‘I prayed for the league, God gave me the world’: American football players thrive in France

PARIS – Paris Musketeers football players Austin Mitchell, David Richardson II and Chandler Jones prepared for away games due to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

American football is being played in Paris with the Musketeers, coached by American Marc Mattioli. The Musketeers, in their second season, are part of European League of Football, which is a 17-team American football league with teams in France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Each roster can have a maximum of four American players. Mitchell, Richardson and Jones, who are all African Americans, are former American college football stars who play for the Musketeers.

Jones is a defensive back from Miami who played at the University of Louisville. Mitchell is a wide receiver from Plaquemine, Louisiana, who played at Southeastern Louisiana University then professionally in Germany in 2023, and is in his first season with the Musketeers. Richardson is a defensive back from Rockwall, Texas, who played at Division II University of West Florida and played professionally in Hungary and Mexico before joining the Musketeers in 2023.

Jones, Mitchell and Richardson are among the Musketeers who are living in team housing about 30 minutes south of Paris. The Musketeers play their home games at the 20,000-seat Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris. The stadium is located between famed athletic venues such as Parc des Princes, where Paris Saint-Germain plays soccer and Roland Garros Stadium, where the French Open is played. Due to the Olympics, the Musketeers were scheduled to play five consecutive road games.

In the following Q&A held July 25 at Soho House Paris, Jones, Mitchell and Richardson talked to Andscape about their experiences as African Americans playing American football in Paris.

How did you end up playing pro football in Paris?

Jones: After college I had a short little stint on Tennessee Titans trying to figure out what I’m trying to do. I wanted to get into neuroscience, architecture, whatever. I still had the ability to run fast, jump high. I was training for the XFL and the Canadian [Football] League. They had some trials in Florida. I saw an Instagram post from Coach Mattioli over in Italy a while back. I said, ‘Let me look up his Instagram.’ Then pulled it up and saw he was in Paris.

I asked my pops if he still had Coach Mattioli’s phone number from recruiting. He texted him and Mattioli hit us back later that night saying, ‘We are looking for our last DB spot. We would love to have you.’ It was kind of like destiny almost because they were looking for their last guy and I was looking for somewhere to go.

Mitchell: After college, I did pro days to try to get on with an NFL team, anywhere possible. But I actually didn’t get a [opportunity] anywhere. So, I just went on to work. I still had to take care of my family. I was working at the furniture store selling furniture back at home. So, one day at work, I got a text from the coach from Dresden. He just texted me out the blue and he was like, ‘Hey, our receiver from last season left to the USFL. We think you are the guy that could replace him and help us win the championship.’

And I just went on to it taking the first chance possible. I just wanted the opportunity just to show I could play ball at any type of level. I went overseas, balled out, went for 1,600 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns. I had a couple other teams in ELF hit me up, but once I talked to Coach Marc and just heard the passion he had and the type of mission he had, I just couldn’t pass the opportunity. Then it’s Paris, so you can’t turn down an opportunity to play football in Paris.

Richardson: I just had got back home in Dallas [from Mexico]. So, I didn’t even unpack my suitcase yet really. [Mattioli] called me saying, ‘Hey you ready to go? We need you here within the next essentially 24 hours.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t unpack my suitcase. I just throw it back in the car. That’s how I got to Paris [in 2023]. I ended up coming back at the same this season. It kind of played out perfectly like it did last season.

What made Paris attractive?

Jones: Initially, I didn’t really know about Europe. I never thought about living in Europe. It never crossed my mind until I started doing some research and realizing that this is almost like Florida. Different cultures come here. Africans, all types of people are here. So, it was cool. I’m big on meeting different people and learning about different cultures. Honestly, I heard about Paris and I was like, ‘OK, cool. It’s sweet.’ You always hear about Paris. So, the name spoke for itself.

Mitchell: Not too many people get that chance to go play ball overseas. I played with a French guy last year in Germany. I saw how much of an athlete he was, how good he was and how different he was from most of the German players. I was, like, either I could go play with another German team somewhere or I could play with a team full of French guys like him.

Richardson: All they had to say was Paris. And I knew coach Marc, so obviously I was in.

What’s the competition like in Europe?

