Tag: International

Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: International OL Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick

Our #Chiefs UDFA Spotlight Series continues with a player allocated via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

This 22-year-old offensive line prospect from Lagos, Nigeria was allocated to the Chiefs through the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Chukwuebuka Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick is one of the eight players allocated to NFC North and AFC West teams via the program following the 2023 NFL draft.

He has a long way to go in his development as he’s never actually played a game of organized football before. Prior to his discovery at Osi Umenyiora’s “Uprise Academy”, Godrick had only played basketball. Godrick gained the attention of the league at the NFL’s International Combine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last October.

Saints’ Paulson Adebo visits Kenya for NFL Africa Camp 2023

The NFL has a global reach, as illustrated by Saints corner Paulson Adebo visiting Kenya to participate in NFL Africa Camp 2023:

It’s important to remember that the NFL is a global enterprise. Paulson Adebo and his New Orleans Saints teammates made the trip to London last year for a game with the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s a (slim) chance they’ll be flying to Europe again in the fall for a matchup with the New England Patriots in Germany.

But that’s a concern for another day. For Adebo, part of his offseason was spent traveling to Kenya for the NFL Africa Camp 2023 events. He’s one of several NFL players with African ties to volunteer their services, along with Emmanuel Ogbah, Ikem Ekwonu, Brian Asamoah, and Arnold Ebiketie.

Adebo was born in Farmington, Mich. to first-generation immigrants from Benin, a West African nation of about 13 million people. So this was something of a homecoming for him. It’s cool to see Adebo experiencing this and doing his part to help the sport grow overseas and be a good ambassador for New Orleans.

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Will the Broncos play an international game in 2023?

Two teams on Broncos’ road schedule will “host” international games this year, but Denver seems more likely to play in Mexico after 2023.

The NFL announced five home teams for its 2023 international series on Thursday, and the Denver Broncos are not among the host teams.

The Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars will play “home” games in London with the Titans and Bills playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jags playing at Wembley Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will “host” games in Germany, with the exact stadiums still to be announced.

The Broncos are scheduled to play two of those teams — the Chiefs and Bills — on the road next season, but Denver seems unlikely to play in England or Germany next fall.

The Broncos just played the Jaguars at Wembley in 2022 — winning 21-17 — and Denver seems unlikely to immediately return to London the following season. The Broncos also seem unlikely to play in Germany in 2023 after having Mexico set as their designated international market in 2021.

Mexico will not host an international game in 2023 because Estadio Azteca is undergoing renovations, but the NFL plans to return to Mexico City in the future, perhaps as early as 2024. Denver will play at least one more international game before 2029, and Mexico is the likeliest location.

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14 Broncos players to wear international flags on helmets

Fourteen Broncos players will wear international flags on their helmets this week, with six players representing Nigeria.

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More than 200 players, coaches and executives across the NFL will participate in the league’s recognition of nationalities and cultural heritages in Weeks 4 and 5.

As part of the NFL’s initiative, 14 Denver Broncos players will wear international flag stickers on the back of their helmets this week. Here’s the list of players:

DL McTelvin Agim (Nigeria)
CB Essang Bassey (Nigeria)
RB Devine Ozigbo (Nigeria)
CB Michael Ojemudia (Nigeria)
TE Albert Okwuegbunam (Nigeria)
DL Eyioma Uwazurike (Nigeria)
WR Jerry Jeudy (Haiti)
OLB Jonathan Kongbo (Republic of the Congo)
TE Greg Dulcich (Croatia)
CB K’Waun Williams (Jamaica)
DL Mike Purcell (Samoa)
G Netane Muti (Tonga)
OL Luke Wattenberg (South Korea)
P Corliss Waitman (Suriname)

“The NFL is proud of the extensive collection of nationalities and heritage of its players across the League,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We recognize the many cultures they represent and the excitement they bring to their home fans, which ultimately helps grow our game.”

Sunday’s game against the Raiders will begin at 2:25 p.m. MT (TV map).

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Photos: 2022 Presidents Cup practice rounds at Quail Hollow Club

It’s time for the Presidents Cup.

It’s time for the 2022 Presidents Cup.

The biennial bout between the United States and Internationals tees off for the 14th time this week at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Americans are looking to continue their dominance in the competition. Team USA holds an 11-1-1 record, with its lone loss coming in 1998 at Royal Melbourne.

This year, the U.S. features plenty of similar faces from last year’s Ryder Cup, which the Americans captured at Whistling Straits. Meanwhile, most of the players for the Internationals are making their debut, though there are a couple returners with plenty of experience on this stage.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the practice rounds ahead of the 2022 Presidents Cup:

DJ Strawberry advice to young players overseas: ‘Set the bar of the NBA and go from there’

Ahead of the quarterfinals in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs, one-time NBA guard DJ Strawberry spoke with HoopsHype after a recent practice with Zamalek.

Zamalek SC is looking to defend its title at Kigali Arena in Rwanda. The White Knights previously won all five conference games at home in Cairo this season, and just blew out the Seydou Legacy Athlétique Club in the quarterfinals.

Broncos international history: Denver’s record by country outside the U.S.

The Broncos have played in six countries outside the U.S. since 1987, mostly recently in London in 2010.

The Denver Broncos are set to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, England this fall, marking just the second time in franchise history that the Broncos will play a regular season game outside the United States.

Denver’s no stranger to playing overseas for preseason games, though. The Broncos have played eight international games in their history, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL.

Regular-season overseas trips are also about to become more frequent for Denver as the league now requires every team to play at least one international game every eight years.

Here’s a quick look back the Broncos’ record in every country they’ve played in outside the U.S. since 1987.

Broncos won’t play in Mexico or Germany in 2022; London still possible

The Broncos won’t play in Mexico or Germany this fall, but they’re still a candidate to be a “road” team in England this season.

The Denver Broncos want to play a game in Mexico — their international home market — but the team won’t travel south for a game this season.

The NFL announced “home” teams for 2022 international games on Monday, and the Arizona Cardinals will be the “host” at Estadio Azteca this fall. The Broncos are scheduled to face the Cards this year, but at home, not on the road.

Denver won’t play in Germany this season, either. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been named the “home” team for the Munich game, and the Bucs are not among the Broncos’ 2022 opponents.

Traveling to England remains a possibility, though.

The New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars will “host” games in London this fall and while the Saints aren’t among Denver’s opponents, the Broncos are scheduled to face the Jags on the road this season.

That Denver-Jacksonville matchup could be a potential candidate for the Jaguars’ game at Wembley Stadium.

The Broncos were scheduled to play a “road” game in England against the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 but that game was moved stateside due to COVID-19. Denver now has a chance for a London game in 2022.

The NFL will announce the road teams for this year’s international games when the complete regular season schedule is released later this offseason.

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2022 Beijing Games officially open; US leads team figure skating, first medals on Saturday

The opening ceremony marked the official start of the Winter Olympics. On Saturday, women’s snowboard slopestyle begins and the first medals will be awarded.

The opening ceremony marked the official start of the Winter Olympics. On Saturday, women’s snowboard slopestyle begins and the first medals will be awarded.