“Opportunity is what the NFL can bring to Africa. We have the best athletes in the world. The opportunity to play American football just hasn't been opened up to them. This is an opportunity to get them a first-class education — they go to college and you can also put millions of dollars in their pocket,” said Umenyiora.
“We were in South Africa last year. We did an event. The infrastructure, in the ability to develop athletes, there's no better place than South Africa to start doing that because they've done the work [to build infrastructure].
“South Africa is a country we're very interested in,” he said.
“When you look at what Global Citizen stands for and what they're looking to do is the same thing we're trying to do with NFL Africa. It's about creating opportunities and giving people the ability to earn. So we're not just doing charity. It's allowing people to help themselves. Being around these incredible people with that sort of vision has been something I haven't experienced before,” he said.
The Global Citizen Now event took place in New York on May 1 and 2 and hopes to “drive action for a world where everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled, our planet is flourishing and every person and country can prosper”.
WATCH | 'SA perfect place for future American football stars': former NFL player
Former US NFL player Osi Umenyiora, now part of NFL Africa, hopes to recruit talent from the continent to change lives and promote the sport. The NFL hopes to be part of Africa's growth, as part of its player pathway programme.
Established in 2017, the NFL International Player Pathway programme aims to provide elite athletes from around the world the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league.
Umenyiora spoke to TimesLIVE in New York during the Global Citizen Now summit, which aims to end poverty and celebrate young people while bringing change in their countries around the world.
“Opportunity is what the NFL can bring to Africa. We have the best athletes in the world. The opportunity to play American football just hasn't been opened up to them. This is an opportunity to get them a first-class education — they go to college and you can also put millions of dollars in their pocket,” said Umenyiora.
“We were in South Africa last year. We did an event. The infrastructure, in the ability to develop athletes, there's no better place than South Africa to start doing that because they've done the work [to build infrastructure].
“South Africa is a country we're very interested in,” he said.
“When you look at what Global Citizen stands for and what they're looking to do is the same thing we're trying to do with NFL Africa. It's about creating opportunities and giving people the ability to earn. So we're not just doing charity. It's allowing people to help themselves. Being around these incredible people with that sort of vision has been something I haven't experienced before,” he said.
The Global Citizen Now event took place in New York on May 1 and 2 and hopes to “drive action for a world where everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled, our planet is flourishing and every person and country can prosper”.
TimesLIVE
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