This week we will be taking a look at the professional side of American football.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Hello and welcome to Limitless, Rise of the Falcons.
00:24 I'm Naoka, and this week we'll be taking a look
00:26 at the professional side of American football.
00:28 We'll touch on Falcon players who dream big,
00:31 what the pro leagues are, and chat with a pro
00:33 about what it's like to play at high level.
00:35 But first tonight, let's take a look at pro league,
00:37 comparing the recruitment processes and league structures
00:40 in the US versus the UK.
00:42 Jack Darking spoke with Tyrell Bovell,
00:44 Team GB's running back, to understand the differences.
00:48 - American football is the most popular sport
00:50 in the United States.
00:51 The largest and most well-known American football league
00:54 is of course the NFL, or the National Football League.
00:57 This league is split into two conferences,
00:59 the National Football Conference
01:00 and the American Football Conference.
01:02 At the end of the league season,
01:04 seven teams from each conference
01:05 enter what is known as the playoffs,
01:07 with a chance to win the coveted Super Bowl.
01:09 The NFL is the top league, with college football,
01:11 high school, and youth level football underneath it.
01:14 However, the only league that is considered professional
01:16 is the NFL, with college football only considered
01:19 as a semi-pro league.
01:20 Players are scouted and recruited into the NFL
01:23 based off of their college football performances.
01:25 For example, three-time Super Bowl champion,
01:27 Patrick Mahomes, went to Texas Tech University,
01:30 and wide receiver Justin Jefferson played for LSU.
01:33 American football isn't just limited to the US, however.
01:35 It is played internationally in Canada, Mexico, Japan,
01:40 South Korea, China, and of course, the UK.
01:43 In the UK, recruitment and scouting is very different
01:46 compared to the US.
01:47 Here's Team GB's Tyrell Bovell explaining
01:50 how the recruitment system works in the UK.
01:52 - The way America does it and the way we do it
01:54 are completely different.
01:55 Like, we don't have a draft and we don't have college
02:00 and high school football, so you play it as like
02:03 a Sunday league type thing, and then as you get better
02:06 and you progress is when you start catching the eye
02:09 of like GB and all that sort of thing.
02:10 Just the whole structure of it is very different.
02:13 It doesn't quite compare, like there is no comparison.
02:15 - Whilst the scouting process is completely different,
02:18 the league structures are very similar.
02:20 - The way it works for us is, so we've got the Prem,
02:22 which is the top Div 1 middle, and then Div 2,
02:24 which is at the bottom.
02:25 You've got a lot more teams in Div 1 and Div 2
02:28 than in the Prem, so the way the playoffs work
02:30 is slightly different.
02:31 You get 12 teams from Div 1 and Div 2
02:33 that go into the playoffs, and the way that works
02:35 is those 12 teams, I believe four of them get a bye week,
02:39 like in the NFL, and the other eight teams,
02:41 they sort of, depending on how they're seeded,
02:43 play each other, and then the winner of that
02:45 will play one of the seeded teams,
02:47 and then you sort of work your way up to a final,
02:49 which will be the Northern champion
02:52 versus the Southern champion,
02:53 and that's how you get to the Brit.
02:54 I look a lot like a Superboxer, exactly the same.
02:56 - Now we understand the differences
02:57 between professional and non-professional leagues
03:00 that are played around the world,
03:01 and the recruitment process that is required
03:03 to make it a pro league.
03:04 - Next up, let's take a look at what players have to do
03:08 if they want to make it to the professional level,
03:10 as well as the experiences potential players gain
03:13 along the way.
03:14 Daniel Ananus spoke to some players
03:15 about their experience with higher level teams.
03:18 (upbeat music)
03:19 - Playing American football at a pro level
03:21 can be a long and difficult road,
03:23 but for some of the players,
03:24 they are willing to make that journey
03:25 and are already playing at a much higher level
03:27 outside of the Falcons.
03:29 I asked some of the players about their experience
03:31 playing at this level,
03:32 and if they feel the skills and experiences
03:34 can be transferred to their time with the Falcons.
03:36 - The experience playing for Team GB
03:39 has helped me with Falcons,
03:41 because some of the stuff that we learn in GB
03:44 I can easily implement into Falcons,
03:47 like some of the coverage techniques that we learn
03:49 and also like block shedding.
03:51 - Oh, a hundred percent.
03:51 It's one of those things of the leadership skills
03:55 you develop from being within the national team programme
03:57 just in general,
03:58 very much translate to coming to a team
04:02 which you have rookies who have never properly played before
04:05 compared to GB where,
04:06 even though if you're a first year in the programme,
04:08 you still played for three, four, five years.
