The NFL has announced that it will be holding its second International Combine of the year on October 23 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
The league uses these combines to identify players for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.
In a statement, NFL Mexico and the ONEFA (Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano) reported that they are working together to find Mexican players who qualify to play in the NFL like fellow Mexicans, Isaac Alarcón, offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman, Alfredo Gutiérrez.
As part of the International Player Pathway Program, this will be the second international combine held by the NFL this year. The first took place last week in London, England and 44 athletes from a range of European countries took part.
Arturo Olivé , General Director of NFL Mexico:
“We appreciate the collaboration and support of ONEFA headed by Dr. Juan Bladé, his governing body and all the higher education institutions grouped in this organization, who provided us with all the facilities to hold this event in Mexico.”
A total of 10 players from the ONEFA’s top division and three from Brazil will take the conventional NFL Scouting Combine tests at Banorte Stadium, home of the Borregos del Tec de Monterrey, with a view to being selected for the next step in the program.
The International Player Pathway program was launched in 2017 with the aim of finding international athletes who could eventually play in the NFL.
Damani Leech, NFL Chief Operating Officer of International:
“Since its creation in 2017, this program has been a part of the league’s continuous efforts to strengthen the pipeline of international players in the NFL. We look forward to providing athletes from around the world with the opportunity to showcase their skills as we continue to grow the game globally.”
Notable International Player Pathway Program participants currently on NFL rosters include Germany’s Jakob Johnson who plays for the New England Patriots and Jordan Mailata from Australia who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.