Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!? The Jackfroot staff is, and here’s a little guide to some Asian American players you should keep an eye out for throughout the season.
Troy Polamalu – Safety – Pittsburgh Steelers
Troy Polamalu is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, safety in the National Football League and is truly the heart of the Steelers defense. With his trademark locks and aggressive style defense, he is definitely a player to look out for this season. Anytime they have Polamalu on their defense, the Steelers will always have a chance at the making it to the Superbowl.
Hines Ward – Wide Receiver – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers don’t just have Asian blood on their defense, but also on offense thanks to wide receiver Hines Ward. Half-Korean and Half-African American, Ward is a true veteran that still has the moves and knowledge to make him a threat on offense. Though his stats have declined throughout the years, he still remains a threat in the end zone and is a player that Ben Roethlisberger can depend on during clutch situations.
Haruki Nakamura – Safety – Baltimore Ravens
Another player to look out for this season is Raven’s safety Haruki Nakamura. This Japanese-American football player is already being known for his toughness and hard hits when on the field. That type of style is a must when you have Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed as your teammates. Nakamura has earned the respect from his team and players throughout the NFL and is a player you should keep your eye on this season.
Patrick Chung – Safety – New England Patriots
There’s no question that the New England Patriots have a great offense led by All-Pro Tom Brady, but let’s not overlook their defense that features Asian American player Patrick Chung. Chung is half-Chinese and half-Jamaican and is a rising star in the NFL. His style of defense has allowed the Patriots to put teams away without turning it into a shootout. Keep your eyes out for Chung this year because we expect great things from him.
Steve Slaton – Running Back – Houston Texans
Even though Arian Foster has taken over the main running back duties for the Texas, don’t count out Slaton just yet. The African-Filipino American running back was the star in Texas before Foster came along and still has the juice to be productive and effective for the Texans. His style and work ethic are things that can’t be taught and we look forward to Slaton having a good year.
Ed Wang – Left Tackle – Buffalo Bills
Wang is the first ever Chinese-American football player in NFL history and has a lot of work ahead of him. He is currently listed as the starting left tackle for the Bills and he’s going to be up against a lot of competition this year. His performance will be very vital to the success of the Bills passing game as he protects Ryan Fitzpatrick’s blindside. We do see that Wang is fully capable of holding his own and we look forward to watching him progress as the year goes by.
