American football has become relatively popular in a handful of countries outside the United States, including Canada, Germany and Japan.

However, two offensive linemen from the University of Northern Colorado come from countries where the sport has not become so popular: Sweden and Syria.

Lucas Lavin grew up in Sweden and attended City College in San Francisco before moving to UNC. Krikour Koustanian lived in Syria until high school when they moved to the United States because of the war. He attended Pasadena Community College before joining the UNC program.

“I came two weeks after they offered me to continue my football career,” said Koustanian. “My parents did not know that football was a real thing until I received my scholarship. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s just playing a sport,’ and then they saw that I could pay for my education with it, live for myself, and saw the seriousness of it.

UNC recruited the two in 2020 when some players left other opportunities after Earnest Collins was released.

It meant a lot that the coaching staff would take a chance on them, especially since both were recovering from injuries.

Due to security protocols for COVID-19 that affected the roster, Lavin and Koustanian have seen the field in several games. UNC coach Ed McCaffrey said earlier that he appreciates all the players who have filled in, especially last minute. It is not an easy task, but they came out and did their best.

“I wanted to prove to them that they made good decisions,” Lavin said of his ability to play and recruit. “I just wanted to come here and bowl out … I was brought here to play so I have prepared every week. This was not unusual. I was ready to play, and it went well. ”

“They just bump into each other”

When it comes to football, Lavin and Koustanian are beginners, at least compared to some of their teammates.

Dylan McCaffrey obviously comes from a football family. That’s what Andrew Brister, son of Denver Broncos’ Bubby Brister, does. And there are, among others, RJ Potts, Komotay Koffie and Kassidy Woods.

Lavin did not play the sport until 10 years old, when another family started a league in their hometown.

Koustanian made his football debut during his first year of high school. He knew about football, but he knew nothing about it until he came to the United States

Although they do not have the same background as other players, they have embraced the sport and appreciate the opportunities it has given them.

In fact, Lavin said he has always been a “fat kid”, so other sports were not really designed for his physique. Being an offensive lineman, however, allows him to shoot and tackle opponents. That’s something he can do.

Now, for the second time, he started watching videos of the best football hits and tackles on YouTube when he was younger. These gave even more excitement about the sport.

“I was kind of like, ‘You know, this is cool. They just run into each other’s heads, says Lavin. “That was about what caught my (attention).”

Jimmy Collins, coach at City College San Francisco, said several international players have come through his program. He remembers Lavin fondly and noted that the first time they met was when Collins picked up Lavin from the airport.

From his first meeting, Collins was able to tell that Lavin was grateful for the opportunity to play at a higher level of competition, get an education and experience going to college in the United States.

That appreciation came through every day, Collins said, from how he worked and tried to be a good teammate. It was all about helping the program to be successful and promote togetherness over individual greatness.

“Some of the things I remember most about my time with him were the conversations we had in my office, where it was just me and him,” Collins said. “We talked about team dynamics, not offensive schedules or anything like that. Only things we could do to improve the camaraderie of our team or keep the positive things going on. ”

‘It has been refreshing’

Coming from another country and navigating American culture has been a challenge – from language barriers, understanding taxes and becoming more independent – but it has also provided a unique opportunity to help provide a deeper perspective to their teams.

Lavin and Koustanian have used their experience to provide training on being an international athlete and coming from their home countries.

They can tell their teammates what it is like to navigate new social norms, how the game is different and what life is like abroad.

Lavin believes that he has been able to help his teammates learn more about Sweden than they see on TV or social media.

For Koustanian, he has shared the community and friendship in the country. His family came from an area of ​​Christian Armenians where everyone knew and supported each other. This is often the case for many other places, regardless of religion, because they focus so much on relationships and happiness. There is not the same type of pressure to get rich or famous over there that many in the West are used to.

Since when The United States carried out air strikes in Syria Earlier this year, Koustanian shared his perspective on the political aspects and how situations can affect civilians. It opened the door for important conversations.

“Just living in it, it was different,” Koustanian said. “You just see it from a completely different perspective than just seeing it on the news as a story.”

In a lighter tone, between Lavin and Koustanian, they have learned a number of bear words in five different languages. However, they would not share which ones, as they are not suitable.

Collins said it is important to have players with unique life experiences.

“They’ve got a perspective that’s been refreshing for our players and our program as a whole,” Collins said. “I think Lucas embodies it as much as anyone else.”

Overall, it has been good. They are not allowed to see their families enough – even Koustanian, even though his parents are in California – learning to be independent is a challenge, and it is generally not always easy to be away from home. They make it work, though.

Even with some of the difficulties they still face, Lavin and Koustanian expressed sincere appreciation for the opportunity to play and study at UNC. It’s special to play at Division I level and share their perspectives with others.

“I just want to show that some of us, no matter what country we are in, we will try to do our best and (set) good examples for families and our values,” Koustanian said.

Koustanian and Lavin return to California this weekend for the Northern Colors game against UC Davis. The Bears and Aggies kick off at 6pm on Saturday with the game available on ESPN +.