THE Troy State Trojans' team bus rumbled through deepest, darkest Alabama in the early 2000s, its cargo of college footballers including a curiosity for any anorak of UK sporting history. Considering just five Super Bowl rings have ever been claimed by British-born NFL players (and one of those went to Scott McCready when he was merely a New England Patriots practice squad member) it is random indeed to find the two men who combined for the others congregated up the back of that coach.

Alongside his fellow Auburn High School alumnus DeMarcus Ware (the nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker helped the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl back in February), one of the specimens holding court back there was Osi Umenyiora. Born in Golders Green, London, to Nigerian parents, Umenyiora - now a BBC pundit - played his part in winning efforts in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, the New York Giants surprising the Patriots on both occasions. Along for the ride, up the back of the bus that day, as well as both of those success stories, was kicker Lawrence Tynes, a native of Greenock, Scotland. In the NFL, kickers are more commonly thrown under the bus, when they miss last-minute field goals.

"Lawrence and I went to college together so I have known him for a very long time," says Umenyiora, in Edinburgh for an NFL Live event ahead of tonight's big kick-off between Ware's Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. "He is a great player, a great guy, and we went on to win the Super Bowl together. Lawrence was a kicker but he would come and sit at the back of the bus with all the cool guys, man.

"Usually they wouldn't even think of going back there but Lawrence would be back there with us," he added. "He is a really fiery guy, good fun to be with. He had that attitude about himself, that confidence. Usually the only time you remember kickers is when it is time to win the game. Then you say, oh there is the kicker, we need him."

With his 6ft 3in frame and bulk, Umenyiora is the kind of figure who finds it hard to remain incognito for long. That was certainly the case as he flew into Edinburgh for the first time. "As soon as I landed, I saw a guy who said you must be here for the NFL thing," he said. "He just saw a big black guy, so I don't know how he guessed correctly, but he did. I have never been up to Scotland before but it is a beautiful, beautiful country from what I am seeing. I am pretty surprised by the interest in the sport up here."

A further demonstration of that will come this October, when Umenyiora's beloved Giants play the first NFL international series event outwith Wembley, a meeting with the home-again Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham. The logical conclusion to these sell-out occasions is a UK franchise, something which Umenyiora says he and the NFL are "working towards".

Until then, devoted Scottish followers of the sport will have to make do with losing their Sunday evenings to a ten-hour marathon of the sport which kicks off on Sky Sports at around dinner time. As ever, there are no shortage of talking points to consider as the 2016-17 season kicks off, even for those who don't spend their every waking hour tweaking with their fantasy teams.

How will the Rams fare, now they have returned to Hollywood from St Louis? Will San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continue his sit-down protest for the national anthem? Who will prosper from this year's draft class - headed up by quarter backs Jared Goff and Carson Wentz? Who will succeed the Broncos as Super Bowl champion?

"It is utterly impossible to tell right now, because the parity in the NFL is so great that you can never really tell what is going to happen," says Umenyiora. "You might think New England are going to win it, then it winds up being the Cleveland Browns!

"Obviously you have the defending champions, Denver, who have an excellent defense and with an excellent defense you are always in the mix," he added. "There is New England, with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, when he gets back from suspension. They are always a formidable team. There is the Carolina Panthers, although I don't think they are going to be as good this year, and watch out for my New York Giants. They have made some key upgrades on their defensive line, and offensively they are outstanding with Odell Beckham Jnr, Eli Manning, and Victor Cruz to return.

"Of the two quarterbacks who got drafted 1 and 2, Wentz doesn't look like he is going to get on the field and Goff has struggled thus far - I am really not sure how he is going to perform," he added. "What I am pretty sure of is Joey Bosa, [the No 3 overall pick, by San Diego Chargers] who just went to camp, Joey Bosa, I have seen him work and I think he is going to be a fantastic football player. Those are some of the keys you might want to look out for in the early season ... but it could all change again by Week 3."