LONDON -- There was a time when former decathlon great Daley Thompson, recognized as one of the world's great athletes, wondered aloud about his chances of making a National Football League roster.
After all, he had speed, size, strength and agility.
But with no formal training, Thompson's daydream turned into just that -- an unfulfilled fantasy.
But with the World League of American Football coming to Europe, league organizers announced a unique plan Friday to recruit raw, talented athletes from the host nations and teach them the fundamentals of football.
'The World League is firmly committed to the globalization of American football,' said Joe Bailey, the league's vice president and chief operating officer. 'In order to gain acceptance as a sport in Europe, we must launch a long-term program that will develop national players into the World League's stars of the future.'
John Ralston, former coach of the Denver Broncos and the Soviet Union's first semi-pro team in Moscow, was named by the WLAF to head the 'Operation Discovery' program and will set out across Europe to scout top athletes in sports such as basketball, track and field, wrestling, weightlifting and rugby.
'We will be looking for outstanding athletes with speed, strength and other physical requisites to compete at the top level of American football,' said Jerry Vainisi, the WLAF's vice president of football management. 'These prospects may or may not have any previous American football experience. They will enroll in the program with the intent to learn more about the game through practicing with the active squad.'
The international players will be placed on a 'developmental squad' and will not be counted against the team's active roster.
