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Foreign born superstars in the NFL ???

1970s1970s Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭✭✭
There are many foreign born players in major league baseball.
The NHL is filled with foreign born stars.
Even the NBA is now filled with foreign born stars.

The NFL seems to be the league where not a lot of foreign born players make it big.

Does anyone know of any past, present, or future ?

Comments

  • calaban7calaban7 Posts: 3,002 ✭✭✭
    RG3 comes to mind ----- Sonny
    " In a time of universal deceit , telling the truth is a revolutionary act " --- George Orwell
  • seebelowseebelow Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭
    The Nigerian Nightmare!!

    End of statement. Even has his foreign homeland incorporated.
    A whole range of Samoan born players. Jr. Seau.
    Interested in higher grade vintage cards. Aren't we all. image
  • orioles93orioles93 Posts: 3,463 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ezekial Ansah with Detroit was born in Ghana
    Sebastian Janikowski is from Poland
    Tamba Hali is from Liberia
    Osi Umenyiora is from London
    What I Collect:

    PSA HOF Baseball Postwar Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 77.97% Complete)


    PSA Pro Football HOF Rookie Players Set Registry- (Currently 19.26% Complete)


    PSA Basketball HOF Players Rookies Set Registry- (Currently 6.02% Complete)
  • ChiefsFan1stChiefsFan1st Posts: 845 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The Nigerian Nightmare!! >>

    Who's that guy?imageimage He was a beast!! The only guy that I can remember "putting him down" was A t w a t er, what
    a collision that was!! I think that hit is on you-tube somewhere.
    (I had to put spaces in a certain name because the sight told me it was a dirty word image )
    I dont wanna grow up, Im a Toys-R-Us kid!
  • jradke4jradke4 Posts: 3,573 ✭✭✭


    << <i>There are many foreign born players in major league baseball.
    The NHL is filled with foreign born stars.
    Even the NBA is now filled with foreign born stars.

    The NFL seems to be the league where not a lot of foreign born players make it big.

    Does anyone know of any past, present, or future ? >>



    Jan Stenerud (HOFer) following from Wiki..."Born in Fetsund, in the county of Akershus, Norway, Stenerud came to the United States as a college student, on a ski jumping scholarship to Montana State University in Bozeman.[3][4] In the fall of 1964, Stenerud was training for the upcoming ski season by running the stadium steps of Gatton Field, the football venue through 1971, directly south of Romney Gym. That day, he was cooling down from a workout by kicking a football with injured halfback Dale Jackson. Stenerud had played soccer as a youth in Norway, and his right leg's prowess was observed by basketball head coach Roger Craft, while he walked to the nearby Fieldhouse.[4] Craft notified football head coach Jim Sweeney of the Norwegian ski jumper's kicking abilities, and Sweeney offered him a tryout, which was successful. Though ineligible for football competition that season, Sweeney encouraged Stenerud to suit up with the team for the final home game of 1964, to help him better understand the unfamiliar American game.[5][6]

    Following the ski season, Stenerud joined the football team for spring drills in 1965 and as a junior that fall he kicked a 59-yard field goal, then a college football record, in a 24–7 home win over rival Montana.[5] In 2013, Stenerud recalled that he had a significant tail-wind aiding him on that kick in Bozeman; the ensuing kick-off went over the end-zone bleachers at Gatton Field,[6] whose elevation exceeded 4,900 feet (1,490 m) above sea level.[7] He was named an All-American by The Sporting News as a senior in 1966,[6] and was also an All-American in ski jumping and a three-time Big Sky champion.[8]"
    Packers Fan for Life
    Collecting:
    Brett Favre Master Set
    Favre Ticket Stubs
    Favre TD Reciever Autos
    Football HOF Player/etc. Auto Set
    Football HOF Rc's
  • SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭✭✭
    These are just the pro football HOFers who were born outside the United States:

    Leo Nomellini - Italy
    Jan Stenerud - Norway
    Ernie Stautner - Germany
    Ted Hendricks - Guatemala
    Steve van Buren - Honduras
    Tom Fears - Mexico
    Bronko Nagurski - Canada
    Arnie Weinmeister - Canada

    Also, Knute Rockne was born in Norway

    The following list is from pro-football-reference.com:

    Country # of Pros # Active
    Canada 93 6
    Germany 68 5
    Jamaica 31 3
    American Samoa 29 4
    England 26 2
    Italy 19 0
    Nigeria 16 2
    Tonga 14 1
    Mexico 13 0
    Ireland 10 0
    Japan 10 1
    Sweden 9 0
    Virgin Islands 9 0
    Scotland 8 2
    Australia 7 2
    Austria 7 0
    Poland 7 1
    Liberia 6 1
    Russia 6 0
    Western Samoa 6 0
    Barbados 5 1
    Czech Republic 5 1
    Norway 5 0
    Yugoslavia 5 0
    Cameroon 4 1
    Cuba 4 0
    Denmark 4 0
    France 4 0
    Greece 4 0
    Haiti 4 3
    Netherlands 4 0
    Philippines 4 0
    Romania 4 1
    Trinidad 4 0
    Argentina 3 0
    Bahamas 3 0
    Bermuda 3 0
    Germany 3 3
    Hungary 3 0
    New Zealand 3 0
    Phillipines 3 0
    Uganda 3 1
    Ukraine 3 0
    West Germany 3 2
    Belgium 2 0
    Colombia 2 0
    Croatia 2 0
    Ghana 2 0
    Guatemala 2 0
    Honduras 2 0
    Lebanon 2 0
    Lithuania 2 0
    Panama Canal Zone 2 0
    Puerto Rico 2 0
    South Africa 2 0
    Spain 2 0
    Taiwan 2 0
    Venezuela 2 0
    Wales 2 0
    West Africa 2 0
    Zaire 2 0
    Angola 1 1
    Armenia 1 0
    Australia 1 0
    Belize 1 0
    Bolivia 1 0
    Bulgaria 1 0
    Canada 1 1
    Congo 1 0
    Cyprus 1 0
    El Salvador 1 0
    England 1 1
    Estonia 1 1
    Greece 1 1
    Guam 1 0
    Guyana 1 0
    Iran 1 0
    Italy 1 1 (if there is a current player who was born in Italy, this should be 2 in the first column, with Leo Nomellini)
    Ivory Coast 1 0
    Latvia 1 0
    Liberia 1 1
    Libya 1 0
    Marshall Islands 1 0
    Okinawa 1 0
    Panama 1 0
    Paraguay 1 0
    South Korea 1 1
    Samoa 1 0
    Saudi Arabia 1 0
    Scottland 1 0
    South Korea 1 0
    St. Kitts & Nevis 1 0
    Syria 1 0
    Thailand 1 0
    Turkey 1 0
    U.S. Virgin Islands 1 1

    Total 554 52

    Steve
  • seebelowseebelow Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭
    Hey that's cheating! Unless that is from the top of your head. Then I'm impressed.
    Justbkidding with you. Thanks for sharing the reference.

    Chiefs fan...don't need YouTube cuz I can picture that collision in my mind as if it just happened. Brutal and violent. Like a Mack truck..awesome.
    Interested in higher grade vintage cards. Aren't we all. image
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