The NFL is set to open an academy in Australia aimed at developing young talent in the Asia-Pacific region to become college and professional football prospects. The academy will cater to student athletes aged 12 to 18, with recruitment camps scheduled to take place in Australia and New Zealand this summer. The league highlighted the talent in the region, citing examples such as Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, who transitioned from rugby to football and found success in the NFL. The academy will be located at A.B. Paterson College on the Gold Coast, with plans to build a high-performance facility on the college grounds for the benefit of both academy students and the community.
The NFL’s expansion into Australia is part of its broader global strategy to identify and develop talent from various regions around the world. In December, NFL owners authorized the league to host eight international games each season, with plans to hold the first regular-season game in Brazil in 2022. The league already has an academy in the UK, which has become a reliable source of Division I recruits. The Asia-Pacific region, with its rich sporting talent pool, is seen as a promising area for scouting potential football players, not just limited to Aussie punters but also rugby and Australian Rules athletes making the switch to American football.
The recruitment camps for the new NFL Academy are set to kick off in June, with the first one taking place at A.B. Paterson College. Subsequent camps will be held in Sydney and Auckland, providing opportunities for young athletes in Australia and New Zealand to showcase their skills and potentially earn a spot at the academy. The program aims to offer authentic player pathways for international talent, giving more young people from the Asia-Pacific region the chance to pursue a career in football. The league’s head of Europe and APAC expressed excitement about bringing the program to the Gold Coast and continuing to support football development efforts globally.
Former rugby star Jordan Mailata, who found success in the NFL through the International Player Pathway program, will be involved in the academy and play a role in announcing the Eagles’ first-round draft pick on the Gold Coast. The NFL’s global expansion efforts also include plans to have multiple games in London, Germany, and Spain in the coming years, further solidifying the league’s presence beyond the United States. With the establishment of the academy in Australia and the growing interest in American football in the Asia-Pacific region, the NFL is poised to tap into a new source of talent and provide opportunities for young athletes to pursue their football dreams on an international stage.
