How 'stroke of luck' set London kid on course for NFL

Jermaine Eluemunor is in his eighth season as an NFL player and has played in 98 games

It was a miserable Sunday afternoon late in October 2007.

The rain was pouring down in London so Jermaine Eluemunor was chilling at home on Chalk Farm's Ferdinand Street housing estate.

The 12-year-old was flicking through TV channels when he stumbled upon a sport he'd never seen before.

Now 29, he says "it was a complete and utter accident". And that "spur of the moment thing" ultimately changed his life.

'I had no idea what I was going to do with my life'

Born and bred in north London, Eluemunor had enjoyed playing rugby. This sport was kind of like that, but it was different.

The physicality of the players, the helmets they wore - Eluemunor was hooked, and he became an instant fan of the winning team, the New York Giants.

Eluemunor was watching the first regular-season NFL game to be played in Europe, just nine miles away at Wembley Stadium.

"I had no idea about American football before that," he told BBC Sport. "I had no intention of finding it on the TV.

"I always say that it was God because I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I had no true goals or direction.

"I knew I loved sports but I couldn't play soccer because I was too big. I loved basketball but it's hard to become a professional living in London.

"One time at secondary school, it was funny, but the Royal Air Force came in on a career day so I was thinking about joining the RAF.

"So finding that game was a stroke of luck. I'm always grateful because it gave me a goal to strive for."

'I quit flag football - I wanted to hit someone'

Eluemunor found the London Blitz and tried flag football – the non-contact version of the sport which will be in the 2028 Olympics.

But he "ended up quitting because it wasn't physical enough".

"I wanted to hit someone," he said.

After returning to rugby, Eluemunor had a successful trial with London Scottish, but left for the United States a month later at just 14.

He went to high school in New Jersey and stood out not just for his accent. He was 5ft 11in tall and weighed more than 300lbs (21st).

"It was funny because I was this huge guy that'd come over from England and I didn't go looking for the coach, the coach found me," said Eluemunor.

"They dragged me into the weight room and the head coach said 'you're playing football'. And I said 'well, good, I want to play football'.

"Then I told everyone how strong I was and tried to lift 225lb (102kg). It fell on my throat, it almost killed me."

As an offensive lineman, Eluemunor must block opponents to protect his quarterback and open up gaps for his team to run the ball through

Coming out of high school in 2012, Eluemunor wasn't recruited by a college football programme so had to pursue his NFL dream through junior college.

There he proved deceptively mobile for his size, earning a switch to one of the top football colleges, Texas A&M.

When Eluemunor entered the NFL draft in 2017, he was almost 6ft 4in. He bench pressed 225lb 34 times and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 159th overall pick.

"I always believed I could make it but didn't know for sure until I got drafted," Eluemunor added.

"I truly believe that if you want something bad enough, you'll do everything you need to get it.

"It was definitely a struggle to get into this game, to get familiar with it and get good enough to get to where I am now, but that's just part of the journey."

Eluemunor's NFL journey comes full circle

That journey has taken Eluemunor to the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Then it came full circle in March when the offensive lineman signed a two-year deal with the Giants worth $14m (£11m).

At the time, he referenced that first game in 2007 on X: "Fast forward 17 years... I get the opportunity to suit up and play for the team that made me want to play this game. Grateful is an understatement."

That sparked a string of social media posts you would expect from a fan joining their boyhood team. Not from an elite athlete though.

Another said: "My excitement to be a Giant comes from two things. One - it's the freaking Giants. Who wouldn't want to play for one of the biggest, most well-known teams in the world? Two - it's the freaking New York Giants."

Asked in a video call with BBC Sport what made him a Giants fan, he reached out of shot and returned holding their iconic royal blue helmet.

"The helmet," he replied. "When the light hits it at a certain angle, it just sparkles, it glistens. That really got me."

Osi Umenyiora (left) helped the Giants to a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins at a wet Wembley in 2007

Going back to his roots

With his latest move, Eluemunor followed in the footsteps of Osi Umenyiora, who also has Nigerian heritage, was born in London and moved to the United States aged 14.

He played in that first London game in 2007 before helping the Giants win the Super Bowl that season, and again four years later.

Umenyiora wore number 72 and Eluemunor sought his blessing to wear the same number for the Giants.

It is highly unlikely Eluemunor will emulate Umenyiora by reaching this season's Super Bowl, though. The Giants go into Thursday's Thanksgiving game at Dallas with a 2-9 record.

Despite being nicknamed 'London' at college, Eluemunor has now lost his accent but remains a big Arsenal fan and sports a Union Jack tattoo with 'bred' beneath it.

And like Umenyiora, he has returned to the city of his birth to help grow the game in the UK, with a third annual football camp planned for the off-season.

"Growing up in London, I wasn't the best at school," said Eluemunor. "But sports was the one thing that kept me in check. I feel like it's the same for the kids at my camp.

"Flag football being in the Olympics is really cool for kids around the world, and I honestly think it's a life-changing game."

Eluemunor has also revisited the block of flats where he discovered the sport.

"It made me grateful for all the struggle I had to go through," he added.

NFL's Thanksgiving games:

• Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions (Thu, 17:30 GMT)

• New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys (Thu, 21:30 GMT)

• Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers (Fri, 01:20 GMT)

• Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs (Fri, 20:00 GMT)