First Dane in 37 years selected in NFL draft
In 1982 Morten Andersen became the first Dane to be drafted to the NFL. He later went on to be one of the most prolific kickers in league history, racking up a number of records and eventually being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Tonight, 37 years later, Hjalte Froholdt became just the second Dane ever drafted to the NFL as he was selected by the reigning Super Bowl champs New England Patriots in the fourth round as the 118th overall pick.
“It’s extremely unrealistic [to make the NFL]. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time, one that really came to reality a couple of years ago when I thought I could do this. But I’m so excited and thankful for this opportunity. It still hasn’t really hit me yet. But I’m really grateful,” Froholdt told CBS Boston.
READ MORE: Gridiron glory: NFL beckons for Danish US football talents
Patriots for their Patriot
Froholdt, a 139-kilo offensive guard out of the University of Arkansas, was highly recruited after high school, despite limited time on the gridiron field. He didn’t play properly until he was a sophomore in high school in the US on exchange.
Now, he will be lining up to protect legendary quarterback Tom Brady, who is just fresh off his sixth Super Bowl title last season.
Another Dane on Sundays. It doesn’t happen very often. It’s not a stretch to say that the Patriots fan base in Denmark just increased about 10,000 percent tonight.