International players will gradually become part of college football
Dave Curtis
Thursday, Jul. 9, 2009 - 4:32 p.m. ET
The Japanese need a little more size. The Canadians are still overwhelmed by speed. Most of the rest of the world could use some tips in blocking and tackling and covering a kickoff.
Most of the lessons from the 2009 Junior World Championships, held across June and July in Canton, Ohio, helped overseas coaches and players improve their football acumen. But maybe the most important revelation of all hit the victorious American team, too -- some of these international guys can ball. And with every passing year, there figures to be more of them looking to play at the highest level.
"There's no question the talent is getting better," said Scott Hallenbeck, executive director of USA Football and an organizer of the tournament. "We're going to see more and more kids from overseas ready to do big things in our game."
Despite existing for more than a century, football remains far and away the least international team sport of the world's major ones. American dominance is over in basketball. Many of baseball's stars come from other nations, as do almost all of hockey's sensations.
The best football has remained isolated in the 50 states, with the sport even emerging as America's modern pastime. But it may no longer be an American-only game. Coaches who attended the Ohio tournament said that within a generation, college coaches would be mining Asia and especially Europe for talent the same way their peers in other sports do.
More...
Dave Curtis
Thursday, Jul. 9, 2009 - 4:32 p.m. ET
The Japanese need a little more size. The Canadians are still overwhelmed by speed. Most of the rest of the world could use some tips in blocking and tackling and covering a kickoff.
Most of the lessons from the 2009 Junior World Championships, held across June and July in Canton, Ohio, helped overseas coaches and players improve their football acumen. But maybe the most important revelation of all hit the victorious American team, too -- some of these international guys can ball. And with every passing year, there figures to be more of them looking to play at the highest level.
"There's no question the talent is getting better," said Scott Hallenbeck, executive director of USA Football and an organizer of the tournament. "We're going to see more and more kids from overseas ready to do big things in our game."
Despite existing for more than a century, football remains far and away the least international team sport of the world's major ones. American dominance is over in basketball. Many of baseball's stars come from other nations, as do almost all of hockey's sensations.
The best football has remained isolated in the 50 states, with the sport even emerging as America's modern pastime. But it may no longer be an American-only game. Coaches who attended the Ohio tournament said that within a generation, college coaches would be mining Asia and especially Europe for talent the same way their peers in other sports do.
More...