I first discovered American football in the most unlikely way — through a Sunday morning TV show. Back in the ’80s there was a programme called Wake Up London on LWT. One week they covered American football, and I was instantly hooked. If you wanted more info, you had to send in a self-addressed envelope and wait. When the reply came, it told me the closest team was the Merton Admirals in Mitcham.
I was too young to play kitted football, but I still hung around. The players threw the ball around with me, taught me a few things, and I even worked as a ball boy on game days. Eventually, one of them mentioned the Streatham Olympians, who had a junior team. A few weeks later I turned up at Streatham Common — just before they moved to Crystal Palace — and that’s where I really started training.
Why football? Honestly, I used to get picked on at school. After seeing those huge players on TV, I decided I wanted to use football to get big, so I could get everyone back! It just so happened I was actually quite good at it.
I remember watching Super Bowl XX in 1985 — the Bears against the Patriots — and then the following year my brother took me to my first live NFL game at Wembley: Bears vs Cowboys in 1986. After that, there was no turning back. I was completely hooked.
Finding the Heathrow Jets
My path to the Heathrow Jets came through a setback. While I was still with the Olympians, one of the coaches told me they didn’t think they’d have much use for me. Obviously, that hurt. But I’d seen an advert for the Jets in First Down newspaper, and when I reached out, Glen and Linda Purdy were so welcoming to me and my mum. When I arrived, the whole team was warm and family-orientated. Straight away, I knew this was where I wanted to be.
I still remember my very first practice. I lied about my age because I was desperate to play kitted football but was too young. I managed a few weeks before I had to admit the truth when it came time to register. But those few weeks of extra contact football made a massive difference to my development later on.
I’ll also never forget the journey there — 12 years old, travelling alone from Tooting to Feltham. It felt daunting at the time, but it was all part of the adventure.
Playing and Growing
I started out as a wide receiver, because I was fast. The following season I’d bulked up and switched to tight end and defensive end. Once I moved into full kitted football, I found my main positions as a running back and safety.
What made the Jets so successful was the family atmosphere. The coaches and parents looked after us, put us up in their homes, fed us, made sure we were okay. As players, we stuck together on and off the field. We studied game film — not realising at the time how much we were learning — and we had that underdog mentality. Nobody rated us, but we went undefeated and won championships in our first couple of seasons.
There were so many coaches who influenced me — Wesley and Richard Peppiatt (RIP), Matt Tuck (RIP), Ian Tiller, Jeremy Pendlebury, Brian Smallworth, Kevin and Troy (I can’t remember their surnames). As for teammates, everyone had an impact on me in some way, but I especially looked up to Mark Thompson, Stuart Smith, and Rod Hamlin — even if they didn’t know it at the time.
Training was tough, but fun. The coaches had a way of getting the best out of us. The only time I remember feeling nervous was our first kitted game against the London Capitals. I took my first really big hit that day — shoutout to Wale for that one!
Championships and Wembley
Of all the finals I played in, the 1993 Junior Final against Southend Sabres sticks out. We lost badly, but I won MVP. Every final was memorable for different reasons, but that one meant something personal to me.
The absolute highlight, though, was being part of the first British team to play at Wembley Stadium before an NFL preseason game. That was an experience money couldn’t buy. Just three years earlier I’d been in the stands watching the Bears and Patriots on that very field — and suddenly I was playing on it, aged 12.
We even got to meet the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles in the build-up, and from then on I became a Browns fan.
The excitement on the day was incredible. Even the adults were buzzing. We travelled from Feltham to Wembley on a double decker bus, singing and laughing, but as we got closer, it went quiet. The nerves kicked in when we walked out of the tunnel, talking about all the legends who had walked those same steps. Some of the Eagles and Browns players even wished us good luck as we went out.
The games themselves were hard-fought. One ended 2–0 after a last-play safety, the other 6–0 — again on the final play. Both came right down to the wire.
Lessons from Football
Looking back, youth football in the ’80s and ’90s was a lot simpler, with less ego but more organisation. Teams had proper sponsorship and structure. By the later years, the game felt faster, but because I’d learned so much, I could still keep up using different skills and knowledge.
The Jets shaped my life outside football more than I can ever explain. The biggest lesson was discipline. I learned to eat properly, train consistently, and stay focused. My life would have been very different without football — it gave me nothing but positives.
Towards the end of my Jets career, a few of us had the chance of scholarships at Graceland College in the States. It didn’t work out, and to be honest I don’t like talking about it much, because it brings up memories I’d rather leave behind. I fell into depression and missed a couple of seasons. Eventually, I played for the Olympians, who were competing in Europe, but I do regret not chasing opportunities abroad harder.
Even so, I’ve never left the sport. Since 1986 I’ve always been involved — playing, coaching, or contributing in some way. I still try to keep in touch with old teammates too. Life moves on, but those bonds are special.
Looking Back and Advice
Those days with the Jets were some of the happiest of my life. The friendships, the memories, the lessons — all priceless.
If I had to give advice to today’s young players, it would be this: what you do off the field is just as important as what you do on it. Put in the work in your own time — training, learning schemes and playbooks, and keeping your grades up if you want to go further. Don’t let anyone else define your limits. Be disciplined, resilient, and open to learning, because football teaches you far more than just the game itself.
If I had to sum up my Jets experience in one line?
Life changing. I would probably have stopped playing if I hadn’t found them.