Dec 9 (Reuters) - Former NFL centre Ryan Kalil and ex-NBA forward Blake Griffin are part of a $100 million punt to turn Mexico's Liga de Futbol Americano into a sporting powerhouse in a country where 40 million people already live and breathe American football.

The investment, led by private equity firm Global Sports Capital Partners, over seven years represents the first U.S. private equity investment in a Mexican sports league. For GSCP founder Michael MacDougall, the numbers add up.