Dallas Cowboys to carry an international player from Mexico on practice squad in 2020
The Dallas Cowboys are one of four teams that will carry an additional overseas player on their practice squads in 2020 as part of the International Player Pathway program, the NFL has announced.
Isaac Alarcon, an offensive tackle who last season was on Mexico’s college football national championship squad, will join the Cowboys.
Alarcon represented Mexico at the U19 World Championships, in which he faced Team USA, Canada and Japan. He attended ITESM Monterrey, where he won the 2019 national championship and was selected to the CONADEIP all-star team.
In a random draw, the NFC East was chosen to receive these players. In addition to Alarcon, David Bada, a former defensive end for the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League, will join the Washington Redskins. Australian Matt Leon, who played football for the Iowa State Cyclones, will join the Philadelphia Eagles and former Austrian U19 national team running back Sandro Platzgummer will join the New York Giants.
The four clubs will carry these overseas players on their roster until the end of training camp. At that time, the players are eligible for an international player practice squad exemption, which would grant the team an extra practice squad member who would be ineligible to be activated during the 2020 season.
After the NFL conducted an International Combine in Germany last October, the players received additional training and development alongside NFL players and draft hopefuls at IMG Academy in Florida over the winter.
The International Player Pathway Program was instituted in 2017 and aims to provide international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL-level, improve their skills and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 10:53 AM.