04:11 It's yeah, it's very much a communicable skill.
04:14 - I then asked what sorts of things players
04:16 would have to go through whilst trialling out for the team.
04:18 - Similar to the NFL combine,
04:20 we did a bunch of tests that test us physically.
04:23 So they had us doing stuff like 40 odd dashes,
04:26 broad jump, vertical jumps.
04:28 - I also asked about their reactions
04:30 when getting the call up to join the team.
04:32 - So I trialled after my first year of playing,
04:35 didn't get in, then COVID hit,
04:37 and I sort of took that experience
04:40 and sort of put all my effort into training over lockdown.
04:44 Then the year after that,
04:45 thankfully I got in and yeah,
04:48 the trials are different level.
04:50 The energy, they expect 100% effort at all times.
04:54 Seeing that email saying
04:55 that you've been picked for the final 45,
04:57 it's like, wow, my first game was in Italy.
05:00 So it's like, wow, you've been selected.
05:02 And then two weeks later, you're flying to Milan to play.
05:04 So playing for Team GB is one of those
05:06 very surreal experiences,
05:08 standing on the pitch for your first time
05:09 hearing the national anthem.
05:11 It's just, it's goosebumps.
05:12 It really is.
05:13 - Following that, I also asked some members of the team
05:16 about their experience training and learning
05:18 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
05:20 - You know, we've got a lot of experience,
05:21 a lot of guys who didn't know nothing about the sport.
05:23 You know, they started from the bottom
05:25 and walked their way up and, you know,
05:27 it has sat in for every player.
05:28 - It helped me realise how they like to move,
05:31 how they like to play and everything.
05:32 And it's overall helped my game a lot.
05:34 - I'm able to see how different positions
05:36 affect my position 'cause I play quarterback.
05:38 So then it's like, I can understand the dynamics
05:41 between the relationships between the running back
05:42 and the quarterback.
05:43 It took me to a whole nother level.
05:44 Just like, you know, small little fundamentals
05:47 about, you know, different kind of run schemes,
05:48 you know, about, you know, outside zones
05:50 and stuff like that with the cutback.
05:51 That was all very valuable to me.
05:53 - Getting top professional coaches from the NFL
05:55 come to the UK to help you better your skills.
05:58 One in a lifetime experience, so yeah, I enjoyed it.
06:01 - So it's fair to say that the road
06:03 to becoming a pro NFL athlete is a difficult one,
06:06 but with the resources and opportunities available
06:08 to the players, that is a road most are willing to take.
06:12 - And now it's time for Tony Teaches,
06:14 where we get to learn fundamental manoeuvres of the game
06:17 with our resident running back, Tony Mazzanituta.
06:19 This week, he took us through block shedding
06:22 with the Kent Falcons defensive lineman, G Van Jolderam.
06:25 Let's take a look.
06:27 - Hello, and welcome back to Tony Teaches.
06:29 This week, I'm joined with Kent Falcons defensive lineman,
06:31 G Van Jolderam, better known as G.
06:33 This week, I'll be going through block shedding.
06:35 Now, let's break it down.
06:37 When it comes to block shedding,
06:38 there are lots of different techniques
06:39 you can use to beat your man.
06:40 First, you wanna start in your stance,
06:42 and when you come out, engage the block
06:44 and watch for where the player's going,
06:45 so then you can move the block away,
06:47 pulling the player to the side, away from the player,
06:49 and you can make a play for the tackle.
06:51 Some different techniques you can use to block shed
06:53 are ripping the block, going overhand over the block,
06:56 which are both simple, effective moves you can use
06:58 to beat your man and make a tackle.
06:59 Now, that's how you block shed.
07:01 Also this week, I sat down with G to get an insight
07:03 into when he started playing American football
07:05 and what he thinks of the Kent Falcons' season so far.
07:10 - So, I joined FLAG football when I was 12
07:14 for London Blitz, my local team at Finsbury Park,
07:18 and because of my parents, they wanted me to play some sports.
07:20 I was like, "Wow, I wanna play a passionate sport,"
07:23 but it was FLAG, so I lost a bit of thinking,
07:26 like I didn't wanna play anymore.
07:29 So then, a couple years later, I was going to uni of Kent,
07:32 and I was like, I saw the Freshers' Fair,
07:34 and I was like, "This is the first sport I wanna join,
07:37 "first thing I wanna do," and I straightaway signed up.
07:39 - What do you think makes the Kent Falcons so special
07:42 and different to other teams?
