German NFL Players: Why Development Stalls

Markus Kuhn has forever secured his place in German football history since he became the first German to score a touchdown in the NFL in 2014.

But there aren’t many potential heirs at the moment: Lorenz Metz is on the verge of the Super Bowl (on Sunday from 11.15 p.m. live on RTL on free TV) on the practice squad in the extended squad of the New England Patriots, but from a German perspective only Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was born and raised in the USA, really attracted attention this season.

Reason enough to stay with Kuhn SPORT1-Interview in San Francisco to talk about the German flavor in the NFL and the importance of sport in Germany: Why doesn’t the sporting development keep pace with that off the field? How difficult is it to make it to the NFL from Germany? And what role can soon-to-be Olympic flag football play in development?

SPORT1: Markus, you will forever be the first German to score a touchdown in the NFL. In your opinion, how has football in Germany developed since then?

Markus Kuhn: I started playing American football in 2002, when it was still a completely outsider sport – it felt like no one played it, even less watched it. And now we now have regular NFL games in Germany. It’s really completely crazy what has happened to sport globally and of course in Germany too. That several leagues are now trying to gain a foothold somehow – even if the question is whether this is the right development. American football comes every Sunday RTLwe have with DAZN another partner. The sport has reached the masses and that is a nice development.

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SPORT1: You mentioned the NFL games in Germany. How important are they for development?

Kuhn: On the one hand, it’s of course the game itself, but it’s also what happens around it. So many people don’t have the opportunity to fly to America – but going to Munich, then to Frankfurt or to Berlin is of course a lot easier. And because the teams do a lot around the game, you have 100 percent NFL for a whole week.

SPORT1: However, when it comes to German players in the NFL, developments have recently stagnated and are even declining. What is missing to see more Germans on the pitch?

Kuhn: In my opinion, it’s just good work for young talent. The AFVD has a lot of popularity and more players than when I was active, but perhaps they are not being developed well enough. On the sporting side, there are still many things that are difficult. It is always best to go to America as early as possible and try to practice the sport there. You have other options, completely different coaching. Most people haven’t learned from real football coaches, so there’s still a lack of support on many levels. I think the NFL could perhaps get started on this too.

SPORT1: In your opinion, this path directly from Germany to the NFL is hardly realistic?

Kuhn: The thing is: you can be a high school player in America and it’s almost impossible to get into the NFL – then logically it’s even more unrealistic from Germany. We were lucky to have a period where we had a few guys from Germany playing. But overall, the development shows how difficult it is to get into the NFL and then play there for a few years. Even most Americans can’t do that.

SPORT1: Because you just brought it up: Is it harder to get into the NFL or stay there?

Kuhn: Just as difficult. NFL also stands for “not for long”. The average career lasts less than three years – and you still have a few guys like Tom Brady who play for over 20 years and mess up the statistics a bit. It’s almost impossible to get into the league and then extremely hard to stay there.

SPORT1: What advice would you give to a young German footballer who still has this dream of the NFL – and to what extent do you already support one or two talents as a mentor?

Kuhn: If boys have potential and have perhaps already gone a certain way, I am always happy to support them with little tips. But as with everything in life: you have to be motivated yourself and ask yourself: What can I do extra? Can I watch more film? Can I go to the weight room? Can I still stretch? What can I do to ensure that I am generally physically at the highest level I can be? Of course, it doesn’t help if you’re 5’6″ tall and weigh 100 pounds – then you’re probably not the ideal NFL player. It helps if you are 1.95 meters tall and feel like you were born weighing 100 kilograms.

SPORT1: At least in flag football, that plays a somewhat smaller role. What significance can the contactless version of sport have for its further development?

Kuhn: I think it will bring even more attention to the sport on a broader scale. Very few people who watch flag football, or perhaps even play the sport themselves, feel like putting on the pads and playing American football on the field – but everyone can go into a field with a towel or a sock in their pants with an egg and play flag football at least for fun.

SPORT1: And in 2028 flag football will also be part of the Olympic Games.

Kuhn: For anyone who practices this sport, this is of course a huge opportunity to suddenly become an Olympian. If people want to watch sports, then most will continue to watch the NFL.

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SPORT1: The clear number 1 sport in Germany is and remains football, although critics say it is increasingly distancing itself from the fans. Is this perhaps an opportunity for the NFL to be more approachable and fill a gap that may be emerging?

Kuhn: I think football is a lot closer to the fans in Germany. In football you always think a lot about the feelings, thoughts and feelings of the fans – sometimes perhaps even too much. In America I just think it’s nice that you can always go to the stadium with your family and have entertainment all day long. This is a completely different product. There is so much on offer for young and old, men and women, that everyone can enjoy it.

SPORT1: You automatically use the word “product”. Is that perhaps the crucial difference between soccer and American football?

Kuhn: The NFL is the most profitable professional sports league, a club of 32 billionaires, now even a few more. We all know what this sport is about. But we still have some of the best athletes in the world who really set off fireworks every time.

SPORT1: Finally, of course, we have to take a quick look at the game on Sunday. The Seahawks go into the game as favorites against the Patriots, what do you expect from this duel?

Kuhn: A top game! The two teams have a history, including in the Super Bowl. I was in the stadium in Seattle and the fans felt like they were carrying the team into the Super Bowl. It was incredibly loud there, an incredible atmosphere – but logically they don’t have that advantage now. The Patriots will be well prepared and have a lot of Super Bowl experience in many positions such as head coach and offensive coordinator. They will give it their all and I can even see them winning the game.

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