04/25/24 06:48:00
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04/25 06:45 CDT NFL to open academy in Australia to identify and develop young
prospects
NFL to open academy in Australia to identify and develop young prospects
By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer
The NFL will expand its international search for talent by opening an academy
in rugby-mad Australia to develop promising teenagers in the Asia-Pacific
region into college and pro prospects.
The NFL Academy will open in September for student athletes aged 12 to 18,
following recruitment camps taking place this summer in Australia and New
Zealand, the league announced on Thursday.
Ahead of the NFL Draft, the announcement says the region is full of talent such
as Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, a 6-foot-8 (2.08-meter)
Australian who was deemed too big for rugby league.
"Football has changed my life, and opening an NFL Academy in Australia will no
doubt help many more young people change theirs," Mailata said in the league
announcement.
The academy will be housed at A.B. Paterson College on the Gold Coast and the
plans include construction of a high-performance facility on the college
grounds --- to be completed in 2026 --- also available for community use.
Mailata, who came through the league's International Player Pathway program,
will be on the Gold Coast to announce the Eagles' first-round draft pick.
"The Asia-Pacific region is rich in sporting talent, and I look forward to
seeing the next generation of football players out there craft their own
pathway to playing in the NFL in the years to come," he said.
The move is another step in the league's global expansion. NFL owners voted in
December to authorize the league to hold eight games internationally each
season.
The Green Bay Packers will play the Eagles when the NFL holds its first
regular-season game in Brazil on Sept. 6. For the 2024 season, the NFL will
also have three games in London along with one in Germany. And Spain is on tap
in 2025 for its first game, to be played at Real Madrid's newly renovated
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The league already has an academy in the UK, and Europe has become a reliable
source of Division I recruits.
The Asia-Pacific region has lots of potential, and not just for Aussie punters.
New Zealand sprinter Eddie Osei-Nketia switched to American football to play
for Hawaii.
Rugby and Australian Rules are potentially good sources of talent like Welsh
rugby union star Louis Rees-Zammit, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a
returner/running back/wide receiver.
For the new academy, the first recruitment camp is scheduled on June 29 at A.B.
Paterson College. A second is July 6 in Sydney followed by an Aug. 24 camp in
Auckland, New Zealand.
"The NFL Academy program is a significant league initiative that is driving
football development efforts globally, and successfully changing the lives of
young people around the world," said Brett Gosper, head of Europe and APAC with
the NFL.
"We look forward to bringing the program to the Gold Coast, Australia, and
continuing to build authentic player pathways for international talent, giving
more young people from across the Asia-Pacific region the opportunity to play
the game in the years ahead."
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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