As the NFL continues its push for global branding, its influences are now far-reaching.
In the 2015 NFL draft, 12 foreign-born players were selected, padding the list of foreign-born players that currently populate NFL rosters. But in 2016, the league took it a step further, and thanks in part to retired New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who is now serving the ambassador to London for the NFL, the push for expansion became historic.
For the first time in NFL history, a foreign-born player with no ties to American soil was selected in the NFL draft.
Moritz Böhringer, a wide receiver from the German Football League, was selected in the sixth-round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He joined French wide receiver Anthony Dable, who signed with the Giants as a free agent, as two of the first foreign-born players to make the leap to American football without the aid of an NCAA college or North American football league.
There are other foreign-born players in the NFL, such as Nigerian linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah (Cleveland Browns), Canadian center Brett Jones (Giants) and German defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (New England Patriots), but their respective journeys to the NFL were a bit more common.
Here’s a quick look at what makes Böhringer, Dable and others identifiably unique and why it’s a good thing for the NFL moving forward.
3. Tight end Harry Innis (free agent)
Innis, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end from the United Kingdom, may not yet have an NFL team he can call his own, but he continues to actively work towards that goal which took shape as a child.
“I grew up in London, but my Granddad used to head out to Chicago quite a lot to see family,” Innis, who is a professional fitness instructor, told NFL Network in July. “And whilst he was out there, he brought back a Walter Payton jersey for me. Once I reached the age where I was able to understand what it was, who he was. . . I just became completely obsessed. Especially the ’85 Bears. William Perry became my favorite player.
“It wasn’t until about the age of 20 when I actually realized they do play over here [in Europe].”
The 27-year-old Innis played for the German League’s Kiel Baltic a season ago, and there he looked like a man among boys. He used his large frame to manhandle defenders, his 4.65 40-yard speed to dust linebackers and his solid route running to out-shine safeties.
Earlier this offseason, Innis worked out for the New York Giants as part of an international group that also included wide receiver Anthony Dable. Ultimately, he didn’t get the call he wanted, but his journey to the NFL is far from over.
2. Wide receiver Anthony Dable (New York Giants)
Heavily decorated, wide receiver Anthony Dable became only the second French-born player to sign with an NFL team, joining Richard Tardits, who played linebacker for the New England Patriots from 1990-1992.
Unlike Tardits, however, Dable didn’t play college football in the states, instead coming to the US straight from Germany where he won two national titles and the European Championship last year with Brunswick’s New Yorker Lions.
The 27-year-old Dable was given a workout with the Giants in February after a reference courtesy of Osi Umenyiora, and after only a single afternoon, general manager Jerry Reese & Co. knew they couldn’t let him get away. To the surprise of many, the Giants promptly signed Dable to a three-year contract.
“Osi Umenyiora, who played 10 years with the Giants and has won two Super Bowls, saw my video and he believed in me. I met him once — I did a few tryouts in London that didn’t result in anything. But he told me to go train in Florida for six weeks,” Dable told Vice Sports in February. “Meanwhile, he showed my video to Giants officials and they did not wait for me to finish this training camp in Florida. They contacted me directly for a tryout. I had a tryout scheduled with seven other teams but they were the first to call me and that’s why I was there.”
Dable didn’t even start playing American football until he picked up a copy of the video game NFL Quarterbacks Club ’98 with Brett Favre on the cover. It was only then he discovered the game, familiarized himself with it and fell in love with it.
18 years later, Dable now has a unique opportunity precious few in his position have ever had. And early on, he’s already thinking big. His goal isn’t to just make the 53-man roster, it’s to earn himself some regular season playing time and contribute on the field in whatever way he can.
“You have to think about [making the team],” Dable, who hauled in 75 receptions for 1,251 yards and 15 touchdowns in Germany last season, told NJ.com in March. “I’ve always been a starter, my entire career. I’m trying to do the same, and help the team the best way I can. I’m not trying to go to the NFL to be on the bench or something. I’m trying to play, and play right away.”
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Dable immediately becomes the Giants’ tallest wide receiver — something they haven’t really had since Plaxico Burress. And while that alone won’t be enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, it is an added advantage Dable hopes to benefit from throughout training camp and the preseason.
1. Wide receiver Moritz Böhringer (Minnesota Vikings)
It may not have been heavily anticipated and the pick may have come as a surprise to most American football fans, but in the sixth-round of the 2016 NFL draft, German wide receiver Moritz Böhringer made history by becoming the first foreign-born player to be selected in the NFL draft straight out of Europe.
“That’s kind of what the draft is all about — making dreams come true,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told NFL Network in April. “He’s a really smart kid … he understands football and is able to repeat the different routes to us and things like that. Obviously, he has a lot of work to do, but it’s been fun.”
The 6-foot-4, 227-pound Böhringer put himself on the map during a Florida Atlantic pro day in which he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash. Comparatively, only three wide receivers posted faster 40 times during the NFL Combine.
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was among those who took note of that incredible feat.
“We spend a lot of time trying to look under every rock,” Spielman told USA Today in April. “When we get a hint that someone might have the ability to play in this league, that’s our job to go out and uncover it.”
Böhringer, who hauled in 59 receptions for 1,232 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns last season, discovered American football at age 17, but didn’t play at a competitive level until 2013. Up until that point, most of his knowledge came through watching NFL highlights on YouTube. Primarily those of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
“I said ‘wassup’ to him, and he was kind of like a little kid. He was like really shy,” Peterson told FOX Sports in May.
As anxious as Böhringer was to meet the first superstar he had ever celebritized, there was little time to soak it in. Böhringer joined the team for rookie mini-camp in May and promptly excused himself from the first practice so he could go vomit.
Welcome to the NFL, rookie.
Despite his difficult introduction to American football, Böhringer has been quick with his studies and is beginning to catch up with the rest of first-year teammates.
“There’s always room to improve, but the first day was pretty good,” Böhringer told the Pioneer Press on the first day of Vikings training camp in July. “Especially mentally, I think I’ve improved a lot. Just overall route-running, of course. There’s room to improve, but I think I’ve gotten better.”
Böhringer will get his first true taste of American football on August 12 when the Vikings travel to Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
What it means for the NFL moving forward
Whether or not these three young talents carve out a name for themselves in the NFL, the league’s brand will benefit by extension. The MLB, NBA and NHL each bring in international talents to help improve their talent pool and expand their brand, so beyond just the International Series itself, this is a good next step for the NFL.
Early returns have been positive for both the Giants and Vikings, so to expect to see many more international imports beginning in 2017 and beyond.
