Let’s show London how America does football!
PublishedAugust 13, 2025 10:45 AM EDT•UpdatedAugust 13, 2025 10:45 AM EDT
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For reasons literally nobody can figure out, St. Thomas Aquinas – one of the many powerhouse high school football programs in the great state of Florida – is traveling over 4,000 miles for a game this season.
Don’t ask me why, but the Raiders will head to London to face “NFL Academy” in October, the team announced Tuesday. The game will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
First off – I had no idea London had what sounds like … a minor league high school football farm system? Who knew? Are they any good? They can’t be. There’s just no way.
But, I reckon we’ll find out on Oct. 8, when they welcome in the 16-time (!!!) state champs!
Times are certainly changing
Weird, right? Now, everyone is outraged this morning because of the whole Teddy Bridgewater comparison. Teddy, for those who don’t know, recently found himself in some hot water because he paid for Uber rides and meals for his Miami Northwestern football team last season.
That’s a big no-no when it comes to high school athletics, as dumb as it sounds. Teddy fled the scene and is now backing up Baker Mayfield in Tampa.
Here’s the big difference: Miami Northwestern is a public school. St. Thomas Aquinas is a private school. That means the money flows there like you wouldn’t believe. It’s essentially a small college. There’s a reason they’ve won a billion state titles over the years. All bets are off when you flip from public to private.
Anyway, back to this upcoming trip … it’s odd, right? Apparently, this ain’t the first time it’s happened, either. Hell, it’s not even the first time it’s happening … this year! Orlando Edgewater is set to play NFL Academy in a preseason game this week!
Last year, the Eagles defeated NFL Academy, 51-45, in this same game. IMG Academy has also traveled across the pond in recent years.
It seems unnecessary to me, but what do I know? Perhaps the only reason is to give the kids one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences? That has to be the only reason, right? Not sure a trip to London is gonna scratch that itch for a 17-year-old pulling guard, but maybe I’m wrong?
In any event, if you want in on the action, tuition to St. Thomas Aquinas is a measly $12k a year. Dig deep into those pockets, and let’s send the fellas over to the UK to show the Brits how it’s done between the hashes!