WHILE WE COME HERE ON A MISSION FOR AMERICAN FOOTBALL, I THINK WE TAKE HOME A LOT MORE THAN WE BRING.

live NFL TV broadcasts and the expansion of the Israel Football League, now 10 years old. Unlike baseball, which still mostly appeals to American-Israelis, football has resonated with nativeborn Israelis who have taken a liking to the armylike strategy, camaraderie and collisions.

The game has really taken off in the high school league, where nine teams play across the country, and and better over here because of him,” Montana said of Kraft.

The four-time Super Bowl champion said he hoped their presence would promote the game, but that the emotional visit — which included tours of religious and historical sites, lessons on its history and an audience with the prime minister — was incredibly rewarding for the former players, many of whom were Christians who spoke warmly about the country.

“A lot of guys learned a lot about Israel and the people that they really had no idea of the culture,” Montana said.

“While we come here on a mission for American football, I think we take home a lot more than we bring.”

The Israeli game still has a long way to go. High school teams typically play 9-on-9 on 60-yard fields and are forced to always go for two points after a touchdown because there are no posts for field goals. The Kraft Sports Complex in Jerusalem that will be dedicated during this trip will include Israel’s first full-sized football field. The national team ranks 20th in the world.

The visit comes on the heels of the Israeli government’s bungled attempt earlier this year to arrange a goodwill visit of current NFL players, of which half eventually pulled out because of pressure from pro-Palestinian boycott activists.

Kraft, who is Jewish, has brought some of his Patriots on visits before and in 2015 arranged for a group of 19 lesser known Hall of Famers to come promote the sport. But nothing has come even remotely close to the star power of this delegation.

“For our players, your names and accomplishments are truly legendary and inspiring. I am old enough to have seen you all play and I am awed in your presence,” said Steve Leibowitz, who got the sport started in the 1980s and later founded American Football in Israel, the official federation.

“The sport is still in its infancy in this country but we are making progress. Our goal is to become the third largest sport in Israel.”