NFL International Combine Invites: European Offensive Players

| American Football | 09/26/2022

This year’s NFL International Combine will return to London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Twenty European prospects make the short trip to London in hopes of impressing NFL scouts and being selected for the NFL International Player Pathway program.

The European prospects invited this year hail from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. They hope to follow the Europeans have made their mark on the NFL through the program including, Efe Obada (UK, Washington Commanders), Jakob Johnson (Germany, Las Vegas Raiders) and others.

Because we have such a long list of European talent on the NFL’s radar this year, let’s take a look at the European invites on the offensive side of the ball.

Tyrese Johnson-Fisher 5’10 215 RB UK

Once a viral teenage rugby star, Johnson-Fisher is still a gifted athlete. After his rugby highlights amassed millions of views, the London native transitioned to football playing in the UA All-American game as its first-ever international player. 

He spent one season at Coastal Carolina (NCAA D1) and another at Copiah Lincoln (Juco) before returning to Europe this year. 

Last season the 22-year-old played for the Istanbul Rams rushing for 126 yards and two scores in four games in the ELF before leaving the club. He ended the season playing for the UK powerhouse and Efe Obada’s old club the London Warriors. 

There is no doubt that Tyrese is an eye-popping athlete, however, fumbling issues remained both stateside and in the European League of Football.

Read more on Tyrese Johnson-Fisher: 

John-Levi Kruse: 6’2 245 TE/FB Germany

Levi-Kruse is a physical blocker who helped paved the way for the European League of Football’s leading rusher Glen Toogna. The Hamburg native caught 12 passes for 113 yards and three scores for the Sea Devils this season. Kruse was selected in the CFL Global Draft this spring but chose to stay in Germany and chase the NFL IPP for a second time, after participating in the combine last season.
 Read more on the German talent

Gabriel Rodriguez 6’6 325 OL Spain

The 22-year-old spent this season playing for the Barcelona Dragons in the European League of Football. Rodriguez was a solid right tackle for the Dragons as they made a postseason run. He hopes to be the first Spanish player selected for the program. Rodriguez was a part of a Dragons offensive line that produced one of the top five offenses in the league. He was also named to the ELF All-Star team. 

Tobias Rodlauer: 6’4 295 OL Austria

The young Austrian spent this past season playing for the Berlin Thunder of the European League of Football. The 22-year-old previously played junior college football at New Mexico Military Institute and received scholarship offers from NCAA D1 schools such as Western Kentucky, ​​Abilene Christian, and Central Arkansas. Rodlauer hopes to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Sandro Platzgummer and Bernard Seikovits to break into the NFL. 

Watch Rodlauer’s highlights here:

Andy Owusu: 6’1 220 RB UK

Owusu is a Great Britain national team running back with experience playing in Finland and his home country of England. The 25-year-old tailback most recently played for Kent Exiles and London Warriors in the UK. Owusu also previously worked out for the CFL Global Draft and last year’s NFL International combine. Watch his highlights here:

Leander Wiegand 6’5 295 OL Germany

Wiegand was a solid tackle for Cologne’s ELF club last season. The talented lineman has had his eyes set on the NFL IPP program for some time stating his intention to make it to the prestigious NFL development program last spring. Wiegand left the University of Central Florida (NCAA D1) after only one season to play in the ELF and pursue the NFL’s international program rather than staying and playing college football. We’ll see how he’s able to position himself as a NFL IPP prospect as he brings intriguing size and experience to the table.

Marlon Werthmann 6’4 290 OL Germany

Werthmann is a product of one of Germany’s top youth programs in the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns. The 20-year-old is known as a workout warrior bench pressing over 400 pounds and deadlifting over 600 pounds. He is currently a starting guard for the undefeated Unicorns in the German Football League. 

Luca Jokiel: 6’7 325 OL Germany

Jokiel stands out on film as the biggest player on the field by a wide margin. Looking at his film he looks like the most physical player on the line, however, Jokiel is playing in Germany’s third league (Heidelberg Hunters) a huge step down from the other Europeans on this list. 

Ludovic Kancel: 6’10 300 OL France

Kancel is a talented French basketball player with experience playing for Rueil Athletic Club’s team this past year. The 22-year-old has an enormous frame and nimble feet for his size. Kancel also represented France during 3×3 basketball tournaments. Kancel is a prospect to keep an eye on as he has the athletic ability to hang with pros on the court. With no football background Kancel will have to test well to earn a spot in the NFL IPP program. 

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and