EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the October 26, 2023 game program for Northeast's home finale against Coahoma. It has been edited to reflect updated stats going into the Tigers' week nine game at Northwest.

BOONEVILLE, Miss. - American football is quickly gaining popularity in England thanks to the NFL's annual London Games. There were three regular season contests played in the capital of the United Kingdom earlier this fall. 

Just like many Englishmen are now, Northeast Mississippi Community College freshman quarterback Justin Kowalak developed his love for the game while living for six years in the town of Darlington. 

Darlington is situated approximately three hours north of London in County Durham. Its primary sports fixtures are track, football – the association version played with a round ball by millions of people around the globe – and cricket. 

However, the city is also home to the Darlington Steam American Football Club. It is with this organization that Kowalak started to fine tune the skills that his dad, Jay, had already introduced to him. 

"When I was eight years old, me and my brother, we were like couch potatoes. We really didn't do much," said Kowalak. "My dad was like, 'I've got to get these kids outside.' He got us back into the American-type stuff by introducing us to football. 

"We went to the local team they had with like five other kids because obviously it wasn't that popular. I really appreciate those coaches up to this day because they're the ones that really instilled the passion for football. They made it a lot of fun." 

The Darlington Steam participated in five-on-five flag football matches. Kowalak did not compete in his first tackle game until returning to the United States ahead of his freshman year of high school. 

"Me and my dad sat down one night. He asked me, 'Do you really want to do this?" I was like, 'Yeah,'" Kowalak said. "We made the decision to move back and honestly it kinda was a little different. 

"I had never (seen) Friday night lights or anything like that. I remember going and seeing the stadium. I kinda got excited when I first got there to see what was to come." 

Kowalak was on the junior varsity squad during his inaugural campaign back stateside. However, he earned the role of QB1 for Crystal Lake South (Ill.) going into his sophomore season in 2019. 

The 6-0, 205-pounder went on to throw for more than 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns at the prep level. He earned honorable mention all-state honors in Class 6A as a junior from the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA). 

Kowalak's productivity landed him a scholarship to NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois University. He was redshirted as a true freshman, but did appear in one game for the Panthers against Southeast Missouri State University. 

The latest stop in Kowalak's worldwide journey is the Magnolia State. He arrived from Eastern Illinois over the summer and has started behind center in seven of eight games so far for Northeast.  

The southpaw has completed right at 50 percent of his passing attempts (86 of 166) for 1,040 yards. Kowalak has accounted for eight total touchdowns between passing and rushing. 

He had a season-best 254 yards through the air during the Tigers' week two victory at Pearl River Community College. Two of his six passing scores came in the thrilling comeback win over rival Itawamba Community College. 

Kowalak's efforts helped Northeast go unbeaten through five games for just the fifth time in program history. The Tigers also rose to as high as No. 9 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I rankings.  

"I've enjoyed it a ton," said Kowalak. "Our defense has been doing a great job all year. Offensively, we never give up. There's been times this year where we've had setbacks. We've kept fighting and ended up getting a W." 

Kowalak's international passport includes another European destination as well. He was born in Plainfield, Ill., which is just under 50 miles south from his present hometown of Crystal Lake, to parents of Polish descent.  

They decided to move back to their native country to be closer to their family when Kowalak was six. He lived in Poland for only two years, but still retains a little bit of their language. 

"Ja mówie po polsku. That just means, 'I speak Polish,'" said Kowalak with a grin. 

Kowalak, who holds dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom, has special memories of growing up across the pond that will stick with him forever. 

"In Poland, obviously my grandparents were living there so I think just kinda spending time with them was definitely something that I enjoyed. That was a good memory," he said. 

"Living in England was actually pretty cool. That's where I spent the majority of my life. I have so many memories from people that I met that I still talk to, to this day. Going to camps with my dad, who would drive me three hours to Scotland to go to this quarterback coach and train with him. Going to different places is definitely something that I look back on a lot." 

Where will Kowalak's frequent flyer miles take him next? That part of his incredible story is still to be written, but he wants to continue chasing glory on the gridiron for as long as possible. 

"The goal is just to keep playing," Kowalak said. "I feel like you've got to live in the now. I really just kinda focus on every single day. God has a plan for me and whatever happens is going to happen."