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.”
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