This year’s NFL Draft took place in Detroit, Michigan. For the first time, VfB Stuttgart was also involved, with brand ambassador Cacau being hooked up live. In the fifth round of the draft, the former Germany international announced the selection of JD Bertrand for the Atlanta Falcons as the 143rd overall pick. He was assisted by flag football players from Stuttgart.
Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia, is the American home of Stuttgart-based companies and VfB partners Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. The Falcons, who took part in the Super Bowl in 1998 and 2016, have been active in the German market since May 2023 and support schools in organising flag football events, for example. As the sport is also becoming increasingly popular in Stuttgart, the Falcons have now joined forces with VfB.
A school class of 15 and two teachers were invited to the MHPArena for the announcement of the draft result. After a tour of the stadium, the young American football enthusiasts met VfB mascot Fritzle and, together with Cacau, announced the selection of JD Bertrand via a live video link to Atlanta. The group then watched VfB’s Bundesliga away match at Bayer Leverkusen.
The drafts in the US professional leagues are considered highlights for fans of the respective sports. Year after year, club owners’ decisions on which players to draft into their teams generate excitement and euphoria among fans. Hundreds of thousands of fans flock to the annual draft events, including last weekend, when Detroit hosted the event for the first time. At the three-day event in downtown Detroit, the organisers counted over 750,000 visitors on site and over 50 million viewers on their devices, making the 2024 draft the most watched in the history of the NFL.