Nearly 50 athletes from 14 countries invited to participate

The NFL International Combine is headed to London. 

The invitational scouting showcase, mirrored after the annual NFL Combine staged in the United States, is designed to discover and evaluate potential NFL talent from around the globe.  Up to 50 athletes will be selected to participate in a series of tests in front of NFL evaluators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 12.

“We are excited to host the International Combine in London next month,” said DAMANI LEECH, NFL Chief Operating Officer of International. “Through the event, we hope to discover new talent, create more global exposure of the game and provide an opportunity for participants to compete at the highest level.”

Athletes will be evaluated for a potential position in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Instituted in 2017, the program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.

Following the International Combine, a select number of athletes who meet specific performance standards and display the potential to play in the NFL, will be invited to train in the United States for three months as part of the International Player Pathway program. The group of athletes will be reduced yet again following the training phase in the US and a select number will be allocated to NFL clubs for the 2022 season.

The International Combine is the first step in the process towards participation in the IPP program that has helped players such as EFE OBADA (UK/Buffalo Bills), JAKOB JOHNSON (Germany/New England Patriots), JORDAN MAILATA (Australia/Philadelphia Eagles) and SAMMIS REYES (Chile/Washington Football Team) earn a place in the NFL.

The 2021 event, which is closed to the public, will be the third iteration of the NFL International Combine, after hosting one in Australia in 2018 and in Germany in 2019. The NFL will also conduct a Combine in Mexico later in October for athletes unable to make it to London due to travel restrictions.

COURTESY NFLmedia.com