07:43 - I think it's the coaches and the players,
07:45 like Coach Lillis, Coach V.
07:48 Like, if you see Coach V in the sidelines,
07:51 you'll see him, like, gassing us all up,
07:54 like, getting some energy in the team,
07:55 and I feel like that's what makes us different from the rest.
07:58 Even from last year, it's been a major difference
08:01 with the coaches.
08:02 - What's some of the highlights for you
08:03 from the season that's just gone?
08:05 - I feel like it's our win against East Anglia,
08:08 our last game in the division,
08:09 'cause everyone said it was gonna lose.
08:11 We all even thought it was gonna lose ourselves
08:13 'cause they had more experienced players,
08:15 bigger whole line, bigger everything,
08:16 but we, like, we beat them 16-0, so it was a major thing.
08:19 - Thanks for this week's lesson, Tony.
08:22 And finally, earlier today,
08:24 I spoke with former NFL Academy player
08:26 and current linebacker for the Brunel Burners,
08:28 Tyrese Peters-Toby.
08:30 I started by asking him about the differences
08:32 between the levels of teams he's played on
08:34 throughout his career.
08:37 - I'd say in terms of the amount of training that we did
08:40 when I was at the NFL Academy,
08:42 we trained three times a week on the field,
08:44 then sessions a week,
08:47 no, three to four gym sessions a week,
08:49 and then we had three classroom sessions.
08:52 So it was a lot to take in.
08:54 And then on top of that,
08:55 I had my studies to take care of, obviously.
08:58 I was doing a personal training course there
09:01 'cause I was only gonna be there for a year.
09:02 I'd already got my BTEC.
09:04 So yeah, just managing that timekeeping
09:07 was a lot bigger than when you're playing under 19,
09:10 under 17, or even senior ball,
09:12 because you're only training twice a week.
09:14 You might have one classroom session,
09:16 but it's not as intense as that.
09:19 A lot of early days, a lot of late evenings,
09:23 'cause you're also up studying, you're watching film,
09:26 then you're studying for your exams too.
09:28 So yeah, it was a lot in terms of time balance.
09:31 - And how is the level of difficulty
09:33 between the different leagues that you've played on
09:35 changed since you started?
09:36 - I think, well, obviously, as people grow up,
09:45 like in terms of under 17,
09:47 when I was playing, I was quite underdeveloped.
09:49 I was like 14, playing against 16 and 17-year-olds.
09:53 Wasn't really in the gym.
09:54 And as you progress,
09:55 you realize a lot more people take the gym more seriously.
09:58 A lot more people spend a lot more time watching film
10:00 and in their playbooks.
10:02 So their IQ is getting better
10:04 and their athletic ability is also improving too.
10:08 So you start to go up against bigger players,
10:10 people that, okay, they're not just big,
10:13 but they're gonna outsmart you too.
10:14 You know, they're gonna use their weight or their size
10:16 and their abilities against you.
10:18 So that was probably the biggest jump for me
10:20 is also having to step my game up in the gym
10:22 and spend more time watching film
10:24 and learning about football
10:26 and all the different tactics,
10:27 strategies that go into the game.
10:29 - Sounds great.
10:30 And my last question is,
10:31 what advice would you give to players
10:32 looking to get into American football
10:34 and take the next step in their journey in the sport?
10:37 - I would say, don't be scared.
10:42 I came from not even playing any sport at all.
10:47 I was quite unathletic.
10:48 I didn't really have any real physical talent,
10:53 but as long as you work hard,
10:54 I know it's a cliche,
10:55 as long as you work hard and stay on top of football,
11:00 stay on top of your studies,
11:02 'cause a lot of people that get into the game young,
11:04 you know, that's one thing
11:05 that they have to make sure they're doing
11:06 'cause football doesn't last forever
11:09 and you have a good work ethic,
11:11 it will take you pretty far in the sport, for sure.
11:14 - And Tyrese, I wanna say thank you for joining me today.
11:16 It's been really interesting
11:17 to talk to you a little bit more about this.
11:19 - All right, thank you for having me.
11:23 - Now, we've reached the end zone of today's episode.
11:26 Thank you so much for joining us
11:27 to look at the professional side of American football.
11:30 And thank you to this week's guests
11:31 for joining us for a chat.
11:33 You can join us next week,
11:34 where we will look deeper
11:35 at the history of American football in the UK
11:38 and some players' experiences.
11:40 But don't forget,
11:41 you can catch up on all our previous episodes
11:42 by visiting kmtv.co.uk.
11:45 Thanks so much for joining me today.
11:46 See you next time.
11:47 (upbeat music)
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