Jones: So, when coach was recruiting me, he kept asking if I was back home training. He said, ‘You better come here ready. This ain’t no walk-through. These boys ain’t playing.’ I’m already getting ready beyond what he’s saying. But I kept that in mind during training before I got here. And obviously I’m training by myself. I’m not going against guys. So, I come in and they are on Day 5 of camp. Them boys were flying, cutting and diving. I had a good long talk with Coach Mattioli. He told me I needed to tighten up or they would need to find somebody else. So, I dug deep and I had to do what I got to do and I’m here now.

So, the talent here I would say is great, the skill players for sure. It’s a lot of African guys on this team. If you’re fast in America, if you’re fast in Africa, it don’t matter wherever you are bro, you’re going to be fast. So only thing I would say is the football IQ is maybe a step slower just with the play recognition. But other than that, these guys can play.

Mitchell: The competition here is actually more amazing than what you would actually expect. There are a lot of guys out here that are hungry. A lot of American guys want to prove a point to play football out here or back in the States. Then you got the European guy that’s not trying to be overlooked. So, they trying to take the spot just as much as the Americans are, too.

I feel like the competition here is just as good as the States in some points. It depends on the type of teams.

Richardson: The competition in France is really top-notch. That is the problem with people coming here thinking it’s going to be sweet, a cakewalk, a vacation, and it is not. Most of the [French] guys go to college in Canada and play Canadian football. That’s very similar to what we do in the States. So, bringing those guys over here and being under one umbrella, under one team, you could just tell a talent level from us [was higher] compared to the German team to the Spain team.

Me playing in Budapest, obviously, they don’t have football players. So, once I stepped off the plane at Budapest, I was the best player there. It was pretty much same thing in Mexico. But coming here, it’s good not to only depend on yourself to win the game, but you have trusting other teammates. You don’t really have to coach them up. You really don’t have to teach them some of the techniques. They can ball. And when I’m playing here compared to everywhere else, I could just worry about my play and not theirs because they’re going to go get it just like me.

What is it like being an African American in Paris?

Jones: You get a lot of girls. You get a lot of smiles. You get a lot of love. I don’t feel discriminated against. People don’t give me ugly looks. It’s cool, it’s really cool. You fit in. People actually think you’re from France, believe it or not. They come at me talking French and I’m like, ‘Parles-tu anglais?’ (Do you speak English?). It is cool. I love it.

Mitchell: I had another experience last year going to Dresden [Germany]. There wasn’t many African Americans out there compared to here. Out there you feel like you are getting watched all the time because they not used to [seeing Black people] over there in the area. They don’t have many African Americans at all. But when you get here, it’s like you are at home. Especially for me, I’m just back in my hometown chilling, playing football. The brotherhood they got makes you feel like family. And the food is good.

Richardson: Here in Paris, I didn’t know it was this diverse. I honestly didn’t know it was that many Black people here in Paris. But when I got here I kind felt like I was back at home. Most of our team is African. It feels like I’m back on a team back at home. When I was playing in Budapest, I got a bunch of Hungarian guys. You can’t really connect with them like you want to. In Mexico, 80% of the players were Mexican players. You can’t really connect with them like you want to. You can’t really be yourself.

But they have that culture here. It gives a little bit more ease for us to be more comfortable where you are. I feel like I’m home. It’s a good thing.

What has it been like getting to know your African teammates?

Jones: I love it. I like to ask a lot of questions. And they’re like French. They probably came here when they were smaller. Their parents immigrated over from Africa, but they still grew up in a culture. My roommate, his people still live somewhere in Central Africa. I’m asking him all type of questions. ‘Why are you cooking and for this long?’ ‘So you take your shoes off here …’ Just little small details. I just want to know why because it’s a reason for everything. So, I want to get back kind to my roots.

Mitchell: Where I’m from, we don’t have too many Africans. I wouldn’t know what they are like or what the culture is like. I just like to learn new things. Once I got into Europe, just to get to know new culture, learn new languages and new things to take back home — or I can teach about it when I have my kids — I can say, ‘I learned this when I was there.’

