<p>Former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders and current members of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad were in Shanghai on Friday (November 30) promoting football in China.</p><br /><p>Although American football still remains relatively unknown in China, the event drew a diverse crowd.</p><br /><p>All-Star player Sanders said that he was impressed with the increasing popularity of the NFL in China.</p><br /><p>"I would never have imagined that one day I would be going to, to China on behalf of the NFL, you know. And you know, I think it just shows you, you know, the great game that it is and and obviously the NFL they want to expand the game."</p><br /><p>The NFL said that this season's opening games drew a "significant" Chinese viewership upwards of two million people. </p><br /><p>Over the past two years, three adult American football teams and four youth groups along with 36 university squads have formed across China.</p>
