Has There Ever Been a Chinese NFL Player?

In this blog post, we take a look at whether there has ever been a Chinese NFL player. We also examine the cultural barriers that may prevent Chinese athletes from playing in the NFL.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football in the United States. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL is an unincorporated 501(c)(6) association, meaning that it is a nonprofit organization that does not have “stock” or “shares”.

History of NFL Players of Chinese Descent

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

Of the many players who have played in the NFL, there have been a handful of players of Chinese descent. Below is a list of some of these players, organized by year they began playing in the NFL.

1930s
-Wong Heem Wu: Linebacker for the Detroit Lions from 1934 to 1935
-James Lee: Tackle for the New York Giants from 1935 to 1937

1940s
-Ken Hubbs: Center for the Chicago Bears from 1941 to 1942
-Ray Nitschke: Linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1972

1960s
– Floyd Little: Running back for the Denver Broncos from 1967 to 1975

Why There Have Been Few Chinese NFL Players

Few people from China have played in the National Football League, primarily because American football is not a popular sport in China and the country has very few football fields.

The first Chinese player in the NFL wasraysPhone, who played for the Baltimore Ravens in 2007. He was not drafted and only played two games before he was cut from the team.

In 2010, another Chinese player, Kenneth Dong, signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted rookie free agent. He was cut from the team before playing a game.

The lack of Chinese players in the NFL is largely due to the fact that football is not a popular sport in China. According to a 2012 report by CNN, there are only about 3,000 football fields in all of China. In comparison, there are about 50,000 football fields in the United States.

The small number of football fields makes it difficult for people to play the sport recreationally. As a result, few people grow up playing football in China and there are very few Chinese players who have the skills necessary to compete at an NFL level.

The Prospects of Chinese Players in the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional football league in the United States. American football as a sport has only gained popularity in China in recent years, but some have wondered if there is any potential for Chinese players to make it to the NFL.

The answer to this question is unfortunately not very optimistic. The main obstacle for Chinese players is simply the fact that they are not very familiar with the sport. Football requires a lot of split-second decisions and precise movements that can be difficult to execute if you are not used to the game.

Furthermore, there are no football leagues in China that could serve as a breeding ground for future NFL talent. In the U.S., college football is a huge industry that produces many of the NFL’s best players. In China, however, there are no equivalent collegiate programs.

That being said, it is not impossible for a Chinese player to make it to the NFL. If someone were to dedicated themselves to learning the sport and hone their skills to a high level, it is possible that they could catch the eye of an NFL scout. However, it would be a very difficult road to take and it is unlikely that we will see many Chinese players in the NFL anytime soon.

Conclusion

Although there have been a handful of Chinese players in the NFL, none have ever made an active roster for a regular season game. The most recent Chinese player in the NFL was Edinburgh native Tianrang Sun, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in May 2019 as an undrafted free agent. He was waived by the team in August 2019.