2024 NFL Flag National Championships with Andy Davies
By Andy Davies
Last month, Loughborough University was the host of the 2024 NFL Flag National Championships, and I went down for the ride.
This was a great opportunity for the young NFL players of today in Britain to showcase their talents, with kids of all ages taking part in the Flag Football event.
They would have the chance to impress not only Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds, members of the GB Women’s Flag Football team, but also a current NFL player in Washington Commanders defensive end Efe Obada, the poster boy for NFL in the UK.
Efe Obada: “Football changed my life”
Obada was once in these young players’ shoes, having played for the London Warriors in 2014 before then making the move to America.
It was not easy for Efe at the start, being waived twice by the Dallas Cowboys as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. However, he was then signed by the Carolina Panthers via the International Player Pathway Programme (IPP) and although he was initially waived in 2017, he would return after signing a reserve/future contract.
A strong 2018 preseason saw him make the 53-man roster, the first IPP player to do this. Efe spoke about the importance of days like this one for the young players. He said:
“There’s so any people at different phases of their journey in terms of American Football. Some are being introduced through flag, some are local teams, some in the academy, some have offers from D-I, D-II, D-III schools and trying to make the transition there.
“In general, I think the most important thing is that you prioritise having fun and also the education, as it’s only a select few that make it to the NFL if I’m being really honest.
“I got very fortunate to have been in the league as long as I can, but if it didn’t happen for me I’d like to think I’d have had good education to fall back on and have a great career elsewhere”
Efe also spoke about how the UK is improving its grassroots level. He said:
“This is huge. This is the dream. When I first went to America in 2014,2015, I was in a hotel during OTA’s and training camp and I would turn on the TV and see kids aged 11 with camera crews and media, with so much infrastructure that we never had.
“Ten years later and slowly we are catching up, making these infrastructures, avenues to different sports, making friends and that is something we need to close the gap on. Football changed my life and I think it can have that impact for so many more people.
“They may not make it to the NFL but it may give them that confidence to be able to tackle and approach other things with the same enthusiasm.”
Neil Reynolds: “It’s really important to celebrate our players”
I had the chance to ask Neil, as the lead presenter for Sky Sports’ NFL coverage about what impact the Jags UK player tour and the Loughborough University event will have on the growth of the NFL in the UK.
“I think that’s important, to take the NFL to other places because when games are played, everyone comes to London.
“The games are called London games but they’re UK games so they’re always important. I enjoy it. My favourite bit is when you get to see the fans and interact.”
“Ultimately, when we are on the television, there’s expertise from J-Bell and Phoebe but I’m definitely a fan like everyone else.
“Those events are good to showcase the players in a real good light because the players are what sell the game. We tune in to watch (Patrick) Mahomes, Joe Burrow, all those stars, Justin Jefferson, but they’re also just great guys, which is 99.9% of the players in the NFL.”
“It’s really important to celebrate our players. We try to do that on Sky on Sunday nights, we want to celebrate the good in the league and the good in the players. That’s what gets you off your seats, those amazing plays that those incredible athletes can create. It’s good to spend time with them, good to get around the country and the fandom just keeps growing and growing. It’s a historic time to be covering the NFL, it really is.”
GB Flag Women’s Team: “It’s a really inclusive sport”
I also got the chance to speak to three members of the GB Women’s Flag team about why parents should look into getting their children to play Flag Football. Speaking to Ellie Thorpe, Kate Bruinvels, and Kellie Barrett, there was one common trend in their answer, that the sport is for everyone.
“Firstly, I would say that there is a position for everyone, there’s a role for everyone in the team”, said Thorpe. “No matter what your ability, height, or skillset, there is something for you, what is what’s great about flag football, it’s a really inclusive sport.
“It’s not something you need loads of kit for, loads of specialist knowledge, you can just pick up and play”
“In general, it’s building so many different aspects”, said Bruinvels. “If you’re fast, you can be that person going up as a wide receiver, if you have the agility you can be a center.”
“It’s so inclusive for everyone and you can play on both sides of the ball as well”, said Barrett. “For those who are sporty and want to try everything, there is a position for you to do that. It’s good fun to play.”
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
A current Sports Journalism masters student, Andy has been writing NFL articles since January 2020. Originally from Wales, Andy also writes for pro football mania and dolphins talk, as well as appearing on podcasts and videos for euro tripz. find him on twitter @andydaviessport.