By Hunter Murphy, Political Science senior

Hunter Murphy was one of 15 students who participated in the Globalizing American Sports study-abroad program from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, held Nov. 1-6, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. To read other stories from the program, visit here.

The NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany, gave me the opportunity to experience my first-ever study-abroad trip. This trip also allowed me to hop on a plane for only the second time in my life and experience leaving the country for the first time. It is safe to say I had no idea what to expect from this program. However, I was fully prepared to try it and embrace the uncomfortableness I might have with it. 

Luckily, I was able to fly with four classmates and friends, Miguel Molina, Dylan Meyer, Jamie Goldman and Brooke Ginaitt. Having them around to go through the process of the airports and customs made everything so relieving and fun. On the long flight, I was able to keep myself entertained with the free movies the airline provided and a couple of books.

The Sights and Sounds

When we arrived in Frankfurt, we were treated to a bus tour around the whole city. Throughout our ride, we learned about many different aspects of the city. Frankfurt is a huge banking city so the buildings towered over us and we would see everyone in business clothing. We learned about the different aspects of the city and how they even related to World War II. 

Personally, there was one place within Frankfurt that stood out the most for me: the Goethe university. During WWII, the buildings were used as labs and then were used to station troops for the U.S after the war. Now, with the same buildings intact, it is a place where young adults go to learn. 

As a group, we also were able to visit the longest-standing village in Germany that had not been bombed during the war, Heidelberg. This place included small shops and even a castle to tour along with churches and another school. There was so much history in a single place.

Additionally, we visited the Olympic Governing Body in Germany (DOSB) and the local newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which is one of the two leading newspapers in the country. We had amazing guest speakers who gave great insight into what they do and what goes into having the NFL shown in Germany. They were also gracious enough to allow us to ask questions and have a conversation with them.

The NFL’s Influence

Even while visiting all the historic places, seeing how the NFL has implemented itself was interesting. The league plastered advertisements all over the city, and people were representing all kinds of football teams while walking around. It showed me how even in a place with a different culture than us, the NFL is bringing everyone together thanks to the love of American football.

When it came to the game, I was able to work with my amazing project partner Marisa Braverman. We explored how the NFL was marketing and advertising these Frankfurt games.

This is a trip that I will never forget and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity. The friendships and lessons I learned are irreplaceable and I’m excited to further tell my experience to future students so that they might one day participate in a study abroad like this one!

Posted: December 18, 2023
Category: CJC in Frankfurt, Sports, Study Abroad Projects
Tagged as: Football, Globalizing American Sports, Nfl, NFLFrankfurt, sports, Sports@CJC, Study Abroad, Study Abroad experience