With the gridiron returning to London this weekend, we profile the best home-grown talents playing across the pond
Menelik Watson
Watson showed incredible perseverance in his unconventional journey to the NFL.
The Mancunian had dreamt of playing for Manchester City before he suffered a broken ankle in a kickabout at the park as a 13-year-old.
The freak accident almost cost him his leg, and he was told he couldn’t play football again.
So Watson took up basketball, and after being spotted by the coach of an academy in the Canary Islands, he earned a place at a small American college.
Another change of sport would follow, though, as he realised his size would lend itself to a career in American football.
Watson learnt quickly, transferring to the prestigious Florida State University in 2012.
The 27-year-old has become a key member of the Oakland Raiders’ offensive line since he was selected in the second round of the 2013 draft.
He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and missed the entire 2015 season with a torn Achilles.
There is no doubting his talent, though, and should he stay fit, he will be protecting quarterbacks for years to come.
Jack Crawford
Crawford, like Watson, was a latecomer to American football.
The Londoner was an outstanding basketball player in his youth, towering over his peers and winning a spot on the English national team.
Crawford moved to New Jersey to play for a prep school, but after watching American football games he made the common transition to the more physical game.
Remarkably, he is now in the fifth year of his NFL career despite only playing the sport for the first time at the age of 17.
The former Penn State University man was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round in 2012, and then signed for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.
Crawford, who went to school with Daniel Radcliffe in Kilburn, has not had a particularly spellbinding career to date.
He has recorded 54 tackles and seven sacks in 42 games, though, and was handed a $1m contract extension in Dallas this summer.
Graham Gano
The son of a US Navy officer, Gano is the third Scottish-born kicker to play in the NFL.
He moved to the States at the age of nine, and after a stellar college career he has become one of the most consistent players in the league at his position.
The 29-year-old from Dundee has started 121 games in his eight-year career, and came close to winning his first title last season as the Carolina Panthers reached the Super Bowl.
He enjoyed a hugely successful year overall, breaking the Panthers’ team record with 146 points, and kicking game-winning field goals in two games.
Kickers are often stereotyped as poor athletes, but Gano is in fact a gifted sprinter.
He won state track and field titles at three different distances during his time at Florida State University.
Jay Ajayi
Another Londoner who moved to the United States at the age of seven, Ajayi is perhaps the NFL’s most patriotic Britain.
He has spoken previously about his pride at being a part of an English “brotherhood” in the league, and enjoyed the experience of playing at Wembley last season.
The Arsenal fan had an impressive college career at Boise State University, with over 3,700 yards and 50 touchdowns, and was twice named to the Mountain West Conference’s all-star team.
That level of performance is yet to translate to the NFL, though, as Ajayi has been restricted to a back-up role with the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted in 2015.
He has never rushed for over 50 yards in a professional game, and was left behind for the season opener this year for an undisclosed disciplinary issue.
At 23, though, Ajayi has real potential, and he may have now turned the corner after scoring the winning touchdown against the Cleveland Browns last week.
