The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they added defensive back Ayo Oyelola to their roster via the International Player Pathway program this week.
He was introduced to the game of football at the University of Nottingham. Oyelola then participated in the 2021 International Player pathway training phase but was not allocated to a team. He spent the last season in the Canadian Football League, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and helping them win the Grey Cup.
Oyelola will be on Jacksonville’s roster until the end of training camp. At the end of it, he is eligible for the international player practice squad exemption, granting the team an extra practice squad player.
The International Player Pathway program started in 2017. Each season, four international players are assigned to teams within a division with this season being the AFC South. This is part of the NFL’s plan to strengthen the pipeline of international players and aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete in the league.
