Sam Howell, famous as the quarterback for the Washington Commanders team in the American National Football League (NFL), has been wearing a helmet with the national flag engraved on it one after another in recent games, drawing attention to the reason and background.
On the 23rd (local time), Sporting News, a famous American sports media, reported in detail about the background, saying that attention is being focused on Sam wearing a helmet with the national flag on it while playing in a league game.
Sam is a Korean player whose paternal grandmother is Korean. Sam, who has always emphasized his belief that he is proud of his identity as a Korean, is competing in games wearing a helmet with the Korean national flag in accordance with recently changed regulations.
Sam, from Waynesville, North Carolina, was scouted as a scholarship student at the University of North Carolina and emerged as a promising player, playing since his freshman year as a True Freshman. After completing his junior year, he entered last year’s NFL draft and was drafted in the 5th round by his current team, the Washington Commanders.
Sam’s grandmother, who is attracting attention for her various performances in the NFL, is Korean grandmother Han (Korean name Park Han-bun) and British grandfather Bruce Howell, who met and married in Korea in 1960 when Bruce was a U.S. soldier stationed in Korea.
Afterwards, they settled in North Carolina and had a son, Duke Howell. Duke Howell gave birth to Sam in 2000 with his wife, Amy.
Unfortunately, his grandfather Bruce passed away when Sam was young. In order to raise his children alone, Han worked at various jobs, including at a laundromat, a restaurant, and a retail store, and his love for his family was just as special.
It is said that he had a very deep religious faith, attended a Korean church diligently, and was active in volunteer work.
Sam recalled his memories with his grandmother, saying, “I always loved bringing family and people together, and there was always Korean food at home.”
In particular, it is known that Sam’s grandmother had a special love for her grandson, to the point where she cheered at almost all of her grandson’s football games during his high school and college years at the stadium.
Sam has never forgotten that his grandmother came to cheer him on at every game. “(Her grandmother) watched all of my games from high school to college,” he said.
Sam’s father, Duke, is also known to have been closely involved in Sam’s development as a quarterback, as he served as his son’s offensive coordinator during high school.
Sam Howell is famous as a Korean American football player. Captured from X (old Twitter) on the 24th◇Reminiscing about my grandmother and special affection for Korean culture
Sam said that after his grandmother passed away in November of last year, it became an opportunity for him to become more interested in the Korean culture where his grandmother lived.
He said that it was a “great strength” that connected him with his grandmother, “because my grandmother told me about it (when she was alive).”
Sam reiterated, “I’m very proud of my background and where I come from, and I think that’s a cool part of me that I want people to know.”
In addition to Sam, Korean players in the NFL include Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Atlanta Falcons player Younghoe Koo, Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, and Denver Broncos guard Luke Wattenberg.
Last month, the NFL allowed players to wear decorations that reveal their identity in order to respect the diverse nationalities and cultures of the league’s players.
The NFL said it hopes the policy will “celebrate the heritage, families and culture that make up the league” and demonstrate the scope of the sport’s growth.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.