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7 U.S. players bring international experience to IFAF World Championship
By Tim Glon
Playing football is a passion for millions of young men and women around the world.
Representing their country and expanding the game of football worldwide is a dual role the members of the U.S. National Team as 45 players and nine coaches prepare to embark on the 2015 International Federation of American Football World Championship July 9-18 in Canton, Ohio.
Seven members of the U.S. squad have experience with international competition, playing professionally in Asia, South America and Europe.
All seven believe those international experiences will help with the U.S. team’s ultimate goal: winning the gold medal on July 18.
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Defensive back Drew Banks (main photo, 5) and receiver T.L. Edwards (41) began playing together as freshmen at Middle Tennessee State.
Banks, who is from Brandywine, Md., and Edwards, who hails from Riverside, Calif., grew up about as far apart as possible in the U.S.
Banks played professionally in Brazil in 2012 and after a season playing in Rome, he returned to Brazil and the Recife Mariners in 2014 and 2015.
That’s where he teamed up with Edwards again, and the pair helped guide the Mariners to the league championship.
The old friends are teammates again on the U.S. National Team. They are excited to represent their country and win another championship together.
“I always wanted to compete in the Olympics, and in football this is the closest thing to that, so I am very excited,” Banks said. “Playing in Brazil is great, and I’ve met many friends there. We were able to help the players there better understand the game.”
“It’s great to get to play with Drew again,” Edwards said. “It’s special to get to represent my country playing a game I love.”
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Receiver Kyle Kaiser and linebacker Alex Gross both played professionally in Austria and actually squared off against each other on the gridiron there.
Kaiser played for the Vienna Vikings, while Gross played for the Graz Giants.
In the 2012 season opener, Kaiser caught the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go to beat the Giants.
But Gross was named the league MVP that year, playing both linebacker and running back.
“I remember playing against Kyle. He is a great receiver,” Gross said. “Playing in Austria was a blast, and it was great to help teach others about the game.”
“Playing overseas will help me in preparing for this World Championship,” Kaiser said. “I did not realize just how seriously the other countries take playing the game. There are great coaches everywhere, and they will play hard.”
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Although they did not play together, linebackers B.J. Beatty and Matt Oh enjoy playing the X League, the top professional league in Japan.
Beatty has played three seasons for the Obic Seagulls just 15 minutes outside of Tokyo and is excited about year No. 4, which begins in August – but not until after representing his country and hopefully winning a gold medal.
“It’s a humbling experience to play for your country at a world championship event,” Beatty said. “I have a little more juice behind this one because of all the friends I have on the Japanese team. I know many of the coaches and players, so there it is also a little bit about bragging rights when the tournament is over and I return to Japan.”
Oh played this past season with the Panasonic Impulse, a team in Osaka.
“We scrimmaged against B.J.’s team last year,” Oh said. “It was a great experience. I know that the Japanese team will be well-coached, disciplined and will play hard for the entire game. It will be a big advantage for me having played internationally before.”
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Defensive back Curtis Slater is in the middle of his season with the Hamburg Huskies in the German Football League.
The squad is 6-2 after the first half of the season. The league scheduled a break for players to compete the IFAF World Championship, which allowed Slater and others to represent their countries in the event.
“It’s great to come back home and represent the USA,” Slater said. “I was very surprised at how high the level of play is in Germany. It has been a great experience and a way for me to keep playing football and see the world. But now that I am back in the U.S., it’s all about our country and bringing home the gold medal.”
