Before football, Andreas Knappe’s first love was archery.
The 25-year-old offensive lineman out of Connecticut told ESPN his dream before playing professional football was to compete in the Olympic Games.
"I saw the 'Robin Hood' movie and I was like, 'He's a cool guy,'” Knappe said. “And my older brothers were watching 'Rambo' movies. I snuck in and watched that, too, and I was like, 'This guy knows how to shoot a bow and arrow.' "
A top archer as a child and young adult in his hometown of Silkeborg, Denmark, the 6-foot-9, 320 pound Knappe will have his shot to prove he’s talented enough to pursue his new dream of playing professional football at the Atlanta Falcons’ rookie mini-camp over the weekend.
Knappe got the call from Falcons’ coach Dan Quinn offering him an undrafted free agent contract on April 29, according to ESPN.
Knappe started playing defensive lineman when he was 19 years old on small teams in Silkeborg, but was soon picked up by Denmark’s best American football team, the Triangle Razorbacks of the Danish American Football Federation, according to ESPN.
Former Connecticut offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Michael Cummings has seen firsthand Knappe’s ability to adjust to a new level of competitive football when Knappe moved to the United States to play for the UConn Huskies.
"I thought he was a giant, raw player, but he has an incredible work ethic," Cummings said, according to ESPN. "He was very inquisitive and interested. He was a great learner and really wanted to know the game. He comes from no football knowledge, and he couldn't stand not knowing everything. I like to say I taught him everything, but there's no way. If you look at the number of years that he's played and where he is, it's incredible."
Cummings now coaches offensive line at Virginia Military Institute.
Knappe started 25 games at right tackle in 2015-2016 during his redshirt junior and senior seasons with the Huskies.
