NFL
Isaac Alarcón blazing a trail for Mexican players in NFL: “The IPP is a gilded cage”
Alarcón was the first Mexican player assigned to the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program in 2020.
Isaac Alarcón, a graduate of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, made history as the first Mexican player to join the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program (IPP) in 2020, initially with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, he is part of the San Francisco 49ers with a future reserve contract. In an exclusive interview with Diario AS, Alarcón shared the details of his journey in the NFL.
Cyst operation held Alarcón back in 2019
Alarcón’s path could have been very different, as he was not initially projected to turn professional immediately. In 2019, NFL scouts traveled to Monterrey to evaluate linebacker Máximo González Sánchez for that year’s IPP. Due to his youth and potential, the scouts showed interest in Alarcón, but a cyst in his lower back hindered his progress and required surgery. Despite the setback, he was promised another chance in the next batch of international players.
“They removed a block of skin, about 200 to 300 grams,” Alarcón recalls. “I was honest with the program officials, telling them I had just had surgery, lost 22 pounds, and wasn’t sure if I could play that season or if I was still good at my position. Thankfully, they said, ‘We want to see you anyway, recover, we feel you’re a good prospect.’”
After surgery, the scouts instructed him to fully recover. Alarcón had his best season with the Borregos of ITESM, and a year after surgery, he was part of the IPP players gathered at the IMG Academy in Florida.
In 2019, the IPP was modified to distribute the four selected players among teams in a specific division. In 2020, Alarcón was assigned to the Dallas Cowboys because the NFC East was the chosen division.
The assignment was perfect since the “America’s Team” has a large fan base in Mexico. For Alarcón, the international program has its pros and cons because there are many steps that must be taken before a player can be included on the 53-man roster that plays every Sunday.
“The international program is like a gilded cage. You’re in the NFL, which is great, but at the same time, you don’t count towards the practice squad, so you have to remove that label to move up to the practice squad and then remove that to move up to the roster,” Alarcón explained. “Although it’s a great opportunity because you’re in and they can see you firsthand, it also can be a disadvantage to have an extra player without needing to activate them. As a player, that’s difficult because, ultimately, what you want is to play.”
Maintaining a spot in the NFL is challenging, and Alarcón experienced it firsthand. Every year, many players change teams through free agency or trades, and rookies join through the Draft, so he felt compelled to give his all in every practice. The Dallas Cowboys even tried to switch him to the defensive line during his third year in Arlington. The second of the three Alarcón brothers took the task seriously, learning from players like Aaron Donald and Daron Payne.
“My third year with the Cowboys was tough; they signed many offensive linemen. My coach told me at the start of training camp, ‘Isaac, I’m not putting you in because this is a business; they have contracts, we drafted them, paid them, and expect something from them,’ which kept me off the field. Then they asked if I could help on defense, and I thought, ‘I’m not doing anything, at least on defense I won’t be idle.’ I wanted to learn, know more to do my job better, and give the offense a good preview. If we played against Aaron Donald or Daron Payne of the Commanders, I watched how they played. Thankfully, throughout the season, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was watching me. The season ended, they didn’t sign me, days passed, and the Cowboys called to sign me as a defensive player.”
From Dallas to San Francisco
The Cowboys released Alarcón after four years, cutting him in August 2023. After several months, he had workouts with the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers; the latter signed him in January 2024 to a future reserve contract and did the same a year later. Alarcón also spoke about the differences between living in Texas and California, the Latino fan bases in both states, and how the coaches impacted him.
“Texas and California are completely different states. Texas is conservative, California is liberal. The cost of living is very different; I pay twice as much for an apartment in San Francisco as I did in Dallas. What I do like is that there are large Latino fan bases in both states, which, as a Mexican, makes me feel at home, even when I’m not,” Alarcón said. “Joe Philbin (in Dallas) was a great coach for the X’s and O’s, teaching the playbook, defensive schemes, fronts, techniques, and the reasoning behind plays. Now with the 49ers, I have Chris Forrster, who doesn’t focus on the playbook; we don’t waste time on that. We focus on technique, your second step, the angle you take, where your arm goes.”
Being part of two of the most prominent teams in the NFC means practicing and interacting daily with some of the best players in the NFL. In Dallas, Alarcón learned from veterans like Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, both future Hall of Famers. In San Francisco, he’s enjoyed great moments with Fred Warner, George Kittle, and even chess matches with Christian McCaffrey. Despite their superstar status, Alarcón sees them as individuals who remain human with their feet firmly on the ground.
No stopping the internationalization of the NFL
Since the IPP was established, 41 international players have signed with NFL teams, and 23 are currently on rosters. Among the most notable are Australian Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles, Nigerian-British Efe Obada of the Washington Commanders, and German Jakob Johnson of the New York Giants. Alarcón believes the NFL will continue to see more international players, similar to the NBA and MLB, and hopes that in the future, more prospects from Mexico will debut in the league.
“I believe the NFL is heading in that direction, much like the NBA. Now, there are many Nigerians; you see many names on NFL jerseys, and from the last name, you can tell where they’re from,” explained the San Francisco 49ers player. “I also feel that there are more Latinos, more Europeans, more Australians, and more Samoans. I hope that in the future, Mexico can have more prospects and more players debuting in the league.”
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