Patrick Mahomes will serve as ambassador to new London football academy

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (and NFL MVP) Patrick Mahomes will be among the current and former NFL players who will be part of a new academy to encourage British students to learn about American football, and possibly play in the NCAA and NFL.

According to London newpaper The Evening Standard, the new academy — based at Barnet and Southgate College — will open in north London this September with about eighty students who will be selected in tryouts over the next few months.

They will study two-year full-time A-level or vocational BTEC and NVQ courses [which Americans would better recognize as Vo-Tech courses] as well as receiving around six hours intensive American football training a week. The students, aged 16 to 19, will also attend a number of “life skills” classes and get involved in community work.

Six American football coaches have been recruited to work full-time at the academy.

Mahomes — along with other NFL stars like Odell Beckham Jr., Juju Smith-Schuster, Jerry Rice, Jason Bell, Jay Ajayi, Osi Umenyiora and Efe Obada — will serve in “ambassadorial” roles, and will visit the school at least once a year. Ajayi and Umenyiora were born in Britain, and Obada grew up there.

Mahomes has no known British connection, but that might not last — at least according to friend-of-the-site Tom Martin of KCTV5.

Ajayi was present for the launch announcement at the NFL’s London office, and told the Standard it was about time for there to be an American equivalent to the British academy system that teaches football (what Americans would call “soccer”) to kids.

“It’s a crazy thing in my mind because knowing what the academy system means to kids in London in football,” Ajayi said. “Now to have an American football academy here for kids that are passionate about it and want to chase that dream is really important.”

It is not yet clear if no-look passes will be part of the school’s curriculum.

Kidding. Maybe.