Among the four major American professional sports leagues, the National Football League is the most American. This is based on data found on Pro-Football-Reference.com, which states that 96.5 percent of active players in the NFL were born in the United States. But despite the overwhelming dominance in number by the Americans, 30 countries were still represented in the NFL. Germany, Canada, and American Samoa lead the way with seven players each. Most of the German players are American citizens born abroad. But there are two active players who were born and raised in Germany, and now compete professionally in the NFL. First on our list is Sebastian Vollmer, an offensive tackle for the New England Patriots. Born in Dusseldorf, Vollmer is the first German ever to play in the league. He played American football for the Dusseldorf Panthers, winning two national Junior Bowls. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 2009 NFL Draft. Markus Kuhn is the second German-born player in the NFL. Kuhn plays as a defensive tackle for the New York Giants, and was drafted out of NC State in 2012.

In the world of sports, Germany is regarded as a powerhouse in the “other” version of football – soccer. Most teams in Germany’s Bundesliga, the country’s major league of football, have followings that could rival those of the Dallas Cowboys or the New York Yankees in the US. But the American football has a long standing foothold in the country. U.S. soldiers brought it to Germany during their occupation following World War II, and a tour of a college football team from Texas, helped the game take root. The tour helped popularize the game, and a year later, the country’s first football organization was formed. In 1979, enthusiasts founded the German Football League. American football’s success worldwide is proof that sports, transcends all nations and race. It is a venue where everyone who has the passion for a particular game can go out and compete with other people. And football isn’t the only game which is popular to both fans and athletes alike. One particular game that has also been accepted worldwide is poker. An all time favorite with card players, the game also traces its roots from the USA. The game’s sudden rise has also seen the birth of online poker sites like http://de.partypoker.com/. Partypoker offers the best online poker experience, and they also provide many tournaments for online players. Poker is a skill game and Partypoker also provides game tutorials for those who have just started to take a liking to the game. They will teach you the basics of the game before you start to master the different strategies needed to win. Similar to the game of poker, the acceptance of people worldwide to American football is slowly but surely gaining ground. This is evident by the formation of the GFL, arguably the world’s top football league outside of North America.

The Seattle Seahawks for example, also has a foreign – born player on their team at the moment. Patrick Chukwurah, is a Nigerian national, who currently plays as a defensive end for the Seahawks in the NFL. He made his professional debut in 2001 with the Minnesota Vikings. But Seattle isn’t new when it comes to foreigners playing for the city’s top teams. Detlef Schrempf, a retired basketball player from Leverkusen, Germany spent most of his career playing for the Seattle Supersonics. He reached the NBA Finals in 1996, and played in two All Star games during his time with the Sonics. He is considered to be the first true German superstar in the NBA, paving the way for compatriots like Dirk Nowitzki to have successful careers at the professional level.