- Schoolchildren at the West Ham Foundation met NFL stars Marshawn Lynch and Josh Johnson on Friday
- The duo were in London for the ‘Football meets Football’ Foundation collaboration
- Throughout the day, kids were able to have their picture taken with the NFL pair
Local schoolchildren were left star-struck on Friday as two stars of the NFL in the USA visited West Ham United’s Foundation.
2014 Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch – of the Oakland Raiders – and New York Giants quarterback Josh Johnson joined in with both American Football and ‘soccer’ coaching sessions in Beckton as part of a West Ham, Fam First and FloReal Sports Foundation collaboration.
The children, all of whom go to school in the borough of Newham, enjoyed interacting with the NFL sportsmen throughout the day, constantly receiving tips on everything they needed to know about the American sport.
A number of coaching stations were set-up at the Foundation’s new state-of-the-art facility in Beckton, with teachers and students alike displaying their excitement at meeting Lynch and Johnson.
The latter, who has appeared for a number of different sides in the US including the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts, enjoyed the day on his visit to London.
“It was amazing today, man,” he said. “Just to interact with [the kids], they told me a little bit about what they know about football, and they told me about your guys’ football. It was a really good bridging of the sports. It’s been a great day.”
Throughout the day, kids were able to have their picture taken with the NFL pair, and merchandise of both West Ham and American Football persuasion was signed.
Finally, a shirt and football swap between Lynch and Johnson and the Hammers Foundation took place to mark the ‘Football meets Football’ collaboration, as the duo were both given their own printed West Ham United Away shirts.