NFL Academy makes history with wins over IMG Academy Blue and Erasmus Hall

| American Football | 10/12/2023

The NFL Academy made history last week and once again this week with a 31–14 win over IMG Academy Blue and a 35–0 victory over Erasmus Hall High School.

IMG Academy Blue is the second varsity team of the renowned football academy in Florida. They play against the bottom 250 ranked teams in the state of Florida. Erasmus Hall High School is a Brooklyn-based, public-school football powerhouse that has won the last four PSAL championships.

Since its inception in 2019, the NFL Academy has swept its way through Europe with comfortable wins over some of the top academies on the continent. They have now, however, taken that to a new height with their first ever wins over North American opposition.

The first contest against the IMG Academy Blue took place on Friday, October 6 at Loughborough University, NFL Academy’s new base of operation. From the first snap, the NFL Academy dominated and were up 21–0 by halftime, a lead they protected despite a second half comeback by IMG. 

The second game took place on Tuesday, October 10 and was an absolute walkover. What made this win even more significant for the NFL Academy was that it took place at the famous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, named after the Premier League soccer team. Similar to the first game, the NFL Academy were up over their Brooklyn-based opponent 21–0 at the half but unlike the first game, they conceded not one point all game.

Neither IMG Academy Blue nor Erasmus Hall High School are top ranked teams in their respective states. But regardless, they are still teams who reside in a country where the sport is king. Both American schools ranking should not impact the significance of this win and it will only add to the program that boast over 125 D1 scholarship offers in their first four years of existence.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.