Richardson: When I first got here, people asked me where I was from. I’d be like, ‘Dallas, Texas.’ They would be like, ‘No, where are you from?’ I’d be like, ‘I’m African American.’ ‘Yes we know that, but what kind of African are you?’ It was more like me not knowing where I’m from. Being over here, it makes me more connected to my roots, my ancestors.

My teammate’s parents are still over there [Africa] so he has that direct contact to know exactly where he’s from. And living in the States, we’re worried about the States and everybody else just exists. And we don’t actually figure out where we’re from. Me being around the [African] guys and people, them knowing where they’re from, makes me want to know more about myself as a person and actually where my skin tone comes from, why do I think like this.

I got a couple African friends back in the States. It’s cool. That is something you really want to be a part of because that’s where you came from. And then obviously seeing them wearing [African clothes], with the different textures and styles that they have, I would love to put one on. But I don’t want to put one on without knowing the meaning of it. Certain clothes mean something. It’s dope and I really want to learn more about it to know more about where I am from and my ancestors are from.

What’s been the biggest challenge on and off the field?

Jones: The biggest challenge I would say keeping my goals. When I’m in the U.S., everything is fight-or-flight mode. You got to go get it. That’s just how the wiring is. But here’s real cool, laid-back, cool, calm and collected. And finding a balance of where I want to go at in life and realizing that life isn’t like go, go, go, 24-7. So, I’m just learning how to deal with just the ups and downs of life. It’s just so cool here. I’m more than just a football player. It’s unbelievable. I can’t even put it into words.

Mitchell: I would say the main thing on the field is just keeping the main thing the main thing. This is like a vacation but it’s not a vacation. You can go out and have fun, but you got to do what you got to do, or you get cut anytime just like you’re back in the States. I just try to stay focused and just keep going. And off the field, you miss your family a lot. I’m a big family guy. I miss seeing my mom, sister, little nephews, nieces. I see them every day. But you are not seeing them every day and they change a little bit. But you just got to stay strong and know your reason why. You put them as your why to go harder.

Richardson: You got to play ball. You got to produce. You got to do all these good things. But off the field, you’re actually figuring out your reason why you’re actually here playing ball. And I know for me when I first got into it obviously was to get back to the States and play. And then I was like, ‘What is the reason why I came over here?’ When I usually go to places, I usually the only American football player there and it was way bigger than ball. Over here, I’m an ambassador of football. I’m helping the game in this world internationally. And once you look at it like that, it’s a whole different purpose of why you get to play ball.

I’ve been able to travel all across the world. I just feel like my purpose off the field and on the field changed a little bit. Obviously, I would love to play in the league, but that’s not happened. There’s a caption I made up last season. ‘I prayed for the league but God gave me the world.’ It was showing me something that’s bigger than football.

That’s how you’re being successful going European overseas. If you go thinking you going to make a lot of money, to be honest with you, no. If you think you are going to make money, you’re just going to be miserable. Obviously, yes, you can make it to league. The XFL, you can still try to get in there. Your calling is bigger than football, making it to the league and making a bunch of money. So, my mindset that I changed being in different scenes and different countries, seeing how much they love football, them not having the resources, that’s why I’m here. I’m here to give that culture that we have in America. That’s kind of been my mindset on and off the field.

What is a Paris Musketeers home football game like?

Jones: How does the chant go? ‘Ole, ole, ole, ole…’ It’s like a soccer match. You know how the soccer fans are diehard soccer fans? It is similar to that. We have our own [special fans], The Red Company. They got the drums. It has a tribal feel to it. They turn you up for sure.

Mitchell: The Red Company will get you going from the beginning of the game to the end. And then most of the fans, they don’t really know too much about American football. So, they’ll get excited about any little thing. Any type of big play that happens, they are just going crazy just because they never seen it like that before. It is just amazing. It is no better feeling than a Paris game.

Richardson: It reminds me of that soccer culture where it’s just kind of rowdy. You got the horns playing. Playing in Paris is different. When you just walk in that stadium, it’s a different type of swag with Paris on your chest. And Red Company is beating the drums on offense, defense, special teams, half time. And then it is just like little firecrackers in there. It gets really rowdy.

