The name American Football suggests that the National Football League (NFL) would be dominated by players native to the United States. And such is the case, with the vast majority of gridiron stars born in the US, progressing through the collegiate system to the draft, and on to the bright lights and big bucks of the NFL.
Despite the overwhelmingly stars-and-stripes flavour, a trawl through the NFL history books reveals a league that is more cosmopolitan than you might imagine. While not as consistently diverse as the League of Nations that is the modern Premier League, players from over 80 nations have suited up in the NFL over the years. Near neighbours Canada lead the way, but every continent has had at least one NFL player.
Included among a surprisingly strong European contingent are a host of players from Britain – some of whom have reached the ultimate pinnacle of Super Bowl glory.
Osi Umenyiora
Born in Golders Green, London, in 1981 to Nigerian parents, Osi Umenyiora would go on to become arguably the greatest British-born player in the history of the NFL. Having moved to Nigeria with his parents at seven, Osi relocated to Alabama to live with his sister at 14. Having developed his game at Auburn High School and the Troy Trojans, Osi was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 draft.
In 10 seasons as a Giant, the explosive defensive end became one of the most feared pass rushers in the league. Ending his career with 85 sacks, his six-sack blitz of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007 set a new franchise record for the most sacks in a single game. Umenyiora’s talents played a significant role in the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning seasons in 2007 and 2011. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Osi retired in 2015 but remains a familiar face through his extensive punditry work.
Jay Ajayi
Jay Ajayi experienced a similar journey to the NFL as Osi Umenyiora. Born in London to Nigerian parents in 1993, he moved to Maryland as a seven-year-old. Following a record-setting college career with Boise State, Ajayi was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. Highlights during his three years in Miami included back-to-back 200+ yard games in his second season.
The bulk of Ajayi’s 2,546 career rushing yards were for the Dolphins, but his career high came following his trade to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. Helping the Eagles to reach the playoffs in his first season, he played a key role in wins over the Falcons, Vikings, and Patriots as Philadelphia claimed the Super Bowl for the first time in their history.
Lawrence Tynes
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Next up, Scotland’s only dual Super Bowl winner – placekicker Lawrence Tynes. Born in Greenock, Tynes moved to the States as a youth and, like Umenyiora, played college football for Troy. Signing for the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent in 2001, Tynes’ NFL career initially failed to ignite, seeing him move on to the Scottish Claymores and Ottawa Renegades. He rejoined the big time with Kansas City in 2004, where he finally became a full-time NFL kicker.
Having broken through with the Chiefs, Tynes joined Umenyiora in New York in 2007 and went on to convert two of the most important kicks in franchise history. Having sent the Giants to the 2007 Super Bowl with a 47-yard overtime field goal in Green Bay, he repeated the trick with another overtime effort in the 2011 NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Graham Gano
Born on an Arbroath military base to a Scottish mother and a US military father, Graham Gano followed in the footsteps of fellow Scottish placekicker Lawrence Tynes. Initially signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Gano joined the Washington Redskins following a season in the UFL with the Las Vegas Locomotives.
Developing a reputation for having one of the most powerful legs in the game, Gano set franchise records for the longest successful kick in Washington and, later, Carolina. His only Super Bowl appearance came in 2016, when the Panthers suffered a 24-10 defeat to the Denver Broncos.
Despite that lack of team honours, the personal records continued to come Gano’s way. His 2018 58-yard field goal against the Saints tied the record for the longest postseason field goal in NFL history. Joining the Giants in 2020, Gano set a franchise record with 37 consecutive successful field goal attempts.
Jack Crawford
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A childhood classmate of Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, at the City of London School, Crawford moved to the USA as a 17-year-old. Due to an international transfer rule, Crawford was denied the chance to join the St. Augustine Preparatory School basketball team. Instead, he signed up with the football squad, despite never having taken a snap. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Taking to the game like a duck to water, Crawford was offered a football scholarship by Penn State and developed as a productive and disruptive defensive end. Taken by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, he went on to make 111 appearances across stints with the Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans. Retiring in 2022, Crawford can regularly be heard on co-commentator duty for NFL coverage in the UK.
Visanthe Shiancoe
Born in Birmingham to a librarian mother and a Ghanaian father (who might or might not have liked books!), Visanthe Shiancoe moved to Maryland with his mother as an infant. From there, he followed a typical route to the NFL. Learning the game at Montgomery Blair High School, Shiancoe emerged as a tight end of considerable talent at Morgan State University in Baltimore.
Taken in the third round of the 2003 draft by the New York Giants, Shiancoe had to bide his time behind starter Jeremy Shockey. A 2007 trade to the Vikings allowed Visanthe to take his turn in the spotlight. In five seasons in Minnesota, Shiancoe started 66 of 80 games – recording 208 receptions for 2,424 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Honourable Mentions
- Mick Luckhurst – Hertfordshire-born placekicker was one of the earliest British exports to the NFL and played for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1980s.
- Efe Obada – Defensive tackle who made 72 appearances during spells with the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Commanders.
- Marvin Allen – Part of the Pittsburgh Steelers international practice squad who picked up a Super Bowl ring in the 2008 season.
- Jamie Gillan – Punter who joined the New York Giants in 2022 and goes by the nickname of “The Scottish Hammer.”
- Menelik Watson – Manchester-born offensive tackle who made 34 appearances for the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos between 2013 and 2017.
- John Smith – The most English-sounding of all the names on this list, placekicker Smith played for the New England Patriots and led the NFL scoring charts in 1979 and 1980.