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Panthers sign pass rusher through NFL's International Player Pathway Program
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- Panthers sign pass rusher through NFL's International Player Pathway Program
The newest Carolina Panthers pass rusher has taken a less than conventional path to the NFL.
As announced on Monday, linebacker Mapalo "Maz" Mwansa has signed with the Panthers through the league's International Player Pathway program.
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Mwansa is an English native of Zambian descent. He grew up in Peterborough, England—where he played a number of sports including rugby, soccer, basketball, track and field and cricket.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the 20-year-old Mwansa stated that he learned football through watching the Netflix series Last Chance U and Quarterback .
"I would never have thought I would be doing this four or five years ago," Mwansa told the AP. "Even two years ago, football was not in the picture for me. The journey's been a complete whistle-stop tour, and I'm trying to soak in as much as I can and just enjoy every bit of the process."
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder has been a member of the Nottingham Caesars, a British American football club, and England's national team for the 2024 European championships.
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Mwansa turned some heads at the Canadian Football League's combine in the United Kingdom. He would then land an invite from the NFL to the IPP program.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers sign pass rusher via International Player Pathway Program
