MUNICH (AP) — Germany’s influence on the NFL dates back to the league’s early days when the Nesser brothers played for the Columbus Panhandles.
The NFL maintains a list of 84 players who were born in Germany and played at least one regular-season game.
Many of them, however, lived just a few years in Germany and grew up in the United States — such as the Nesser brothers and Hall of Fame defensive lineman Ernie Stautner.
Pipelines into the league today include the International Player Pathway program, as well as the traditional route of U.