Those on the team receive up to 16 hours per week training through a combination of field, class and gym work from full-time American Football academy coaches Ben Herod and Daniel Maher. Click here to view their coaching bio’s. In 2017 Former Great Britain Offensive Line Coach, Anthony Fitzpatrick, was also added to the staff.

The Pride competes in fixtures regularly throughout the academic year, both domestically against university sides and internationally against European club sides and various touring American and Canadian high school programmes.

The team also competes regularly in Seven’s competitions. Additionally, the Pride Academy has helped to create its own community 11-on-11 league known as the Bristol Academy Community League (BACL).

The Pride players benefit from using state-of-the-art training facilities which includes an indoor 3G pitch and a full-length 4G pitch for home games.

The players also have access to on-site sports physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches and an elite-level gym based in the new Academy building.

Notable Successes

2 Former Players have made the NFL! Alex Jenkins is with the New Orleans Saints and Santigie Sankoh the Cleveland Browns. Currently no other European Team has more NFL players on an active roster.

Click here to read more about our NCAA success stories. The Pride Academy has had unparalleled success over the past six seasons with now 20 of our former students having continued on to study and play football in the USA at NCAA divisional and Junior Colleges.

Our former and current students number more than 50 Great Britain Internationals and three have signed semi-professional contracts for European franchises with help from our partners at HUDL.

Another achievement our coaching staff is particularly proud of was it’s run of three straight SGS College ‘Male Student of the Year Award’ from 2012-2014.