Panthers sign pass rusher through NFL's International Player Pathway Program
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.
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.
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.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Packers to reportedly release 2-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander
The Green Bay Packers are cutting ties with cornerback Jaire Alexander. The two-time Pro Bowler will reportedly be released Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It marks quite the fall for Alexander, a former first-round draft pick who was one of the team's best players as recently as the 2022 season, when he was selected to his second Pro Bowl. But injuries have plagued Alexander over the past two years. Back and shoulder issues limited Alexander to seven games in 2023. A knee issue caused Alexander to play in just seven games in 2024. Advertisement Prior to those injuries, Alexander had emerged as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. After a promising rookie season in 2018, Alexander started in all 16 games in his second season. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2020 and was second team All-Pro. He was limited to just four games in 2021 due to a shoulder injury, but bounced back in 2022 to play in all 16 games, once again earning Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro team honors. After signing a four-year, $84 million extension in 2022, Alexander was set to make over $16 million in 2025. The Packers reportedly offered Alexander a restructured deal in May, which would have resulted in Alexander taking a pay cut. It appears Alexander did not want to take that deal, leading to his reported release. The last two seasons in which Alexander played double-digit games, he made the Pro Bowl. That should give the 28-year-old multiple options now that he's reportedly hit the free-agent market. Given his injury struggles, Alexander may need to settle for a short-term deal. If he can stay healthy and return to form, Alexander could fetch a much larger contract on the market next season.
Washington Post
28 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Jim Irsay's three daughters will take over ownership of the Colts, team says
The three daughters of late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will take over ownership of the franchise, the team announced Monday. Irsay's eldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, will succeed her father as the team's principal owner and will have the title of chief executive officer, the Colts said. The Colts said that 'all three sisters will share leadership duties for the club,' adding that the ownership transition was being done 'pursuant to longstanding plans set forth by Jim Irsay.' The new roles and titles for the three women are 'effective immediately,' according to the team.
USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why do the Panthers shoot toy rats at Brad Marchand after wins?
Why do the Panthers shoot toy rats at Brad Marchand after wins? Brad Marchand has been exactly what the Florida Panthers needed him to be after the franchise dealt for the longtime Boston Bruin and Stanley Cup champion at the 2025 trade deadline. And as the Panthers try to win their second straight Cup, there's a new tradition that's sprouted up involving rats. No, not the real rodent. It's sort of related to the tradition of Panthers die-hards throwing plastic rats on the ice after a win at home. But after Marchand was acquired, his teammates started shooting those rats at him after victories. Why is that? Let's dive in and discuss all of that: When did the Panthers start shooting rats at Brad Marchand? It began when teammate Evan Rodrigues did it after Marchand was acquired, and the rest of the Panthers started following suit, and they're hitting those rats quite hard. What has Brad Marchand said about getting rats hit at him? From ESPN: And something a little more light-hearted: "They just see all my family out there on the ice and want us to be together," Marchand said. Why do the Panthers shoot rats at Brad Marchand in the first place? It could be because Marchand has been nicknamed "The Rat," or Rodrigues sparked something that just fit the Panthers' fun approach as they've made a run. From that ESPN article:
