The Bearded Twits talk ball with The UK Dukes
- Mar 31, 2018
- 5 min read
Over the course of the next few months, we will be doing a series of interviews with people and groups whom we consider to be at the forefront of influencing the UK fans by sharing their love for the game.
Today we talk to The UK Dukes who aim to show fans and non-fans of the game what can be done with an American football outside of a structured environment. They do this by having fun and setting one another challenges that are familiar to a UK audience like the crossbar challenge and different trick shots.
The UK Dukes are made up of Kenny, Phoebe Schecter, Austin Greenlee and Michael Reimal and we put a few questions to them to get an insight into how they think, work and most of all, influence the ever-growing UK audience.
Q. Why did you start The UK Dukes and who make up the team?
A. The UK Dukes was set up to show people what you can do with an American football outside of a structured environment. In my previous life as a primary school teacher and through my experience with coaching, I found that children I’d taught American football, didn’t know what to do with the football if it wasn’t a formal practice. We love the term ‘backyard moments’, which is when people see something you do and want to copy it in their backyards – this is our aim with every video. The team started with myself and Austin Greenlee who I met through work while he was at university. Wonder woman Phoebe Schecter and Philadelphia native Michael Reimel.
Q. How do you feel The UK Dukes can help bridge the gap between American Football and the rest of the UK?
A. The UK Dukes use familiar and achievable concepts like cross bar challenges and one-handed catches to make the sport more relate-able to the UK audience. Bringing it back to basics, where we all start, seems to remove the stigma of the complicated rules, long game, and lots of stop/starts. We are a bunch of ordinary, mostly-British 😉 people, with a passion that we want to share with everyone we can reach.
Q. What are your expectations for the sport in the UK with all the hard work the NFL and others are doing to drive interest?
A. The NFL is doing a great job of promoting American football to a largely new audience. They are working hard to increase viewership, education, and participation in the sport at grassroots level, to guarantee sustainability in the long term. The relationships that the NFL have made with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, bringing so many games to London, and true dedication to help create better humans on and off the field, are both hugely positive and point to a bright future for the sport.
Q. Did you play yourself, if so for who?
A. I started playing many moons ago with Birmingham Lions University program and since then have played for Birmingham Bulls, London Olympians, and Wembley Stallions. I also played in Finland for the Seinajoki Crocodiles and currently play for the Great Britain men’s flag football team.
Q. How do The UK Dukes get more kids playing American Football?
A. As well as trying to create videos that produce backyard moments, we also create/come up with a lot of challenges that look to engage our audience and get them out of the house to try things we do. Particularly, two of our most popular challenges are The Duke 8 Challenge and Selfie Catch Challenge… you will have to give them a go! Other than that, we are involved with multiple flag tournaments in the UK and US and will always engage with any and everyone who is up to learning how to complete our challenges or catches.
Q. We saw you recently broke a Guinness World Record! Could you tell us more about it and how it came about?
A. Yes, we broke the record for the farthest behind the back catch of an American football, previously held by Dude Perfect. The idea was to show that you don’t need to be a freakish athlete to do exceptional things in American football. Two of the points we always try to emphasise with American football is that it is the greatest team sport and there is always a role for everyone no matter your shape, size, gender or age.
Q. We have seen some of throws and catches, what inspires you?
A. FUN. Above all, fun! We spend a lot of time daydreaming and thinking of trick shots that others may think impossible. Hopefully these catches or shots inspire people to try things that might have otherwise seemed too difficult. Most importantly is that whatever it may be, you have fun and we hope our followers do the same.
Q. How many times does it take to actually get the shot?
A. This is one of the questions that we are quite often asked! The normal answer is that it’s not as many as you might think. Some shots do naturally take longer than others depending on the complexity, but we have hit a fair few on the first attempt!
Q. Phoebe, could you tell us a little about your time as an intern coach with the Buffalo Bills?
A. My internship with the Bills was unbelievable! I still think back on it and need to pinch myself. They opened their entire program to me and everyone from the players, to coaches and staff were brilliant in helping me in any way possible. I learnt so much in those weeks, that I hope to pass on to anyone who wants to talk ball.
Q. Do you have a favorite celebration, an NFL one?
A. Our personal celebrations change all the time from dance poses, to spiking the ball or just screaming like crazy. Right now we are in a regal bowing phase, but who knows what is next! In terms of NFL celebrations, we loved the candy dance by the Eagles on the way to their Super Bowl win! Randy Moss calling his agent and Terrell Owens signing the ball are also favorites of ours!
Q. What is your first memory of watching American Football?
A. My first memory of watching American football was Michael Vick highlights on YouTube, 14 years ago. He is the reason I stated playing, I like to think that we are built similarly from an athletic standpoint haha! It took a little longer to get into watching actual games, but Hines Ward at the Steelers, Chad Johnson at the Bengals and a young Larry Fitzgerald at the Cardinals, were some of those whose skills I admired early on.
Q. Who are you choosing to make it to the next Superbowl?
A. I think the Raiders make the Super Bowl this year, as long as everyone stays healthy. The additions of Jordy Nelson and Coach Gruden to an already stacked team, points to rings, for me!
Q. If you had to choose between a date with an NFL cheerleader or a trip to the Superbowl, which would you choose?
A. No offense to any cheerleaders, I am sure they are all lovely people, but after Michael Jackson, there is no greater show on Earth other than the Super Bowl… all day, every day!
If you want to follow The UK Dukes, you can do so by clicking on the links below.
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