NFC South teams get an extra international practice squad player this season

The NFL announced Thursday that each of the teams in the NFC South will carry an additional practice squad member for the 2017 season. This move is part of a new International Player Pathway program to help expand the NFL’s reach outside of the United States.

This 11th practice squad member cannot be placed on the team’s active roster. That’s how the league will ensure parity despite giving four teams an extra player.

The NFC South was chosen for this program in a random draw, and the players have already been selected by each team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome linebacker Eric Nzeocha, a linebacker out of Wyoming. Nzeocha began his college career as a tight end, but made the transition to linebacker and flourished. Nzeocha hails from Germany, where he grew up playing for the Franken Knights Youth Team. He was selected to play on the German Junior National Team that placed forth in the U19 European Championship.

“It is overwhelming, one of the greatest moments of my life,” Nzeocha said about landing with the Buccaneers.

The Falcons will bring in star rugby player Alex Gray from the United Kingdom to play tight end. Gray was a captain for England’s U16, U18, U20, and International Sevens squads. He made the decision to switch to American football fairly recently.

“I have been working hard for this goal and to be told it was going to happen was an amazing moment,” Gray said. “This is the start of another journey. It is a fantastic thing that is happening, but I am not going to get to where I want to be without keeping myself grounded.”

The Panthers signed defensive end Efe Obada from the United Kingdom. Obada spent some time with the Cowboys, Falcons, and Chiefs as an undrafted free agent after a brief career playing amateur ball for the London Warriors.

“It’s a chance to develop my skills and it is going to be nice to be in that NFL environment again,” Obada said.

The Saints landed defensive end Alex Jenkins, who played youth football in the UK. A football camp in Virginia was his pathway to a scholarship at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Now he’s eager to be with a team that has a game scheduled in his home country this year.

“I always thought I would be trying to do this on my own until NFL International found me,” Jenkins said. “The fact that the Saints will be playing in London this season makes it even more exciting for me.”

All four players have been training in Florida with former Giants and Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora and the head of football development for NFL UK, Aden Durde.