[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css=”.vc_custom_1575122784405{margin-bottom: 90px !important;}” z_index=””][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]The 2019 NFL season is the 100th season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 5, 2019 with the NFL Kickoff Game, in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears. The season will conclude with Super Bowl LIV, the league’s championship game, scheduled for February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The 2019 NFL League year and trading period began on March 13. On March 8, teams were allowed to exercise options for 2019 on players who have option clauses in their contracts submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2018 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the “Top 51” definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team’s payroll must have a combined salary cap.) On March 11 clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who were set to become unrestricted free agents.
Among the numerous Africans playing in the 2019 NFL season, we have 51 Nigerians alone. According to https://blogs.voanews.com/ 18 African countries are represented in NFL today ranging from the continent’s most populous country, Nigeria to one of the smallest, Gambia.
Thirty of the 32 teams currently have a native born or first generation African player on their roster. African players in the NFL aren’t something new.
Many fans remember Christian Okoye, nicknamed “The Nigerian Nightmare,” who burst into the NFL in the late 1980s and became the first big African star. He is 6’1” and 260 pounds, Okoye was a powerful, bruising fullback who also had excellent speed. Okoye played six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s now recognized as a pioneer, helping pave the way for other African players.
Just like Christian Okoye (Nigerian) we also have Gary Anderson (South African) among many others that have done well in this sport in the past. We look forward to what this season holds for these Helmet Africans (Africans in American Football).
For League schedules and scores click here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
