Mexico’s Héctor Zepeda has been selected by the NFL to participate in the 2023 International Player Pathway Program, the league’s Mexico office said Tuesday in a statement. Zepeda, who has the versatility to play center, guard or offense, thus follows in the footsteps of Mexican offensive linemates Isaac Alarcón and Alfredo Gutiérrez, who through the same program earned rosters for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, respectively, in recent years. Zepeda played for Borregos del Tecnológico de Monterrey. After attending the International Combine which took place in England last October, Zepeda – who grew up in Tijuana – will begin a 10-week training course in the United States in January to try to impress scouts from NFL clubs, trying to get a chance with one of the teams in the championship. At the International Combine, which was held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Zepeda competed with 37 other players from 13 countries for the opportunity to enter the International Player Pathway Programme. “The International Player Pathway program is an important part of our continued focus on growing the game globally and creating a path for international athletes to play in the NFL,” said Arturo Olivé, general manager of NFL Mexico, through the declaration. “We are thrilled to see Hector Zepeda represent Mexico in the International Player Pathway Program for 2023 and look forward to seeing him compete for a future spot on the NFL roster.” The next step for Zepeda will be to try to earn an NFL offseason roster spot, through the program, or sign a free agent deal directly with a franchise, as happened with Chilean Sammis Reyes at the time. If Zepeda is selected, it can be assigned to one of the teams from at least one of eight divisions in the league, chosen at random, that will host international players who earn a spot in the international program. Subsequently, he could progress to the training squad through a special exemption as an international player or a place in a club’s active squad. In addition to Zepeda, 10 other athletes were selected for the 2023 International Player Pathway Program. They were: David Ebuka Agoha (Defensive Guard, Nigeria), Chukwuebuka Jason Godrick (Offensive Lineman, Nigeria), Basil ‘CJ’ Okoye (Offensive Lineman, Nigeria ), Kenneth Odumegwu (defensive line, Nigeria), Patrick Murtagh (wide receiver/tight end, Australia), Talitiga Lachlan Amosa (defensive line, Australia), Etuale Junior Vinny Lui (defensive line, New Zealand), Haggai Chisom Ndubisi ( offensive lineman, Nigeria), Kehinde Oginni Hassan (defensive lineman, Nigeria) and Marlon Werthmann (offensive lineman, Germany). Along with Alarcón and Gutiérrez, there are currently 16 players on NFL rosters who have joined the league through the International Player Pathway Program, with three of them making active rosters for their respective teams. We are talking about the Australian Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles, the British Efe Obada of the Washington Commanders and the German Jakob Johnson of the Las Vegas Raiders. The International Player Pathway Program was established in 2017 with the goal of identifying elite athletes from outside the United States and giving them a chance to hone their skills to compete for a spot in the NFL. Since its creation, 26 international players have been assigned to league teams.
