For two days earlier this week, the NFL International Career Program (IPP) met in London for your annual harvester.
Forty-four athletes from more than 14 different countries descended on Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the north London and underwent rigorous testing in an attempt to move on to the next stage of the IPP in the LeCharles Bentley training center in Arizona next year.
Of the 44 athletes there were several standouts on both sides of the ball. As part of IPA continuous coverage of IPP We’ve broken down the top five players in both offense and defense.
Kenneth Odumegwu (Nigeria) – DL
At 6’5 tall and weighing 265 pounds with minimal body fat and plenty of muscle, Kenneth Odumegwu is already an intriguing prospect.
His unofficial 4.8 40-yard dash, 33.5 vertical inches, and impressive command of his body will likely land him a pass for Arizona without ever having played a snap of soccer.
Defensive lineman Tim Haenni of Switzerland during the International Player Combine. Via NFL UK
Emmanuel Falola (UK) – LB
Linebacker is a difficult position to conquer due to the necessary exposure to football. But Emmanuel Falola, last year’s participant IPP The Combine has added another year of football to his résumé and appears to be moving fast and smooth, too.
Ebuka Emmanuel Nzekwe (Nigeria) – DB
Manny Nzekwe recorded the combine’s highest vertical jump with an unofficial 40 inches. This is not surprising considering educational basketball I found it on Instagram exhibiting acrobatic dunks.
Nzekwe was suffering from a groin injury and still displayed fluid hips and blistering straight line speed. the IPP would be lost if they did not invite Nzekwe, 23, to Arizona.
Kevin Forte (France) – DB
Forte is probably the best player now among all the athletes. He has arguably the most experience at the combine playing for a plethora of teams around the world. Europemost recently the european soccer league finalists, the Hamburg Sea Devils.
This experience was shown in French who seemed to be a seasoned pro at every exercise. The explorers will have seen the closest thing to a American defensive back in Forte and for that reason you can invite him to Arizona.
Ifeanyi Paul Anine (Nigeria) – DB
Ifeanyi Anine put a NFL Combine-like performance with an unofficial 4.5-inch floor and 38-inch vertical. Doing this on a 6’2 frame weighing 200lbs makes it a prototype NFL safety.
As with all Up Rise Academy players, their lack of gaming experience will actually work to their advantage, as scouts assess little beyond their raw ability, which is anything but poor.
Tim Haenni (Switzerland) – DL
As one of the main components of the Hamburg Sea Devils defense this year, Tim Haenni wreaked havoc in one of the best soccer leagues outside of North America.
Rumor has it that he ran a 4.8 40-yard dash in a 6’4 in a 280-pound frame. if the young SwissThe natural defensive tackle accomplished this, he’ll almost certainly get an invite on that merit alone.