In 2017, the NFL established the International Pathway Program to ‘provide elite athletes from around the world the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league.’ The popularity of the sport and of the NFL has grown exponentially in recent years and the league have capitalized on this by launching the initiative in a bid to scout the best international talent. This growth started with the addition of the international series in 2008 when the NFL announced that two regular season games would be played at Wembley Stadium in London every year. Since then, we have seen games in Germany and Mexico and even had English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur redevelop their ground to include an American football pitch. The state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind and is a testament to just how much the game has grown overseas. Last year’s Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs are set to play a game in Frankfurt, Germany this year and with NFL odds having them down as favorites to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy once again in 2024 fans are in for a treat.
The IPP has worked wonders in helping players gain exposure in the NFL. Many of them have transitioned from being pro athletes in soccer and rugby to being signed as American football players by NFL teams. This of course would have been nearly impossible without the help of the IPP which gave them the opportunity to prove that they belong in the NFL.
There have been players from all around the world to have seen success from the IPP. The UK, Germany, Australia and Mexico have all exported talent to the US through the program. However, Nigeria has now become one of the most benefitting nations. Let’s take a look at some of the Nigerian players who have made it to the league from the program.
Efe Obada
Raised in the Netherlands and UK, Nigerian born Efe Obada was the first player to go straight from a European football league to the NFL. He stated at the London Warriors of the BAFA National League in 2014 before appearing on practice squads for the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. However, it was in 2017 when he got his big break after being signed by the Carolina Panthers through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He was waived and re-signed to the practice squad before making the 53-man roster in 2018, the first ever IPP player to do so. He has since played for the Buffalo Bills and now the Washington Commanders, recording 86 tackles and 15 sacks in his career.
Roy Mbaeteka
Born in Anambra, Nigeria, Mbaeteka had never played football at high school or college level before entering the IPP. However, at 6-foot-8 and 331lbs, coaches eyes lit up at the prospect of him in their offensive line. He was signed by the New York Giants in April 2022 through the program before being cut, but was then signed recently by the Chicago Bears through the program. At 23, there is still plenty of time for Mbaeteka to progress and get onto a 53-man roster in the future and his physicals will do him a world of favours.
2023 Class
The most recent class of IPP hopefuls are dominated by Nigerian players. The NFL announced that of the 11-man class, six of them hailed from the nation including the aforementioned Roy Mbaeteka. The rest of them were as followed:
- Basil Chijioke Okoye – Los Angeles Chargers
- Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi – Denver Broncos
- David Ebuka Agoha – Las Vegas Raiders
- Chukwuebuka Godrick – Kansas City Chiefs
- Kenneth Odumegwu – Green Bay Packers
The NFL has a rich history of Nigerian players even before the IPP. In 2022 there were eight players in the league who had once called Nigeria home, many of them being drafted in the previous couple of years. They came decorated too with the likes of Joseph Ossai being named a Consensus All-American in 2020 with Texas before being picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. Osa Odighizuwa and Levi Onwuzurike of the Cowboys and Detroit Lions respectively were First-team All-Pac-12 players in their college days and are having successful early careers as DT’s in the league.
However, arguably the best and most successful player to come out of Nigeria is wide receiver Nelson Agholor. A first round pick (20th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, he went on to start in and win Super Bowl LII when they beat the Patriots 41-33. He was recently traded to the Baltimore Ravens and continues to be Nigeria’s most famous export in the NFL.
There is clearly plenty of talent in Nigeria and thanks to the International Pathway Program, we are finally seeing it showcased on the biggest stage. With the 2023 class so rich with gifted Nigerian players, we may just see yet another Super Bowl winner in the not too distant future.