For the second year in a row, the NFL added to its Fan of the Year contest by having international fans representing their clubs at the 2025 NFL Draft.
Each of the 32 NFL teams could nominate an International Fan of the Year to celebrate fans who spread their love of football across the world.
The Eagles' nominee is Ryan Howroyd, from Sydney, Australia.
"Winning the International Fan of the Year is quite honestly the most insane thing that's ever happened to me. It's such an honor," Howroyd said.
"After pouring so much time, effort, and love into this team over the last few years, this means absolutely everything to me. From going to events to yelling 'Go Birds!' on a live broadcast to get attention of the Eagles fans at the Kickoff Festival in Bondi (Australia), I try to get every single person I can to watch games with me. Not only cheering for the Eagles but being invested in them, too. With the 2020 Draft being where my hardcore fandom and love started, going to the 2025 Draft in a lot of ways, feels like everything is coming full circle."
With the 14-hour time difference, it was difficult for Howroyd to see NFL games on television. But he did have video games and fell in love with the sport through video games at first, playing NFL 2K.
"No matter what game it was, for some reason, I'd always pick the Eagles. I had no knowledge about who these players were or if they were successful in the league, they were just the team I loved playing as," he said.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Howroyd used his extra time inside to tune into the NFL, gravitating toward the Eagles again.
"The players were so fun and likeable. They were passionate and their fans? Crazy. In the best way. That was the sort of fan base I needed to be involved in. The Eagles had to be my team. I didn't know or care if we were the most successful team or not, I was excited to cheer and learn more about these players who made me want to root for them. The 2020 Draft was the first thing I watched, and Jalen Hurts was the first player I saw drafted to the Eagles. I was locked into this team from that point and there was no choice or thought to be had," Howroyd said.
No matter if it's a preseason game or a regular-season matchup, Ryan will be up to watch the Eagles play despite most of the games being at 3 AM local time for him.
But his love for the Eagles goes beyond just the players.
In part of his support for the organization, Howroyd held a charity livestream during Super Bowl Week on Twitch, raising money for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
"I just love this team. If a game starts at 4 AM, I'm up at 3 o'clock, making sure I'm ready for work so I can sit down, watch the game, get on the train to work, and continue watching," Howroyd said. "Game is done? Perfect. Time to download podcast episodes to listen to while I'm working for a recap. The early morning games were great when my daughter was born because I'd sit up with her and feed her as we watched the games in the early hours of the morning."
This past weekend at the NFL Draft, Howroyd lived out his dream in Green Bay with thousands of other NFL superfans.
"Going to the Draft is an exciting experience in itself. I'll be there live to witness the next generation of Eagles players coming in, but the thing I'm most excited about when it comes to the Draft is getting to experience the NFL fandom in a completely different way than I have before. I'll be right at home. Surrounded by other people who love the sport like I do," Howroyd said. – Written by Liam Wichser
