NFL International Player Pathway spotlight: Hector Zepeda, OL, Mexico

| American Football | 12/18/2022

The NFL announced that Hector Zepeda, a 6’4″, 290-pound Mexican offensive lineman was selected as one of the 11 invitees to this year’s NFL International Player Pathway program (NFL IPP).

Zepeda’s impressive NFL International combine performance in 2021 first caught the eye of scouts, as he was part of last year’s NFL IPP program. Now he’s back in the NFL’s developmental program taking a second swing at his NFL dreams.

Hailing from one of Mexico’s college football programs Monterrey Tech University NFL prospect Hector Zepeda comes from a program with an abundance of pride, skill, and talent. The 24-year-old has been a staple in the Borregos program starting at guard and tackle for what many have called “the Alabama” of Mexico’s college football system.

Instituted in 2017, the NFL International Player Pathway program aims to give elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.

So far, the program has helped players such as Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles/Australia), Sammis Reyes (Chicago Bears/Chile), and Jakob Johnson (New England Patriots/Germany) earn roster spots in the NFL.

Zepeda hopes to follow in the footsteps of former teammates Isaac Alarcón and Alfredo Gutierrez and join them in the pros. The 24-year-old played with Alarcón and next to Gutierrez in 2019 as part of a stacked Borregos offensive line. Now after watching their success, he’s hoping to and become the third Mexican offensive lineman from Monterrey Tech’s principal campus to burst into the NFL. If the Borregos heavy trend continues, Zepeda is likely to be picked up by an NFL team.

After not being allocated to an NFL Team following the NFL IPP pro day in the spring of this year, Zepeda was drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL in the Global Draft. However, he returned to Monterrey Tech University and played a key role in the Borregos march to the national championship.

Watch Zepeda’s College Highlights Here: 

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