The Peterborough, England native who learned about American Football by watching Netflix is now an NFL player.
The NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) should sound familiar to Carolina Panthers fans. This program designed to reach international talent allows certain teams to carry 91 players on their roster in the offseason, versus the standard 90, by adding an international prospect.
The IPP is what brought former Panthers defensive end Efe Obada to Carolina back in 2018. Obada had a nice three year run with the Panthers appearing in 42 games with 7.5 sacks. After spending the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills, Obada has spent the last three years with the Washington Commanders.
As Efe Obada demonstrated, the IPP can work when raw talent is discovered then developed.
The Panthers are hoping to strike gold again after signing linebacker Mapalo “Maz” Mwansa via the IPP.
What do we know about Maz Mwansa?
Based on a brief profile on the Panthers website, Mwansa is a native of Peterborough, England. The 20-year-old has played a number of sports including many British favorites (favourites?) like rugby, soccer, basketball, track and field, and cricket. He reportedly learned about “American football” by watching Netflix programs like “Last Chance U” and “Quarterback”.
The Panthers press release notes that Maz’s LinkedIn profile listed him as an Accountant before his recent career change to NFL player.
I wonder if he can handle debits and credits faster than his 40-yard dash?
And, it should be noted, his 40 time is impressive after running a 4.45 at the CFL combine.
The Panthers website lists Maz at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds.
Mapalo recently spent time playing football for the Nottingham Caesars in the British American Football Association and with the Great Britain National Team, so he does have some practical on-field experience. His talent and athleticism have reportedly flashed during the games, combines, and practices where Panthers scouts evaluated him.
Additional information from the NFL’s website listed him as one of the four “players to watch” at the IPP Pro Day while also nothing that Mwansa has spent time as a powerlifter. He has been on NFL radars in recent months to the point that he was invited to attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay as a representative of the IPP.
Here’s to hoping Mwansa and the Panthers can use the IPP’s roster flexibility and develop him into a viable NFL player. Carolina did it before with Efe Obada.
After Maz makes the 53-man roster, earns All-Pro honors, and leads the Panthers to multiple Super Bowls, the documentary about his life would make quite the Netflix show.