Professor Crawford Talks Football in France

Dr. Crawford gave a presentation for Phi Beta Delta, the honorary for international scholars, last Thursday night in the Dicke Forum.  Crawford told the assembled students, faculty and community members about a research trip he took last spring to look into American football in France.

The topic came up the first time he met his wife's friend Jean-Marc, who entered the room wearing his football helmet.  This was the first he had heard that our game was played in France.  This spring, Crawford traveled to France to do research on the sport there and went to practice and games with Jean-Marc and his new team, the Red Star of Noisy-le-Sec.  While there, with help from the Getty College of Arts and Sciences, he also talked with officials from the Federation Francaise de Football Americain, the governing body of the sport there, as well as talking to players and coaches, both former and current.  He also attended an elite division game and did intereviews for radio broadcasts, blogs, and documentaries.

Crawford's presentation also included information about the great food of France, and his trips to battlefields and the Cathedral at Amiens.  While in country, he stayed with Chris and Vivette Mercadier, his father and mother-in law, who helped keep him in fois gras and saucisson.

Crawford hopes to turn his research into a monograph on the interesting history of our national sport in France.