This is not something you see every day. This year, the NFL Academy London will face off against a traditional Ohio High School power to kick off the high school football season. This year marks the third year in a row that the NFL and Nike have partnered up. The two host football and girl’s flag football games at the company headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
The previous two iterations of this game featured matchups of some of the best high school programs in the nation. Last year, Bishop Gorman (NV) beat Long Beach Poly (CA), 60-15, led by some of the top high school recruits in the state of Nevada. In the first matchup, DeSoto (TX) took down St. Augustin (LA), 35-10.
In the girl’s flag football matchups, Long Beach Poly (CA) beat Sierra (CA), 31-6, last year. In the first matchup, it was Robinson (FL) who took down Alonso (FL), 12-6)
This year, it’ll be one of Ohio’s premier high school programs taking on the NFL Academy London.
Ohio High School Powerhouse Faces NFL Academy London to Kick Season
Massillon Washington High School has been playing football since its first game in 1894. In 1932, Massillon graduate Paul Brown took over as coach and went on an 80-8-2 run before heading to Ohio State to win the Buckeyes’ first National Championship in 1942. Brown would then go on to found the Cleveland Browns and win three NFL Championships. Then, he founded the Cincinnati Bengals and coached and owned the team until 1975. Then, he stepped back as just owner until his death in 1991.
Massillon has the second most wins by a high school program in the country with 948. They were infamous in Ohio due to the fact that they won 24 state titles before 1970, before the OHSAA implemented playoffs. That drought ended this past year as the Tigers went a perfect 16-0 and took home the school’s first playoff-era state title.
In the national realm, Massillon has been recognized as the AP High School Football National Champions nine times – 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961.
Notable football alumni include:
- Andy Alleman, former Kansas City Chiefs player
- Paul Brown, former National Football League coach and executive. Co-founder of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns
- Earle Bruce, former college football coach
- Gareon Conley, former cornerback for the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders
- Shawn Crable, former linebacker for the New England Patriots
- Bill Edwards, former college and Detroit Lions head coach
- Homer Floyd, former halfback for the Edmonton Eskimos
- Dennis Franklin, former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions and first African American starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines
- Horace Gillom, former punter and offensive end for the Cleveland Browns
- Tommy Hannon, former safety for the Minnesota Vikings
- Lin Houston, former guard for the Cleveland Browns
- Don James, former coach of Kent State
- Tommy James, former defensive halfback for the Cleveland Browns
- Ed Molinski, 1939 Consensus All-American guard for Tennessee Volunteers
- Devin Smith, former wide receiver drafted by the New York Jets
- Chris Spielman (class of 1984), former player for Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns
- Harry Stuhldreher, quarterback, later one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame
- Stanfield Wells, tight end at the Michigan Wolverines
- Erik White, Quarterback at Bowling Green and 1991 & 1992 Mid-American Conference MVP
- George Whitfield Jr., former Arena Football League player
- Alex Wood (Class of 1974), college football and NFL coach
- Justin Zwick, former Ohio State quarterback
Massillon head coach Nate Moore released a statement:
“The Massillon Tigers are humbled and honored to be invited by our great partners at Nike to participate in this historic, international matchup against the NFL Academy from London, England,” Massillon head coach Nate Moore said in a statement. “To be able to play this game at Ronaldo Field at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon is an experience our players will remember for the rest of their lives. Thank you to Nike and the NFL for making this game a possibility.”
What is the NFL Academy London?
According to the NFL Academy website:
The NFL Academy is a major global initiative by the NFL and it aims to provide full-time high-school education alongside intensive training in American football under the guidance of a world class coaching staff. This is a key pillar in the NFL’s investment in global football development and creating pathways for international talent.
The NFL Academy was launched in May 2019, and was initially housed at Barnet and Southgate College in North London. The final trial for that first intake of students was held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with the stadium converted to ‘NFL mode’ for the very first time.
The program’s first game was in 2022 as they took on the Düsseldorf Panther. The Academy has faced off against a handful of European squads and has yet to be handed a loss on the gridiron.
After three European matchups, the NFL Academy London finally faced off against American opposition: IMG Academy. The American side handed the London squad its first loss, 26-14.
Last year, they faced off against IMG again and won, 31-15. In another matchup against an American team, NFL Academy London beat New York City Champions Erasmus Hall, 35-0.
All-time, the NFL Academy London holds a 17-1 record and is currently on a 14-game winning streak.
Since its inception, more than 40 students have secured college football scholarships in the U.S. with then more than 30 NFL Academy alumni will play college football in the 2024 – 2025 season, with 19 of those athletes playing in Division 1 college programs.
You can catch the Tigers on the NFL Network and on the NFL YouTube Channel on August 22 at 6:30 EDT.
