Did you know that there are currently 10 UK-born players in the NFL? That’s right, 10 talented athletes who crossed the pond to pursue their dreams of playing American football at the highest level. In this blog post, we will list and write about all the UK-born NFL players for the nflukfans.co.uk website. Whether you are a fan of the Jaguars, the Dolphins, the Patriots, or any other team, you will find someone to cheer for among these amazing players.
- Jack Crawford: Born in London, Crawford is a defensive end for the Tennessee Titans. He started his football career at Penn State University, where he was a team captain and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2012 and has also played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons. He has 136 tackles and 16 sacks in his NFL career.
- Jermaine Eluemunor: Born in Chalk Farm, London, Eluemunor is an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. He moved to the US when he was 14 and fell in love with football after watching a game between the Patriots and the Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium. He played college football at Texas A&M University and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. He was traded to the Patriots in 2019 and has started eight games for them.
- Efe Obada: Born in Benin City, Nigeria, Obada moved to London when he was 10 and grew up in foster care. He discovered football through a friend who invited him to join the London Warriors, a semi-professional team. He impressed scouts from the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He became the first player from the NFL’s International Player Pathway program to make a 53-man roster when he joined the Carolina Panthers in 2017. He is now a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills and has 47 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his NFL career.
- Christian Wade: Born in Slough, Wade is a former rugby union player who switched to football in 2018. He was a star winger for Wasps and England, scoring 82 tries in 130 Premiership games and earning one cap for his country. He joined the Buffalo Bills as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program and made headlines when he scored a 65-yard touchdown on his first preseason carry. He is now a running back on the Bills’ practice squad.
- Menelik Watson: Born in Manchester, Watson is an offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played basketball and soccer growing up, but switched to football after attending a camp in New Jersey. He played college football at Saddleback College and Florida State University, where he won a national championship in 2013. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2013 and has also played for the Denver Broncos. He has started 24 games in his NFL career.
- Jay Ajayi: Born in London, Ajayi is a running back who is currently a free agent. He moved to the US when he was seven and played college football at Boise State University, where he set school records for rushing yards and touchdowns. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2015 and became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for over 200 yards in back-to-back games in 2016. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 and helped them win Super Bowl LII with a touchdown run. He has 2,516 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in his NFL career.
- Osi Umenyiora: Born in London, Umenyiora is a retired defensive end who played for the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons. He moved to Nigeria when he was seven and returned to London when he was 14. He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Giants in 2003. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, recording 85 sacks and 35 forced fumbles in his NFL career. He is now an analyst for BBC Sport’s NFL coverage.
- Graham Gano: Born in Arbroath, Scotland, Gano is a kicker for the New York Giants. He moved to Florida when he was three and played soccer and football growing up. He played college football at Florida State University, where he won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker in 2008. He signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and has also played for the Carolina Panthers. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive field goals made from 50 yards or more with six. He has made 259 field goals and scored 1,135 points in his NFL career.
- Sebastian Vollmer: Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Vollmer is a retired offensive tackle who played for the New England Patriots. He grew up playing soccer and rugby, but switched to football after attending a camp in Florida. He played college football at the University of Houston and was drafted by the Patriots in 2009. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion and a second-team All-Pro with the Patriots, starting 80 games in his NFL career. He is now a broadcaster for German television’s NFL coverage.
- Aden Durde: Born in London, Durde is the defensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons. He played linebacker for the London Olympians and the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe, as well as for the Arkansas Diamonds in the Indoor Football League. He coached for the London Warriors and was part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program as a coach. He worked as a coaching intern for the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Falcons in 2018.
