We are almost there. The players are already in that headspace. Super Bowl LIX – Chiefs vs Eagles. If the Chiefs win, they would become the 1st team ever to win 3 Super Bowls in a row. It would be their 4 Super Bowl in 6 years – a dynasty with an everlasting legacy. On the flip side, for the Eagles, it’s personal. They lost to the Chiefs in 2023, that too in the final 10 seconds of the game.

Philadelphia can win and can undo all the heartbreak of 2023. So much is at stake. So many records are on the line. For some players, it may be the last outing. So many subplots, and such an enticing narrative, no wonder it has a global pull. But to say it’s global sitting just because of its standards would be wrong. Literally, players from other continents are here in Super Bowl LIX, and they are as crucial to the outcome of the game as anybody else.

Notable International Players in Super Bowl 59

The Super Bowl LIX isn’t all American, it is a mix of players across the international borders. This time, there are 4 international players gracing the gridiron and out of which, three are from the Philly side.

Sydney Brown – Hailing from Ontario, Canada, he is the Eagles Safety. Sydney and his twin brother Chase were born in abject poverty, but football became their ticket out of the misery. Sydney’s mother sent the twins to Florida and from there, destiny, talent, and hard work came together to change their lives forever. He played college football at Illinois and was a 3rd round (66th) pick by the Eagles in 2023. In the 2024 season, Sydney had 6 solo tackles with 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.

Jordan Mailata – This offensive tackle comes from Australia, the land of rugby, and Jordan himself has played rugby professionally. However, he wanted the NFL and even had to go against his family’s wishes initially to realize his dream. Leaving his home at 20 years of age, he earned his place in the Philly roster through grit and sweat. A Super Bowl will be a sweet redemption story for this foreigner.

Moro Ojomo – Another defensive tackle, this time from Nigeria. Ojomo came to the USA when he was 8 years old with his parents. He became a sought-after player since his college days at Texas and was drafted by the Eagles in 2023. In the 17 regular season games, this Nigerian DT recorded 20 tackles total (6 solo). Ojomo is not just about football. He has a major in business finance and wants to be a corporate lawyer after hanging up his boots.

George Karlaftis – The last foreigner, but probably the most important name on the list. This Chiefs Defensive End from Greece is also the sack leader for the team this season. He was drafted in the 2nd round (30th) by the Chiefs in 2022. Since then, Karlaftis has become rather popular for his sacking abilities. He also was the joint sack leader in 2023 for the Franchise, tied with veteran star Chris Jones. The Chiefs will be banking on Karlaftis’ A-game to contain the Philly offense.

As you can see, they have their part to play in this huge game. At least one of them will add a Super Bowl ring to their collection, although they have all proved themselves to be here. They had worked their way through the special program that the NFL had built, without which the dreams that they are living today would not have been possible.

How Does International Players Enter the NFL

The NFL knows it’s not just the American kids who dream of being a superstar of gridiron football. Kids, boys, youngsters of all ethnic backgrounds, races, countries dream of the shot to be in the NFL. So, the NFL helped make their dreams a reality, creating the International Player Pathway Program (IPP Program). In simple terms, it is a scouting operation for identifying and picking the future foreign NFL stars.

Since the program’s launch, 37 international players have become part of the NFL. Having their origin in countries like Austria, Mexico, and Germany, the NFL has seen players from 25 countries. The NFL is for all. Some of the international players who made it big include Younghoe Koo from South Korea, who got the Pro-Bowl honors in 2020. Danielle Hunter from Jamaica is a 2-time Pro-Bowler.

In the words of Damani Leech, CEO of NFL International, “The International Player Pathway Program provides athletes with a viable route to the NFL and an opportunity to further develop their skills.” The NFL even ensures more international players can make their way into the NFL by giving an extra offseason roster spot for the IPP player. If such an IPP player makes it to the practice squad, the NFL again allows scope for IPP exemption. Result. – more than half of the teams have international players in the offseason/practice squad because of IPP.

College football is a major entry point for international athletes, and that is where the NFL focuses its IPP Program, and it has been a successful exercise. But lately, the focus has been to develop the mechanism to identify talents outside the U.S. The NFL is trying to build a robust system of scouting and recruitment for picking international talents from international zones. And that’s where NFL International Combine and initiatives like NFL Africa come in.

NFL Africa has conducted events in Ghana and Kenya in recent years. The event included camps, and NFL FLAG clinics, apart from fan events. The program ventured into Nigeria in 2024. The NFL International Combine is basically the NFL Combine, but for identifying talents for the IPP Program.