A young soccer player from a small village in Southwest Germany is bored on the Internet, and after clicking through a few YouTube videos, discovers an entirely new sport played by guys in helmets hitting each other.
One of the NFL Draft’s best athletes is a German who just learned about football on YouTube
Wide receiver Moritz Boehringer would’ve been one of the NFL Combine’s biggest stars, and now he’s one of the draft’s most fascinating prospects.
Since he’s pretty athletic, he gives it a shot on a local rec team. Four years later, he’s as a potential pick in the NFL Draft.
Meet Moritz Boehringer, a 6’4, 224-pound wide receiver for the German Football League’s Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. In 2015, Boehringer put up video game numbers -- 1,232 yards and 13 touchdowns on 59 receptions -- but was unknown to pro scouts until a series of connections with European-born American players brought his tape to American agent Kyle Strongin, who arranged for him to participate at Florida Atlantic’s pro day in March.
Boehringer went from videotape freak to legitimate Draft material in one afternoon in Boca Raton.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, per NFL.com, which would’ve ranked third among receivers at this year’s NFL Combine. His reported 39-inch vertical, 10’11 broad jump, 17 bench press reps, 4.1-second 20-yard shuttle, and 6.65-second three-cone drill would’ve all ranked among the top five at his position.
Now he’s on a nonstop tour of meetings with NFL personnel before April’s Draft. Multiple scouts have told SB Nation he could be a Day 3 pick, just a thousand or so days after he discovered the concept of American tackle football on the sidebar of a web site.
SB Nation spoke with Boehringer, who’s training in Florida for the NFL Draft.
What’s your first memory of American football?
It was a highlight tape of Adrian Peterson. It was a recommendation on YouTube. Just on the side, because of something I had watched, maybe? I just clicked on it.
How old were you?
Probably 17. I’m not sure now.
What was your reaction when you saw it?
Just ‘Wow,’ and ‘What kind of sport is this?’
What made you think you could play?
When I started to compare my stats. The 40, the verticals, to the Combine guys. I saw that some guys were pretty much the same as me.
Do you remember the first time you saw a full football game?
Maybe three or four years ago? I think it was the Super Bowl, because we never had a chance to watch anything else in Germany on free TV. Now we have one or two games on Sundays.
So I’m assuming you didn’t have a favorite NFL team.
I liked the Vikings because of Adrian Peterson at that time, but I didn’t see many games of theirs.
How did you learn more about American football?
I went on the Internet and searched for a team that was close. I found one in my home town, but it only had seven players, so we couldn’t play.
Just seven players on the whole team?
Yeah.
What did you do with just seven players?
We could only practice. A little tackling, and we would throw the ball around.
When did you know when you wanted to play receiver?
When they asked me if I wanted to play quarterback, and I knew I didn’t want to.
Why not play quarterback? That’s an important position.
It’s a boring position in my eyes. I’d rather be running around.
What about any defense?
I’ve played safety and corner a little bit.
How long have you been in the U.S. training?
It’s been about five weeks now.
Does your family back home know the magnitude of what’s about to happen to you?
I’m not sure if they know the whole … amount of it? But my dad watches NFL games sometime, and they know what the NFL is, so they kind of know what’s about to happen.
Is there an NFL player you think you play like? That you would compare yourself to?
From a physical standpoint, Mike Evans.
Is there a particular offensive system that you like?
No, just any offense that wants to throw the ball.
Do you think that you’d make a better wide receiver or tight end?
I play wide receiver more, but you never know. Maybe they would want me at tight end, so maybe.
Who do you think is the best wide receiver in the NFL right now?
Hard question. Maybe Julio Jones or Antonio Brown.
What’s your schedule like right now?
Tomorrow I have another workout for coaches, some coaches. I’m actually not sure who right now. I’m doing a lot of workouts.
What was the pro day like? That’s when America seemed to start noticing you.
I did all the drills pretty well. I had done them all before, but I had never done them all in one day. But I’m glad it worked out well.
You’re currently in Florida with some other European football players. What are you doing right now when you aren’t working on football?
We are playing a lot of FIFA.
Who’s your team on FIFA?
Everton, because of [Belgium-born] Romelu Lukaku.
A lot of people in the United States will probably be surprised that a football player as talented as you are came from Germany. Are there more players like yourself back home?
Over the last few years, the sport has definitely got bigger. Last year, there were games shown on free TV in Germany. That has a big part. There are more people playing.
Are you worried about the physicality of the NFL? It’s obviously going to be a different level of talent than the German league you were playing in.
[laughs] No. Right now I am not worried. Maybe after the first game? Maybe.
What’s the strangest thing about all this for you?
Just that it has happened so fast. In the five weeks that I have come here, that everything has changed.
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