NFL 2016: Foreign Players Add International Feel

NFL 2016: Foreign Players Add International Feel

While the NFL continues to grow in popularity across the globe, international players are making an impact on the field.

For the 10th time in the past 11 seasons, at least one player who attended high school outside of the United States was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

This year, the Minnesota Vikings made NFL history by selecting German wide receiver MORITZ Bohringer in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, making him the first player drafted out of a European league without playing college football in the United States.

Minnesota is a fitting destination for the German Football League product, as his first exposure to the game was watching Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's highlights on YouTube. Bohringer's first season of competitive football was in 2013 with the Crailsheim Titans. The receiver joined the top-level German Football League last season, quickly becoming a star player for the Schwabish Hall Unicorns on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

"I searched for a team in Germany and found one in my hometown, but we only had seven players," Bohringer recalls. "We just practiced a bit, and after half a year, we found a full team about 25 miles from my hometown and I played there." Discussing the popularity of football in Germany, Bohringer says, "Over the last few years, the sport has definitely gotten bigger.

Last year, there were games shown on free TV in Germany. That has a big part. There are more people playing."

Foreign-born players in the NFL

Country	Player(s)
Source: NFL
ALBANIA	G Kristjan Sokoli, Sea
AMERICAN SAMOA	FB Joey Iosefa, NE; G Mike Iupati, AZ; G, Nila Kasitati, Was; G Lene Maiava, Sea; DT Domata Peko, Cin; DE Ropati Pitoitua, Ten; DT Paul Soliai, Car; Vi Teofilo, SD; DT Destiny Vaeao, Phi
AUSTRALIA	P Jordan Berry, Pit; G Blake Muir, SF; P Brad Wing, NYG; G David Yankey, Car; P Lachlan Edwards, NYJ
BAHAMAS	G Alex Cooper, Cin
BELIZE	DE Rakeem Nunez-Roches, KC
BRAZIL	K Cairo Santos, KC
CAMEROON	G Arie Kouandjio, Was; T Cyrus Kouandjio, Buf; T Stephane Nembot, Bal
CANADA	DE Medi Abdesmad, Ten; T Brett Boyko, SD; DT Stefan Charles, Det; DT Christian Covington, Hou.; DT Tyrone Crawford, Dal; G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, KC; T David Foucault, Car; C Brett Jones, NYG; WR TJ Jones, Det; LS L.P. LaDouceur, Dal; DE Cleyon Lang, Mia; T Austin Pasztor, Cle; P Jon Ryan, Sea; WR Rashaun Simonise, Cin; WR Tevaun Smith, Ind; DE Brent Urban, Bal; G/C John Urschel, Bal; RB Tyler Varga, Ind; TE Luke Willson, Sea
CONGO	LB Andy Mulumba, KC
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	G Josue Matias, Ten
ENGLAND	RB Jay Ajayi, Mia; DE Jack Crawford, Dal; DT Josh Mauro, AZ; T Menelik Watson, Oak
ESTONIA	DE Margus Hunt, Cin
FRANCE	WR Anthony Dablé, NYG
GERMANY	WR Moritz Bohringer, Min; LB Kasim Edebali, NO; FB Jerome Felton, Buf; TE Ladarius Green, Pitt; WR R.J. Harris, NO; CB Mike Jenkins, TB; WR Jamaal Jones, SD; DT Marcus Kuhn, NE; P Jeff Locke, Min; LB Mark Nzeocha, Dal; T Tyrus Thompson, NO; T Sebastian Vollmer, NE; LB Bjoern Werner, Jax; S Andrew Williamson, Ind
GHANA	DE Ezekiel Ansah, Det
HAITI	T Gosder Cherilus, TB; CB Pierre Desir, Cle; G Vladimir Ducasse, Bal; S Karl Joseph, Oak; LB Dadi Nicolas, KC
ITALY	K Giorgio Tavecchio, Oak; S Mykkele Thompson, NYG
JAMAICA	S Patrick Chung, NE; DT Kenrick Ellis, Min; G Orlando Franklin, SD; G Laken Tomlinson, Det
JAPAN	QB Robert Griffin III, Cle; TE Jack Tabb, NO
KENYA	G Rees Odhiambo, Sea; DE Helva Mantungulu, NYJ
LIBERIA	LB Tamba Hali, KC; LB Jonathan Massaquoi, KC; LB Sio Moore, Ind
NEW ZEALAND	RB Paul Lasike, Chi; DT Stephen Paea, Was
NIGERIA	WR Nelson Agholor, Phi; LB Jerry Attaochu, SD; LB Obum Gwachum, NO; DE Efe Obada, KC; DT David Onyemata, NO
POLAND	K Sebastian Janikowski, Oak
SCOTLAND	K Graham Gano, Car
SOUTH KOREA	DT Kyle Love, Car
TONGA	DT Star Lotulelei, Car
TRINIDAD	LB Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil, Ten
TURKEY	WR Chris Conley, KC
VIRGIN ISLANDS	DT Linval Joseph, Min
ZIMBABWE	DE Stansly Maponga, NYG