The NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPP) recently hosted a invite only combine for 15 athletes at the NFL Academy in Loughborough, United Kingdom.
The elite athletes at the combine hoping to impress scouts came from myriad backgrounds including rugby, basketball, track, baseball, and others, including two Olympics throwers. Several top athletes from 11 countries in Europe were in attendance including those from the UK, Germany, Estonia, France, Kenya, Netherlands, Bahamas, Jamaica, Angola, Brazil, and Scotland.
Instituted in 2017, the NFL International Player Pathway program is designed to allow elite international athletes to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.
NFL IPP Lead Scout Mark Dulgerian:
“The group this year I thought was particularly strong. I anticipate having more NFL IPP invites from this group than the last few years.”
Last year’s NFL IPP group featured rugby sensation Louis Reese Zammit, as well as the UK’s Travis Clayton who was selected late in the Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
“Last year was maybe our best year. I’ve been doing this since 2022 and last year we had 15 participants in the IPP camp, 11 ended up on an NFL team in some capacity. Currently there are seven from last year’s class that are under contract with the team. So the 11 of the 15 end up on a team, whether that’s working mini camp or, you know, they were drafted or signed as a free agent.”
Dulgerian sees high potential in American Football players abroad, but also continues to eye crossover athletes as potential NFL players, such as Louis Reese Zammit.
“The top athletes are playing the top sports in their country. Those are the calibre of athletes we are looking to attract to the program. We will host private workout in the Summer and often be teaching these guys the basics of football. That’s where you can see if they have the competitive fire to improve and learn quickly, doing things they’ve never done before.
“Seeing them slowly fall in love with the game is amazing.”
The NFL IPP will hold another combine at the NFL Academy in Australia later this year. They will also be holding regional workouts and visiting South Africa to workout 2025 IPP prospects.