Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Bjoern Werner made history in 2013 when he became the first German player to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Werner, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, reflected recently on his experience in coming from Germany to the United States, and falling in love with football.
"Until I was 12 years old, I didn't know what American football was," Werner said to Jenny Vrentas of Monday Morning Quarterback. "I didn't know anything about it. As soon as I started playing, I got into it so much. I started playing Madden, watching NFL games, and just learning about where it comes from and all the teams. I got caught up with the NFL. I'd usually watch online, more on NFL.com the highlights of the game on Monday morning. Because the games were Sunday in the middle of the night, and it was pay TV, and I didn't have that. So I watched online, the recaps."
Werner credits a friend for introducing him to football at age 12, and said he grew too large to continue playing soccer. The 24-year-old came to the United States for prep school via a foreign exchange program.
"Usually you associate going to the United States with an exchange year, which you have to pay for and which costs a lot for the host family. But this was something different. I figured it out mostly on my own, and two friends and my coach helped me. We did the application, and I got financial aid, so the school paid for it all. The only thing I had to pay for was my flight over there and my insurance. Once I had everything settled, I told my parents, 'Look, this is how it’s going to go. I'm going to go to America, to this high school in Connecticut, and you guys don’t have to worry about anything, moneywise.' They couldn't believe it, that I figured it out on my own. And I just went over there."
The Colts linebacker also spoke about the growth of football in Germany, and his plans to expand the game's presence at home.
"Just in Germany, we have five people in the NFL right now. I feel like every few years there is a guy coming up. There are a lot of guys in colleges right now, too. It's growing, but at the same time, there were a lot of opportunities taken away. That's one of my goals later, to build up something like that, like a pipeline, where I can find talent and bring it to high schools and colleges. That would be my dream, and I would really be passionate about it, because I lived it. I know how hard it is, the opportunities that would have to be there. "
Entering a crucial season, Werner will need to play his best football in the Colts' attempt to capture a Super Bowl. He is arguably one of the most important international ambassadors for the game, and a strong performance could help expand the global popularity of the NFL.
