In Sheffield, We Fight: The history and progression of the U19 Sheffield Giants

Initially created in 2019, the U19 Sheffield Giants were formed under the guidance of Ted Faulkner, the Head Coach and a key role model for these 16–19-year-olds. When I spoke to Ted I asked: “How have the Sheffield Giants helped you develop as a leader and role model” and he responded with:

“When we started. I had no idea what I was doing. It’s been 5 years of trial, error, and listening to other coaches and other players. I understand that everyone in this sport needs time to develop. . .I think this concept is a key idea in the Giants”

Ted’s responsibilities as Head Coach include delegating his coaching duties to his Offensive and Defensive Coordinators, Paul Salmon, and Phillip Jarrett. Paul combines innovative passing attacks with north-to-south running plays whereas Phil takes Sheffield’s ‘Steel City’ mentality to eleven and prides himself on his players being the hardest players on the field. This coaching staff, along with its many assistant coaches and parent volunteers, combine to make a program which hasn’t seen a losing record in its 4-year history.

An organisation cannot exist without its players and the U19 Sheffield Giants have a high quality and quantity of players. 4 ex-Giants are now at the NFL academy in Loughborough: Beverage Ekpolomo (Defensive Back), Ben Lax (Wide Receiver), Bitanga Kalyata (Defensive Back) and Daniel Akinkunmi (Offensive Line), with the latter of those having over 20 offers from D1 schools in North America. Whilst some talent has left Sheffield over the years, plenty remains training week in and week out in Mosborough. U19 captain Natty Peck has been playing at the Academy since 2020 and when I asked him “How have the Sheffield Giants helped you develop as a player?” he responded:

“The Giants taught me everything I know. They have also developed players as people too, making us better individuals as well as athletes”

Sheffield have also been heavily represented on an international stage as many players have represented the GB Lions with the most recent of those being James Eaton (also a defensive captain this season). I asked James “How proud were you to be named team captain” and James responded:

“I felt extremely proud to be named team captain. I also felt honoured that the coaches felt they could put their trust in me and lead the team”.

The Giants are 1-2 on the season after a difficult loss to the Nottingham Caesars in the season opener, followed by a statement win against the Tamworth Phoenix and finally a tricky away performance against the Birmingham Lions where many players were missing due to academic commitments. Sheffield looks to bounce back and put their record to 2-2 in a crucial grudge match against the Tamworth Phoenix at Homecoming.