Harry Kane, the England men's football captain, has long been fascinated by the NFL and has even mentioned that he dreams of becoming an American football kicker. The 32-year-old striker has always been drawn to the sport, citing Tom Brady as one of his biggest inspirations. After a conversation with football writer Henry Winter last September, Kane revealed that he believes he could succeed in the NFL within three years.
Winter stated that if Kane were to focus on training and practice, he would have a good chance of becoming an NFL kicker. The former Austria footballer Toni Fritsch is often cited as an example of someone who successfully made the transition from football to the NFL. After Pete Gogolak introduced football-style kicking to the league in the 1960s, Fritsch quit his football career at the age of 26 to pursue a career with the Dallas Cowboys.
Other notable examples include Garo Yepremian, Morten Andersen, Jan Stenerud, Toni Linhart, and Neil O'Donoghue, who all became NFL kickers after playing football in Europe. The fact that current NFL kickers Brandon Aubrey (Dallas Cowboys), Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs), and Cairo Santos (Chicago Bears) have all played football suggests that Kane's chances of success are not insignificant.
Kane believes he has an advantage over younger players, citing his experience with penalty kicks as a key factor. He has scored 93 out of 105 penalties in his senior career and only missed one since his World Cup miss against France in December 2022.
The former Tottenham striker has been open about his desire to try his hand at the NFL, but he faces significant competition for a spot on an NFL team. Punters are responsible for holding the ball in place for kickers, and having a bad hold can be disastrous. As Dustin Colquitt, who helped train Kane, noted: "The guy that holds for those field goals, that is extremely important – knowing where the laces [on the ball] are, if you've got wind."
As Kane prepares to sign an extension with Bayern Munich in 2027, just before his 34th birthday, many believe it's only a matter of time before he takes the leap and becomes the first English footballer to play in the NFL.
Winter stated that if Kane were to focus on training and practice, he would have a good chance of becoming an NFL kicker. The former Austria footballer Toni Fritsch is often cited as an example of someone who successfully made the transition from football to the NFL. After Pete Gogolak introduced football-style kicking to the league in the 1960s, Fritsch quit his football career at the age of 26 to pursue a career with the Dallas Cowboys.
Other notable examples include Garo Yepremian, Morten Andersen, Jan Stenerud, Toni Linhart, and Neil O'Donoghue, who all became NFL kickers after playing football in Europe. The fact that current NFL kickers Brandon Aubrey (Dallas Cowboys), Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs), and Cairo Santos (Chicago Bears) have all played football suggests that Kane's chances of success are not insignificant.
Kane believes he has an advantage over younger players, citing his experience with penalty kicks as a key factor. He has scored 93 out of 105 penalties in his senior career and only missed one since his World Cup miss against France in December 2022.
The former Tottenham striker has been open about his desire to try his hand at the NFL, but he faces significant competition for a spot on an NFL team. Punters are responsible for holding the ball in place for kickers, and having a bad hold can be disastrous. As Dustin Colquitt, who helped train Kane, noted: "The guy that holds for those field goals, that is extremely important – knowing where the laces [on the ball] are, if you've got wind."
As Kane prepares to sign an extension with Bayern Munich in 2027, just before his 34th birthday, many believe it's only a matter of time before he takes the leap and becomes the first English footballer to play in the NFL.
he's been talkin about this for ages and now people think he's got a shot at makin it 
93% penalty kicks is crazy, that's like a pro or somethin 
but yeah it's gonna be tough gettin in the league, gotta prove yerself 
I'm so stoked to see Harry Kane going for the American Football dream!!! 
He's got the skills, defo has! 93 out of 105 penalties is insane 
and it'd be lit if he became an NFL kicker 
. But, gotta be real, it won't be easy 
. The competition is fierce and one wrong hold can be a disaster 
. But Kane's got the brains & brawn, I'm all for him taking the leap! He's been inspired by Tom Brady, who knows? Maybe he'll be the next big thing 
. Only time will tell, but I'd pay to see him on the gridiron 
Can you imagine watching Harry Kane in an NFL game? 
I'd totally be hyped! 
Let's get this man to the NFL already! 
. What's next, is he gonna try his hand at being a Hollywood actor too? 
. Most of them are guys like Toni Fritsch who just quit their day job to chase a dream. I'm not saying Kane shouldn't chase his dreams, but he needs to be realistic about what he can achieve 
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️. And let's not forget about the athleticism required to play NFL football – it's not just about kicking a ball, you need to be able to run, cut, and catch too 
. I'm not saying Kane can't do it, but three years is a pretty tight timeline 
. Maybe he can train with some of these NFL kickers to learn their techniques 
. Wouldn't be surprised if we see him on an NFL field within the next few years though 
️!
. Either way, it's gonna be interesting to watch and see how he handles it! 
. and can we talk about how crazy it is that Kane's got an advantage over younger players just because of his experience? 
. Moreover, Kane's size and position as a striker might make it harder for him to adapt to the more specialized role of an NFL kicker 
. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense – he's already got experience with high-pressure situations and can handle the physicality of football (and potentially American football too 
But seriously, have you seen his penalty kick stats? 93/105 ain't bad at all! 
Kane's got the accuracy and composure, so it's not entirely impossible that he could pick up an NFL kicker role in a few years' time... but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet 
. But seriously, it'd be awesome to see him take on the challenge. Who knows, maybe we'll see him kicking field goals in no time