Rafael Varona Blakstad, a London native, transitioned from rugby to American football after an encounter with Lamonte Winston at Loughborough University. The NFL Academy, which opened in 2019, is gaining traction in the U.K., producing talents like Louis Rees-Zammit, who joined the Kansas City Chiefs before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Despite the U.K.'s strong rugby and soccer culture, interest in American football is growing, with several British players making strides in college football. Varona Blakstad aims for a Division I scholarship and recently scored a touchdown in a game against De La Salle.