NFL: International Combine returns to London in October
The National Football League International Combine heads to London for the second consecutive year.
Mirrored after the annual NFL Combine staged in the United States, the invitational scouting showcase is designed to discover and evaluate potential NFL talent globally. Forty-four athletes will be selected to participate in a series of tests in front of NFL evaluators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 3-4.
“Hosting the International Combine in London for the second year provides tremendous exposure for our great game,” said Roman Oben, NFL Vice President of Football Development. “The Combine allows us to evaluate new talent globally, shine a spotlight on our sport and provide an opportunity for participants to compete at the highest level.”
Athletes representing as many as 13 countries will be evaluated for a potential position in the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program.
Instituted in 2017, the IPP program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.
Following the International Combine, a select number of athletes who meet specific performance requirements and display the potential to play in the NFL, will be invited to train in the United States for three months. This group will be reduced yet again following the training phase in the US and a select number will be allocated to NFL clubs for the 2023 season.
The International Combine is the first step in the process towards participation in the IPP program that has helped players such as Efe Obada (UK/Washington Commanders), Jakob Johnson (Germany/Las Vegas Raiders) and Jordan Mailata (Australia/Philadelphia Eagles) earn an NFL roster spot.
This year Marcel Dabo (Germany/Indianapolis Colts), Adedayo Odeleye (United Kingdom/Houston Texans), Thomas Odukoya (Netherlands/Tennessee Titans) and Ayo Oyelola (United Kingdom/Jacksonville Jaguars) will join the practice squads of their AFC South teams.
The 2022 International Combine will be the fourth iteration, after one in Australia in 2018 and in Germany in 2019. The NFL conducted a Combine in Mexico in October of 2021 for athletes unable to make it to London due to travel restrictions. This is the second time the event will be hosted in London; the combine will be closed to the public.
