Nate Landman was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1998 to a South African father who was playing international rugby. The family moved to Danville, California, when Landman was three after his father accepted an engineering job, and they preserved Zimbabwean culture at home. Landman stands out as the only active NFL player with Zimbabwe roots and has faced surprise and disbelief about his background. The NFL has relatively few foreign-born players (about 3–4%) and is trying to increase international representation through the International Player Pathway program. Landman grew up between California suburbia and African traditions, maintaining cultural identity through food and home decor.
For Nate Landman, surprise has become routine. The Los Angeles Rams linebacker has lost count of the raised eyebrows, smirks, and awkward pauses when people learn where his story begins. They don't believe me at first, Landman said. I'll show them I'm covered in African tattoos, and some will say I'm still lying until they look it up or someone will vouch for me.
But born in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, in 1998, Landman's roots are intertwined with the country's sporting tradition. His South African father, Shaun, was in Zimbabwe at the time playing international rugby. When an engineering consulting firm offered Shaun a position in California, the family seized the opportunity. When Nate was three, the Landmans had moved to Danville, California, bringing with them not just their belongings, but also a rich cultural identity.
Landman is the only active NFL player with Zimbabwe roots. Stansly Maponga, also born in Zimbabwe, played from 2013 until 2015. The NFL doesn't have the influx of international players like the NBA. Foreign-born players comprise only 3% to 4% of the league's numbers Canada, Germany and Nigeria that have produced the most. The NFL is trying to change that, and created the International Player Pathway program as a way to increase the number of players born outside of the United States
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