By Declan O’Malley

Sounder contributor

An alum of Orcas Island High School and former Islands’ Sounder sports writer is pursuing a new adventure, playing American football in Ireland.

After graduating from high school in 2024, Jefferson Freeman made his way to University College Dublin. As a student there, he discovered an opportunity that would connect him closely with his home country.

“I first found out about UCD American Football through Instagram in the summer, so I had to check it out when I got to school. The team is open to all current and former UCD students,” Freeman said.

He described the football program as a university team that competes in the AFI Premier Division, the first tier of Irish football.

“So while we are a college team, we have players of all ages. The only requirement is that players have spent time at UCD. So you have guys with years of football experience on a team with guys playing football for the first time,” Freeman said.

The team includes a good number of Americans, most of whom are UCD students, and the majority of the program’s veterans are Irish.

Currently, Freeman is playing wide receiver on the team as a backup but is learning from a core of experienced veterans. He has seen the field in a few games thus far this season.

“I’ve gotten into both games we’ve played so far. I only have one catch right now, but I did have a touchdown called back for a penalty [not called on Freeman],” he said.

So far, the UCD American football team is 2-0 after picking up a 44-0 win against the Dublin Rebels and a 36-20 win over the Belfast Knights.

American football is growing in popularity in Ireland, and the National Football League will even play a game there next year. Freeman is happy to be part of the scene and play with UCD as long as he can.

Although the game is growing, there are some differences compared to football in the United States.

“The biggest difference I’ve seen so far is the scale. There are a lot of really passionate people who do a lot of work to make things happen. While football in Ireland is definitely a subculture, it is quite strong and definitely growing,” Freeman said.

He hopes to continue developing as a student-athlete and a member of UCD American football in Ireland, as Freeman and his team will play six more games this season.