This spring, Germany produced its first NFL draft pick: wide receiver Moritz Bohringer, who has spent the season on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. That popularity carried on even after the 2007 shuttering, and the best club teams in Germany now play at a level equivalent to a Division II college team in the United States. Who is playing: Germany proved to be the most fertile ground for NFL Europe, and eventually five of the league’s six teams migrated within its borders. He threw for 4,747 yards in 17 games for the Dresden Monarchs. Key stat:There are 54,000 federation members among 450 club teams.įun fact: Former Duke and Fresno State quarterback Brandon Connette was Germany’s top quarterback in 2016. Hamilton QB Zach Collaros, who played at the University of Cincinnati for four seasons, says the style of play in the CFL is “just a completely different animal here.” Dave Chidley/CFL Photo 2. The CFL once felt comfortable enough to expand into the United States, an experiment that ended in 1995 but led to a firmer vision for a regionally focused league The rest come from Canada’s extensive CIS college system, which features 27 schools from four regions that play at its highest level. Each team is allowed 19 international - i.e. Who is playing: The nine-team CFL offers a unique spin on the game, and it plays at a high enough level that a handful of players move on to the NFL after each season. Key stat: Canadians play with 12 rather than 11 players on each side, helping to fill up a field that is both longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards) than traditional American football.įun fact: The first documented “American” football game in Canada took place in 1861, a full eight years before the first documented “American” football game in the United States. What follows is a subjective ranking of the top countries from a standpoint of participation and local interest. McKeon, a former player in the NFL and Europe, is based in New York.ĮSPN.com teamed with AFI to assess the quality and scope of Planet Football. Kelly is a former Canadian Football League executive, now living in Sweden. The worldwide action is tracked daily by American Football International (AFI), a website and advocacy group run by Roger Kelly and John McKeon. A new adult league debuted in Mexico City this spring, joining dozens of semi-professional and club-level leagues in every corner of the planet - from Europe to Asia to Australia. Less visible, but no less interesting, is the rise in player participation around the globe. Estadio Azteca will be sold out on Monday night as the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders face off, a confirmation of the continued interest in American football outside United States borders. The NFL’s International Series shifts to Mexico City this week, and coverage will focus on the enormous support from local fans. As the NFL International Series continues to expand, it is interesting to note how the game has grown throughout the world and where it is growing. It preceded the NFL game in Mexico City between the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders but it remains just as newsworthy now. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.Editor’s note: Although this article was first posted in November, 2016, it is still topical and relevant. This offseason, Wing was an ERFA, so he did not have the ability to test the open market. Wing earned the minimum salary in 2015, which worked out to about $510K for a player with his level of experience. Still, Pro Football Focus wasn’t overly high his ’14 season, ranking him 28th out of the league’s 32 regular punters, with a -7.6 grade. In his first season with the Steelers, the Australian had a 43.7-yard gross average on his 61 punts with 20 kicks inside the 20-yard line. In January 2014, Pittsburgh inked Wing to a reserve/future deal and he was able to make an impression as a rookie. After his time with the Tigers, he hooked on with the Eagles as a UDFA but wound up being waived at the end of training camp. In college, Wing played alongside Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. As noted in the Giants’ press release, Wing tied a franchise single-season record with 33 punts inside the 20-yard line, matching watermark set by Brad Maynard in both 19. He placed 33 punts inside the 20, had 10 touchbacks, and his long kick traveled 64 yards. Wing, acquired in a trade with the Steelers in September 2015, posted a 44.5-yard gross average and a 38.9-yard net average on 76 punts last season. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. The new deal will take Wing through the 2019 season. The deal also contains $3.725MM in guarantees, $2MM of which are coming to the punter via his signing bonus.ġ:03pm: The Giants announced that they have signed punter Brad Wing to a contract extension. 1:13pm: Wing ‘s three-year extension is worth $6.45MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
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