Uar Bernard (21 years old) has just been selected in the 7th round of the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite having no experience in American football, the Nigerian caught the franchise’s eye with impressive physical abilities.
He stepped onto the Eagles’ helmet stage holding the Nigerian flag on his shoulders, never losing his wide smile. On Saturday, Uar Bernard (21 years old) was selected in the 7th round (251st pick) of the NFL draft by Philadelphia. He is now set to enter the most prestigious league of American football without any prior experience in the sport.
After playing basketball (encouraged by one of his coaches to try American football), the new Eagles’ player trained in several camps organized by the NFL in Africa between 2023 and 2025. However, he never played a single second in an official match. “I have never played American football before, but I have undergone training that convinced me I will improve every day,” the main interest after the draft disclosed, as reported by NBC. “This is a dream come true for me because I have worked hard for it.”
Context: Uar Bernard has been selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the NFL draft despite having no prior experience in American football.
“If Uar Bernard managed to convince the Eagles without any experience, it is primarily thanks to impressive physical abilities, standing at 1.95 meters tall, weighing 138 kg, and with a body fat percentage below 6%. According to the NFL’s official website, he also excelled in pre-draft tests with a 99 cm vertical jump, 31 repetitions of 102 kg in bench press, and a remarkable time of 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard sprint, averaging 28.4 km/h with a standing start.”
All these data were collected during the International Player Pathway program (IPP). Established in 2017, this program identifies elite talents globally to offer selected athletes the opportunity to develop, with the ultimate goal of securing a place in an NFL team. Uar Bernard took part in this program for 10 weeks between January and March in Fort Myers, Florida, catching the Eagles’ attention to strengthen their offensive line.
“We wanted to take a chance with this young man,” said Howie Roseman, the franchise’s general manager. “Clearly, he has a lot of physical attributes. We understand that this will take time. It will take a lot of time here.”
Fact Check: The International Player Pathway program is designed to identify talented athletes globally and help them develop their skills for a chance to join an NFL team.
“The Philadelphia Eagles, who won the Super Bowl in 2024, are no strangers to this practice. In 2018, Jordan Mailata joined the Eagles after participating in the IPP. Coming from Australian football, he was selected at the 233rd spot in the draft. Eight years later, he became a starter and one of the best left tackles in the NFL.”
Uar Bernard and Jordan Mailata have already conversed. “So I believe what he told me about going through the IPP, joining the NFL as an international player, makes him a true role model for me, considering what he is achieving today in the NFL,” the Nigerian mentioned. Now, he aspires to follow the same path as his predecessor.
