The British Secret Weapon Challenging the "Hardest Position in Sport"—Will He Succeed?
At just 21, Sam Fenton has already shattered expectations and boundaries, becoming the first British quarterback to secure a spot on a Division One college football team in the U.S.—a remarkable feat, especially considering he only picked up the sport seven years ago. Imagine stumbling upon American football through a documentary and thinking, “This can’t be real,” only to dive headfirst into a hard-nosed grind that now defines your life. That’s Sam’s story, a Londoner chasing the elusive dream of making it big in the States, facing the colossal challenge of mastering a position considered the hardest in sports. The next steps? Refining his craft at the University of South Florida, battling for the starting role, and ultimately earning his place in the NFL draft. It’s a journey packed with pressure, promise, and a whole lot of lessons—both on and off the field. LEARN MORE
This summer, 21-year-old Sam Fenton became the first British player to join a Division One college team in the United States as a quarterback.
Given he only began playing the sport seven years ago, his journey to the elite level of US college sport is remarkable.
Fenton got his first glimpse of American football watching a docuseries and confessed the sport “didn’t seem real” to him.
But the Londoner was intrigued enough to take up a game that has now become the central part of his life as he pursues a professional career in America.
If leaving home was hard, the next challenge will be even tougher – carry on learning his craft, win a starting spot at the University of South Florida (USF) and impress enough in his time at college to be selected by an NFL team in the yearly draft.
“This is the hardest position in sports, that’s what I believe,” Fenton told BBC Sport.
“The pressure’s what I love. If you win, you get all the glory. If you lose, everyone blames it on you because you’re the main guy.”
‘Win or lose, you’re front and centre’
The quarterback is the central player in an American football team. Almost every attacking play, with the exception of kicking and punting, goes through them.
They are the creative heartbeat, with 17 of the past 20 Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards – given to the NFL player of the season – won by players in that role.
And 14 of the past 20 winners of the Super Bowl MVP were the signal callers on the winning team.
Two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning said quarterback was such a difficult role to perform because “you have to know everyone else’s job just as well as your own”.
“Win or lose, you are going to be front and centre. You have to give credit when it’s good, you have to take the blame when it’s bad,” the five-time NFL MVP told the Netflix documentary Quarterback.
“When you finish high school and you finish college, you kind of say, ‘OK, now no more homework’. And for a quarterback, the homework is just beginning. You have to know not just your assignment, [but] 10 other guys’ assignments as well.”
‘You’ve got to put the hours in when nobody’s watching’
This is something Fenton has already grown accustomed to at USF.
Part of the roster for the South Florida Bulls, the freshman’s schedule stretches from 5am to 10pm every day to accommodate training, classes and studying.
The very best college players will earn their opportunity to play at the top level in the NFL through the draft, but that is not yet a focus for Fenton as he is only beginning his journey at USF.
He said: “You’ve got to love this game and you’ve got to put the hours behind when nobody’s watching. When you’re going over film, going over playbooks, to make sure that when you go on the field you don’t have any missed assignments, everything is flowing through your brain and you’re able to process the game at high speed.”
Fenton, who is 6ft 6in (198cm) tall, grew up playing as a goalkeeper in the youth sides for the Metropolitan Police in Surrey, and playing tennis in Surbiton.
A key facet of his football game had been throwing the ball out beyond the halfway line to launch quick counter-attacks for his team-mates, so moving across to playing quarterback was a natural fit.
He first began playing for Cobham Cougars in Surrey, before joining the NFL Academy, a UK-based programme set up by the NFL and designed to find and develop the finest talent in Europe and Africa.
The academy has had several alumni play for collegiate Division One teams, including 25 this season, but never before at quarterback.
‘I’ll take each day as it comes’
Competition for Fenton is fierce at South Florida, with starting quarterback Byrum Brown in his senior year, graduate Gaston Moore brought in from Tennessee this summer, while there is also fellow freshman Locklan Hewlett to compete with for the jersey.
The Bulls play at the Raymond James Stadium, which hosted Super Bowl LV – when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium four years ago.
Fenton hoped his opportunity to run out for the Bulls at the famous stadium will come soon, but he is focused on improving and learning each day.
“Right now, I’m just trying to keep my head down and develop as a player,” he added.
“It’s a massive step up for me to come over here and it’s definitely been a steep learning curve to learn everything and absorb all that the coaches are saying.
“So to develop and get better and to have an elite process. I’ll take each day as it comes and see what the future holds.”
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