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http://www.freep.com/article/20130809/SPORTS01/308090046/detroit-lions-Havard-RuglandHere are a few unknown facts — if that’s still possible — about Lions kicking sensation and media darling Havard Rugland.
He’s a germaphobe. His first name translates to “Howard” in Norwegian. And he learned a fair amount of English by listening to the American hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan.
“The first day we’re hanging out in the hot tub, right?” guard Rob Sims said Thursday. “I’m just talking to him and I was like, ‘You speak English really well. Man, where’d you learn English?’
“He was like, ‘Mostly from movies and listening to Wu-Tang.’ It blew my mind.”
So while American children learn English from Mr. Rogers, Big Bird and Elmo, Rugland picked up the language from RZA, Method Man and Ghostface Killah.
Fellow kicker David Akers contemplated that for a second. “That explains a lot,” he said.
“And the thing about it is he’s heavily influenced by American pop culture,” receiver Nate Burleson said. “He’s a really funny dude.”
Sims said he has yet to hear Rugland attempt to rap, “but he will hit you up with the, ‘Hey, what’s up homeys?’ I love it, man.”
Since he became a YouTube kicking sensation with his “Kickalicious” trick-shot video, Rugland sure has capitalized on his fame.
He got a training camp invitation with the Lions that he has parlayed into one-on-one interviews with Sports Illustrated, GQ magazine, NBC News and, on Thursday, a crew from Dagens Naeringsliv, a business newspaper in Oslo, Norway.
Rugland’s popularity is likely unprecedented in the NFL for an international rookie who never played organized football.
“It’s the NFL,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “There are a lot of people intersected in the NFL, and he’s just one of those 90 guys that people are interested in.”
But Schwartz may be alone in his blanket estimation of every player’s popularity. Burleson figured even his clothing line could hitch its wagon to Rugland’s star.
“He’s a phenomenon right now,” Burleson said.“I’m trying to outfit him with some Lion Blood stuff because I need to go international.”
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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George
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