Patriots promote Johnson

JAKOB Johnson is the latest member of the New England Patriots. AFP

NEW YORK (AFP) — Defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots signed German running back Jakob Johnson, becoming the first player to enter the National Football League (NFL) through the International Pathway Program.

The 24-year-old fullback from Stuttgart had been on the Patriots’ practice squad and will serve as a replacement for injured James Develin in their game against the New York Jets. Develin has a neck injury.

The NFL’s pathway program began in 2017 to help boost opportunities to reach the NFL for players from other nations who might not have grown up playing American football.

Nigerian defensive end Efe Obada played for Carolina last year after taking part in the program, but he signed with Dallas as a free agent in 2015 and spent time with Atlanta and Kansas City in 2016 before the advent of the pathway program, which he joined to bolster his developmental time with Carolina.

The program allows clubs to carry an international player as an extra 11th practice squad player to develop and work with the team, but not eligible to promote to the main squad.

The Patriots, however, used Johnson among their regular 10 practice squad players, giving them the option of promoting him.

Johnson moved to Florida as a high school senior and played as a linebacker and tight end for the University of Tennessee before returning to his hometown last year, playing for an American football squad there, the Stuttgart Scorpions.