Browns Tight end Gary Barnidge spreads football to Brazil


Barnidge teaches football to the youth in Brazil


The trio was brainstorming. How could they change the world?

"Yeah, we play football and all that," Barnidge said. "But we're not anything special. We're just normal guys. We wanted to do something to make a difference."

Thus, American Football Without Barriers (AFWB) was born. The non-profit organization's goal is spreading the game of American football to international countries.



"We don't know if they are getting taught the proper way to hit," said Barnidge. "In Brazil they have about 20 teams that play professional football. In China they have six teams. The goal is to get them to continue to play football."



"I try and learn a little bit of the language before I go," Barnidge said. "But it's not very easy. You have to use Rosetta Stone. And you have to have google translator on your phone."



"That was awesome," said Barnidge. "Just seeing everyone's faces in general. The kids are really enjoying it."

Barnidge, Giacomini and Awadallah are sitting down in May to pick 2015's destination. They are thinking somewhere in Africa. By then, paperwork should be back from the government officially declaring AFWB a certified 501(c3) non-profit organization. They want to spread more awareness of their foundation to raise money for more equipment. And continue to do what they can to make a difference.


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