa during their HS age years.    This kid Emmanuel Okoye is committing to an SEC school right out of the program.    This is significant, IMO.   As participation in football is declining at the youth level here in the US the NFL needs to start finding new pipelines so we don't start having drafts like the last one on the regular.    Hard to imagine an NBA without Giannis and Luka and Embiid.  

[PrimeTime101]

2 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37668211/emmanuel-okoye-goes-nigeria-nfl-academy-vols-commit

 

There have been a lot of players coming from Africa and taking up football in the states...........but Osi Umeniyora is heavily involved in getting young players in development in Africa during their HS age years.    This kid Emmanuel Okoye is committing to an SEC school right out of the program.    This is significant, IMO.   As participation in football is declining at the youth level here in the US the NFL needs to start finding new pipelines so we don't start having drafts like the last one on the regular.    Hard to imagine an NBA without Giannis and Luka and Embiid.  

They still need more "American football" programs for it to become a real thing.

[SCBills]

Would definitely be interesting.  

 

The best players in the NBA are now foreign born.. Jokic, Luka, Giannis, Embiid.  

 

San Antonio is walking on cloud nine today because they just got the best prospect since Lebron by winning the Draft Lottery.  French born Victor Wembanyama

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by SCBills

[PromoTheRobot]

Same is true of hockey. Once youth programs started in Arizona and SoCal, kids from those programs are getting drafted into the NHL.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I don't care how much Arsch you people kiss, we're not getting Christian Wade back.

[Big Turk]

3 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37668211/emmanuel-okoye-goes-nigeria-nfl-academy-vols-commit

 

There have been a lot of players coming from Africa and taking up football in the states...........but Osi Umeniyora is heavily involved in getting young players in development in Africa during their HS age years.    This kid Emmanuel Okoye is committing to an SEC school right out of the program.    This is significant, IMO.   As participation in football is declining at the youth level here in the US the NFL needs to start finding new pipelines so we don't start having drafts like the last one on the regular.    Hard to imagine an NBA without Giannis and Luka and Embiid.  

 

Is he related to ex Chiefs RB Christian Okoye?

 

Nigerian Nightmare Part II?

Edited May 17, 2023 by Big Turk

[K D]

If any of you have ever traveled abroad it's incredibly interesting how most people have no idea what the NFL is. It's so big here that it seems unfathomable that people don't even know what it is. They have heard of "American" football but don't know teams or players and are shocked at how much these guys make.

 

I think football is slowly dying at the youth level here in the US. A good injection of foreign talent might be needed for it to survive future generations 

[MrEpsYtown]

Football is dying because youth coaches are typically idiots trying to emulate their old HS coaches. They are usually volunteers who don't take the time to learn new techniques and teach the garbage they learned in their wing t high school systems 20 years ago...the old chicken wing and bite the ball techniques. There is so much safe, amazing training out there like Tip of the Spear and the Seahawks tacking stuff that takes the head out of the game, but it is expensive and takes time to learn. It's tricky to ask unpaid volunteers to put the time in. We have to educate our youth coaches in order for this thing to succeed, we need to hit this at the roots. 

 

The other issue is minimum play counts and parents playing their kids at positions they aren't suited for. This alienates the other kids and they quit. It's the classic "my son is fat and slow and should play guard, but I'm the coach so he's our tight end." Daddy ball.  

Edited May 17, 2023 by MrEpsYtown

[wppete]

There are dozens of Canadian players in the NFL and tons in power 5 schools. 

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, PrimeTime101 said:

They still need more "American football" programs for it to become a real thing.

 

 

Yeah to develop skill players you need more actual football to be played.    Not a coincidence that most of the talent coming from abroad are lineman.     The league has many foreign born DL and OL.   If you are big and REALLY athletic like a Jordan Mailata.......or like this Okoye kid is with his 45" vertical........you can transition into major college with a pretty short runway.     Becoming a QB or receiver is something entirely different.    Those guys are playing flag football all year round from an early age in addition to their real ball schedule.    Might be a decade or longer away before we see a real "foreign" starting level QB.

[wppete]

Firts round draft pick George Karlaftis born and raised in Greece 🇬🇷. Is he the highest Foreign player to be drafted other than a Canadian? Great player, hate the Chiefs though. 
 

Edited May 17, 2023 by wppete

[Mr. WEO]

4 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37668211/emmanuel-okoye-goes-nigeria-nfl-academy-vols-commit

 

There have been a lot of players coming from Africa and taking up football in the states...........but Osi Umeniyora is heavily involved in getting young players in development in Africa during their HS age years.    This kid Emmanuel Okoye is committing to an SEC school right out of the program.    This is significant, IMO.   As participation in football is declining at the youth level here in the US the NFL needs to start finding new pipelines so we don't start having drafts like the last one on the regular.    Hard to imagine an NBA without Giannis and Luka and Embiid.  

 

 

The best young athletes will still play.  That will never change.

[HappyDays]

On young people not choosing football as much, two Bills draft picks from this year alone - Kincaid and Shorter - mentioned in interviews that their mothers forbid them from playing football when they were young, so they were late entrants to the sport. So that is certainly much more common these days. I don't know what the solution is.

[17islongenough]

So we should bring back Christian Wade?

[BruceVilanch]

4 hours ago, SCBills said:

Would definitely be interesting.  

 

The best players in the NBA are now foreign born.. Jokic, Luka, Giannis, Embiid.  

 

San Antonio is walking on cloud nine today because they just got the best prospect since Lebron by winning the Draft Lottery.  French born Victor Wembanyama

 

The blazers lost that lottery in the must Portland way possible.

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Could see a lot of these guys going to the USFL and XSL as well if those leagues can stay afloat. It would be a good place for them to better their skills before hopefully eventually entering the NFL.

[Dick_Cheney]

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Same is true of hockey. Once youth programs started in Arizona and SoCal, kids from those programs are getting drafted into the NHL.

I hope so. I'm in my 30s now, and I grew up in a warm weather area. If ice hockey had been available for me to play as a kid, I would have been all over it. Not exactly an apples to apple comparison, but it's been great to see hockey in the states growing.

 

As for this thread, I'm not so sure. I dunno what "drafts like the last one" is referring to either. It makes sense to find a rare talent overseas every now and again, if not for any reason other than it's easier than ever to scout kids. There's nothing that even begins to come close to what the NCAA provides.

 

The overhead for starting organized American football in developing nations is colossal. That's why soccer and basketball reign supreme. I don't think that's going to change within our lifetimes. On a similar note, even with the 'decline' of youth football in America, the pipeline is still absolutely loaded. We're talking millions of kids still playing and who will continue to play until the sun explodes. I recognize that the game is deeply problematic in a lot of ways, but I honestly don't think enough people care for it to make any significant impact on the quality of the game at the professional level. At least not for 50 years or so.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Dick_Cheney

[Bill from NYC]

This kid came to the USA from Finland in 2021. I'm have no idea how he will work out in Tuscaloosa but he looks mean and nasty in this and other videos. Saban seemed to recruit big, mean offensive linemen this season and i love it.

 

 

[Mikie2times]

It's hard not to wonder what the game would look like if the world took it as seriously as we did. So many exceptional athletes exist that will never touch a football.  

[The Firebaugh Kid]

People actually watch the NBA?