McLaurin grew American football in China, hopes to catch NFL’s attention

As the NFL is attempting to embrace diversity and inclusive hiring practices, teams are looking in new places for executives.

The next stop could be China.

Chris McLaurin, who played at Michigan, founded the American Football League of China (now known as the China National Football League) and Elevate Sports Consulting with the help of NFL International in Hong Kong.

A former tight end, McLaurin didn’t make any of the “Top GM candidates” lists this offseason, but that could change soon. He’s young, energetic and has executive-level experience.

“From my experience as a player and a scout, I think he has enough experience to work in the NFL,” former Falcons scout Bruce Plummer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “GM, assistant GM, player-personnel director of football operations. From what I’ve seen from him, he’s smart, knowledgeable and he knows the business in and out.”

Plummer, who played at Mississippi State and in the NFL for several teams (1987-91), met McLaurin through former NFL scout Jerry Hardaway. After working at Plummer’s football camp in Louisiana, McLaurin invited Plummer to work a camp in Shanghai.

Plummer was a scout with the Falcons from 2000-10 and was the lead scout in finding cornerback Brent Grimes, who went from an undrafted player to a four-time Pro Bowl player.

McLaurin discussed his football journey Tuesday during a virtual call from China.

“A kind of very unexpected return to the game in many ways,” McLaurin said. “I had graduated from Michigan in 2009 with a degree in history. I was prepared to go to law school. But before, I had taken up some research opportunities abroad in South Africa and the UK. I was looking to get into social policy.”

McLaurin, 33, of Pontiac, Mich., and a son of two police officers, had his career path take a major turn.

“That was my passion,” McLaurin said of social policy. “While I was working in social policy at the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, I had the opportunity to meet some other White House Fellows who knew a bit more about Asia, China and the growth economic in China.”

He took a job at an investment company in western China.

“I had opportunity to explore, and one of the things I found was a football program that most people would not expect to be in China,” McLaurin said. “Kind of through needing a community there because I was new to the country and not knowing the language, I started to connect the dots, help them coach and give them resources.”

Pretty soon there was a ground swell of interest at the grass-roots level.

“I had, with some support from the NFL, started (the league),” McLaurin said. “We ended up over the last few years of working at a higher level with the NFL.”

McLaurin sought to start a professional program and build a future for the sport in China. He noted that they were 100 years behind.

“We wanted to do that in 10 years,” McLaurin said.

He used contacts in the U.S. to help with the movement. Plummer and other coaches in the college ranks were summoned.

“The sport is still relatively young here,” McLaurin said. “It really took off about 10 years ago. With the economy, the growing middle class, with the consumers needing more sports, it’s really the future.”

McLaurin and his band of American football ambassadors had to start from scratch.

“The first question that most people ask me is, ‘Can Chinese people play football?’” McLaurin said.

China has a generation of athletes who are coming out of state-run sports bureaus and have the potential to convert and transfer into American football.

“Typically, the best athletes are going into their sports when they are 10 or 11 years old, or even younger,” McLaurin said. “What we’ve seen is a lot of these athletes are being taken out of the ranks as they get older and are coming into football with the ability to do quite well in football. This year was the first time a Chinese player, the first native-of-China athlete, scored a touchdown in NCAA history. He’s a backup at Arizona State.”

Across the globe, they celebrated Jackson He’s touchdown.

“We are starting to see that bridge kind of come to life with some of our efforts that we have (undertaken) over the last few years,” McLaurin said. “We had Chinese athletes that went to the NFL’s International Player Pathway this last year and in 2019. They participated in trying to (earn) one of those roster spots for international players for the upcoming season.”

None of the Chinese players were selected, but they showed potential, according to McLaurin. Tight end Alex Gray, a rugby player from England, spent three seasons with the Falcons’ practice squad (2017-19) through the International Player Pathway program.

“We’ve got a bright future,” McLaurin said. “The factors are coaching and that time needed to really get some structure to help find those athletes and make the game better.”

McLaurin credits former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr as a key football influence in his life.

“I played under him for three years,” McLaurin said. “I sustained an injury, and that’s when I decided to stop playing. He’s the type of leader that I would be on the football team, as a head coach or as an administrator.”

Through his work with NFL International, McLaurin has grown the footprint of American football in China.

“At all levels, I would say there are about 65,000 people,” McLaurin said. “I think there is a larger group at the youth level that are being introduced to the sport earlier. Of course, when I started we had less than 15 teams across China. Today you see about 100 adult football teams.

“They are amateur. They are club teams, but they are playing seasons. About six games in the fall, and they kind of (practice) all throughout the year. That’s kind of growing on all cylinders, kind of pushing forward on all grounds and in age groups.”

McLaurin would like to return to the U.S. and land a front-office job in the NFL.

“This is a new face,” Hardaway said. “I’m excited for him. He brings a new outlook along with the knowledge that he has that could add to the presence of the NFL. ... It’s time now to stop recycling, and let’s venture out. It’s a new day. That’s what has taken place globally, as well as in Atlanta. You have to have some new people in, with new ideals, but still knowing their past and how they got there.”

This NFL hiring cycle is in full swing.

“They just recycle candidates,” Plummer said. “Bring in a new face. The NFL is trendy. This kid is over in China, he’s coming back to the states. Let’s see what he can do.”

McLaurin is working to fulfill his NFL front-office aspirations.

“I’m preparing to get back to the U.S.,” McLaurin said. “I’ve been in touch with NCAA administrators and looking at opportunities in football right now. I’m interested in player personnel. I’m interested in how the U.S. system works.

“I’m just interested in using my experience from China and leveraging that to help the inflow of athletes because I think the future of the game is global. It needs to continue to look globally, or else it’s going to be difficult in the future to compete. I have a rounded view, and I’d like to contribute that back stateside.”