When journalism student Ben Coulthard was injured as a teenager, he lost his passion for American football.

But when he joined City St George’s, he rediscovered his enthusiasm for the sport and joined the university team.

Halfway through his first season, he made the Great Britain under 19 men’s team. He then went on to represent his country in the men’s national team with the support of City St George’s dedicated Student- Athlete Support Programme.

Falling in love with American football

After discovering his passion for American football in 2018 and then asking his parents for a football for Christmas, a young Ben became hooked. “I was infatuated with anything related to the sport,” he said.

Spending his break times at school with his friends getting to grips with the rules of the sport, he was soon convinced by a schoolmate to join a local team and sacrifice playing ‘soccer’.

Ben said he “he truly fell in love with the sport” and went on to play for the Yorkshire Academy Assassins for four years, reaching the national finals in 2019.

When the sport was affected by the stop-start nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, his team’s performance was impacted, explained Ben. He slowly started to drift from the sport and when he picked up an injury in 2022, he stopped playing for a year.

From a Fresher’s Fair stall to playing with the NFL Academy

In September 2023, Ben walked into the Fresher’s Fair and spoke to the University’s American Football committee. He made the decision there and then that he would like to revive his American football journey.

After a highly successful first half of the season, Ben earned a place in the Team GB under 19 men’s side. He said:

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life and rewarded the hard work I had put in for months beforehand to get myself back into playing condition.”

Ben won his first cap in April 2024 in a tied friendly versus the Paderborn Dolphins in Paderborn, Germany. He won his second cap in August 2024 in a win versus the Irish Wolfhounds in Dublin.

This only bolstered Ben’s performances as his university team, the Wolfpack, managed to win their last game of the season against Kingston.

“It was an unbelievable experience, and it earned me my full colours at the City St George’s Students’ Union Awards later in the month,” he said.

He finished his time with the team in a joint practice and scrimmage with the NFL Academy in December 2024.

Making the Great Britain Lions men’s team

As Ben approached his 19th birthday and the ineligibility of staying in the under 19 team, he was unsure about the next steps of his career. He turned to the University’s Student-Athlete Support Programme. Within months, he made the men’s national team known as the Great Britain Lions.

Ben was also offered his first European contract in the German Football League (GFL) Juniors with the Cologne Falcons u20 team. He said the University’s student athlete scheme has been a great source of support for him during recent months as he continues to develop as a player.

Ben described the scheme as tailored around his lifestyle.

“It has been an unbelievable opportunity, and I have seen an enormous amount of progress in just a few months,” he said.

“The programme has given me a level of support that is unique as a university student-athlete.”

Ben said he has received top level sport-specific personal training, several sessions with Barbican Physio, use of the Under Armour Next sports testing centres and full support through injury.

“This has been best shown recently,” he said, “after I suffered from a grade four collarbone fracture in December 2024. The team at CitySport have been unbelievably helpful and efficient in getting me back on track as quickly as possible. Without that support, my recovery may not have been as straightforward.

On Ben’s development, Natalie White, Sport and Leisure’s performance coordinator , said:

“We launched the Student- Athlete Support Programme to enhance our students’ sporting pursuits. Ben has engaged with all opportunities available to him. While his injury presented some challenges, we are pleased to see that the programme has greatly aided his return to play.”

Balancing two passions: journalism and American football

Throughout his time at City St George’s, Ben has shown his commitment to balancing his studies with his chosen sport as well as finding creative ways to weave his two passions together.

At the beginning of the academic year, Ben founded and became president of City St George’s Sports Journalism Society. He has also volunteered as staff writer, general editor of Carrot Magazine, the University’s student publication.

More recently, he became founder and editor-in-chief of Wolfpack Illustrated, a magazine run by the Sports Journalism Society. The termly publication features student stories with a focus on providing a sports journalism platform at City St George’s.