It will be crazy once we could fill the stadium up 360 [degrees]. Right now, we only fill one side. But I tell it gets out loud. It’s different type from college. It’s a different type of loud. ‘I don’t care. I’m going to root for my team from start to finish.’

Obviously, you have been gone for road games during the weekends. But when you are home, what is it like being here during the week while the Olympics are going?

Jones: Very busy. But I’m not playing right now. I’m on [injured reserve], so I get to go through the city. People are just smiling and in awe of everything. I’m happy to be here. It is a great time to be in Paris right now, brother. Everybody from all types of countries are coming here to support these people.

Mitchell: We stay outside of Paris, I want to say like an hour from here. I just try my hardest not to go into Paris. The next few weeks you got big games and all of them away games. So, I’m just trying to save my energy and not get too distracted by the big picture or the Olympics here. I ain’t trying to lose focus on what we actually trying to accomplish this. I have just been staying low-key, grinding.

Richardson: Coming here was crazy. The train station was hectic. But then also it’s crazy being an athlete in Paris right now. People are already looking at like, ‘Oh you’re an athlete, what are you doing here? Are you in Olympics now?’ No, I’m playing for the Paris football team. We’re not actually in Olympics, but we’re athletes here.’

When you tell locals that you player American football for the Paris Musketeers, what is the reaction?

Jones: ‘Soccer? You mean futbol like kick?’ ‘No, American football like hit.’ So, they’re amazed. I show them videos and they’re like, ‘Here? I didn’t know.’ And they are just amazed … They ask if it’s rugby. I said, ‘Yeah, it’s rugby, but American football in Europe.’ They asked where we play. I tell them all over Europe. They’re amazed.

Mitchell: They don’t really know nothing about football at all. Never knew we had a football team until we actually tell them. I will show them the social media page. They ask when the next game is and say they want to come. But once they come and get that experience, they going to come back to every other home game. They don’t want miss nothing.

Richardson: You say football, obviously they’re thinking our American soccer. Everybody knows about American football, but it is our second year and we’re still growing the game here and we have a professional football team now. We were on a train today, they know we’re athletes, they’re thinking soccer and we tell them American football show and show them the Instagram page. ‘Oh my God, we have American football here.’ ‘Yeah, obviously it’s brand-new, but we have a game on the 17th for y’all to come to.’ And when they see the atmosphere, when they see that they have a professional team, it’s all support. We get mixed up with soccer a bunch, which is cool, but at the same time, we’re an American football team and they want to be involved.

What would you tell a football player considering playing professionally in Europe or France?

Jones: It’ll change your life drastically. If you ready to grow as a person in sports, out of sports, just in life period, you got to go see different things and meet different people. So, if you ready to make it to the next level in your life and change your life, come over. That’s what I tell them because that’s what it’s been for me.

Mitchell: I would say if you’re not afraid to make changes, go for it. Not too many people will get this opportunity to just travel the world for free and just play ball actually doing something they actually love to do.

Richardson: I feel like I’ve been giving this advice two times a week. I have a bunch of friends now asking, ‘What should I do? What’s your advice?’ You just got to embrace the situation. You have to take a risk. You are coming here to another country and don’t know their language. So as hard as taking a risk is, you have to embrace what the situation is.

This is not NFL. This is not Division I. What I do like about this organization is it does feel like Division I, a professional team. But there are a lot of teams that do not have a bunch of the resources we have here. It’s just the opportunity that you have at hand. Do you want to make money from this? Do you want to go to the [NFL]? Or do you want to help grow the game? So, my advice to them is, ‘Bro, you got to embrace it.’ Sometimes you’re not going to have a car to go places. In the States, you drive everywhere. Over here, you have to work Google maps to get to where you need to get to.

And we’re lucky we have a great coach. We have one of the best coaching staffs in Europe. Sometimes you’re not going to have that. You have to be the one to coach up the European players. So, I feel like you just got to break the situation and not look at it as if it’s back in the States. It’s not. The game is still growing. It will be there at one point, but right now it’s not. You can’t expect it to be the States. That’s why I have had a lot of success because I’m not high maintenance. Whatever it is in front of me, I just take the positive out of it. So, you got to take that risk, be positive, and look at a bigger opportunity than just playing ball.