LF7 wants to seize London stardom

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This game is between the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars, a matchup that will be streamed globally by Yahoo Sports (9:30 a.m. ET). The NFL’s International Series is 10 years old, and the crowd that comes to games in London (four of them this season) is often general fans of the league, not the specific teams that are playing. They come to see the sport in person, regardless of who is playing. They show their NFL fandom by wearing whatever jersey they have bought, Brady and Beckham more often than anyone else, but with Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers getting plenty of love. It’s somewhat akin to an American kid wearing a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo kit to a soccer game in the States. It makes sense even if it doesn’t.

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London doesn’t have a home team and it certainly doesn’t have a home star. It has the Jaguars though, who have tried to create a foothold by making London a second home of sorts. The franchise has played one game annually there since 2013 and is contracted to continue through 2020. Team owner Shad Khan said he hopes to extend that even longer. Yet the Jags have never had one of their players connect with the English the way a pseudo “home team” star could. That’s mainly because they’ve had almost no one worth cheering for, a collection of mostly dull players on bad teams. Heading into this season, they won a meager 15 games combined since playing in London.

Enter Leonard Fournette.

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Jacksonville’s big rookie running back has the potential to not just transform the franchise (it’s 1-1 this season) but also give the Jaguars the kind of easy-to-root-for-star in their home away from home. At least that’s the plan. “Most definitely,” Fournette said. “If I give them a show, I think they are going to want my jersey. I might be the biggest player there.”

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The possibilities with Fournette are so great that the Jaguars spent the fourth overall pick on him despite the league generally being repulsed at drafting running backs that high. Coincidentally it was the same spot Dallas took Ezekiel Elliott the year before. While Fournette won’t run behind an offensive line as strong as the Cowboys, the expectations are similar. These are two old-school franchise running backs. For marketing purposes, much like Brady (who wins and wins) and Beckham (who catches acrobatic passes with one hand) Fournette’s game is the kind young fans want to emulate. “I’m a playmaker,” Fournette said. “A north-south runner who can make people miss but also run through people. I can give them a show.”

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