NFLHeritage Program list

Fourteen NFL players have signed up to honour their Canadian heritage by wearing a Canadian-flag decal on their helmets, this week and next.

Blue stickeron NFL helmets

NFL STILL EYEING CANADA: Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive VP of club business and league events, told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that “we’re constantly looking at the opportunities” to stage a regular-season game in additional foreign countries.

“The NFL is proud of the extensive collection of nationalities and heritage of its players across the league,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

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More than 200 individuals have chosen to participate, the league said, in paying tribute to more than 50 countries or territories.

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Asked by Postmedia to name which particular stadiums in Canada are viable as a potential host for an NFL game, O’Reilly said:

To coincide with the first International Series games of the NFL season, in England, the league on Wednesday announced this first-time means for players, coaches and executives to celebrate their foreign country or territory’s flag.

“Clearly, having a world-class NFL-ready stadium is important in terms of any opportunity to play games up there, so that is one among the multiple criteria. But we’re excited to be doing more up there in terms of the 12-plus million fans we have up there, and having clubs like the (Minnesota) Vikings and (Seattle) Seahawks with additional (marketing) rights in Canada.”

Flags on NFL helmets2024

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Two players raised in part in Canada — Chargers linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (Calgary) and New Orleans Saints defensive lineman David Onyemata (Winnipeg) — chose to honour the country of their birth, Nigeria.

• Michael Hoecht of the Los Angeles Rams, a defensive tackle born and partially raised in Oakville, Ont.• Jevon Holland of the Miami Dolphins, a star safety born and partially raised in Coquitlam, B.C.• Alaric Jackson of the Los Angeles Rams, an offensive lineman born and mostly raised in Windsor, Ont.• Deane Leonard of the Los Angeles Chargers, a rookie defensive back born and raised in Calgary.• Benjamin St-Juste of the Washington Commanders, a cornerback born and raised in Montreal.• Chase Claypool of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a wide receiver born and raised in Abbotsford, B.C.• Christian Covington of the Los Angeles Chargers, a defensive tackle born and raised in Vancouver.• Neville Gallimore of the Dallas Cowboys, a defensive tackle born and raised in Ottawa.• Chuba Hubbard of the Carolina Panthers, a running back born and raised in the Edmonton area.• Jesse Luketa of the Arizona Cardinals, a rookie defensive end just signed this week to the active roster from the practice squad, born and raised in Ottawa.• Joshua Palmer of the Los Angeles Chargers, a wide receiver born in Toronto and raised in Brampton, Ont.• Dakoda Shepley of the Dallas Cowboys, a practice-squad offensive lineman born and raised in Windsor, Ont.• Luiji Vilain of the Minnesota Vikings, a rookie outside linebacker born and raised in Ottawa.• Trenton Gill of the Chicago Bears, a punter neither born nor raised in Canada, but whose mother is from Canada.

Nflinternational diversity 2024

“We’ve gone out to a broader set of markets (beyond U.K., Mexico and Germany) to understand the interest in hosting games — whether there are stadiums that could be viable as an NFL host where that passion exists. We’ll continue to do that in the years ahead and look at going beyond the U.K., Germany and Mexico … That’s very much top-of-mind for us.”

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“We actually won’t get into any specifics because we’re in early days on stadiums in Canada. But, clearly, (there are) major markets in Canada we work with closely, our NFL Canada office works with closely on a year-round basis. We’re in conversations with multiple (potential sites) in terms of what future opportunities could be.

NFL players honouring other countries include Arizona quarterback Kyle Murray (South Korea, to honour his mother), Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Samoa, to honour his parents and grandparents’ heritage) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (Germany, to honour his mother and grandparents of German descent).