Daily Sports Smile: NFL working on documentary about Ukrainian football players on front lines
The NFL is highlighting an emotional connection to American football among Ukrainian soldiers fighting to defend their country amid an ongoing Russian invasion.
NFL 360 is working on a documentary about several Ukrainian men who played in the Ukrainian League of American Football (ULAF) but are now fighting together on the front lines against Vladimir Putin's Russian regime, the league announced during Tuesday's "Good Morning Football" broadcast.
Kyle Brandt, who is one of the regular panelists on "Good Morning Football," shared details about the project and said he has been in contact with the players/soldiers for several months via video messaging.
The most important clip I’ve ever shared, and it’s about the biggest story in the world. 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/aLg4SzYFKM
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) September 6, 2022
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"They are in front of blown-out buildings with machine guns talking about how they love Tom Brady and what they're going through," Brandt said. "I think they're appreciative and they love that this story is being talked about because they don't want to be forgotten."
The Russia-Ukraine war has killed at least 5,600 people in Ukraine and displaced 13 million individuals, per NPR.
DISCOVER: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine
"The invasion happened," Brandt said. "They immediately fled, took their children and their wives to safety. Most of them (to) Poland. Dropped them off, kissed them goodbye and went right back to the fight."
Good Morning Football shared clips from the project, which featured interviews with some of the players talking about their love for American football and experiences in war that both call for unity and teamwork.
"What I love about American football most, most I like that the sport is not about one hero, it's about really a team's effort," one of the players said. "This game is about brotherhood and about friendship."
A release date has not been announced for the documentary.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Sports Smile: NFL documentary to highlight Ukrainian football players
