STANSLY Maponga has been handed another opportunity to resurrect his American National Football League (NFL) career by Denver Broncos after his dream move to the Dallas Cowboys hit a snag.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The Zimbabwe-born versatile outside linebacker looked to have sealed a big move to the Dallas Cowboys after they added him to their practice squad on October 25, but the move proved short-lived as the parties cut ties just a week later.
Now aged 26 and in his fifth year in the NFL, Maponga looked to be running out of options until he was handed a lifeline by Denver Broncos.
Broncos included the Zimbabwean in their practice squad after losing running back Jonathan Williams to the New Orleans Saints and promoting tight end Austin Traylor to their active roster.
Maponga will perhaps look to follow a similar career trajectory of new teammate Shelby Harris, who has been a major contributor for the Broncos this year after really looking like he was out of chances prior to his arrival in Denver.
Maponga was a star at Texas Christian University (TSU) before being drafted by Atlanta Falcons, where he was once an integral member of the team’s roster in 2014.
He’s played in 26 career regular season games, 24 of which came with the Falcons. He has spent the majority of the past couple of years with the New York Giants, who tried him both as a defensive end and linebacker.
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Maponga, who was born in Harare before migrating to the US at the age of nine, made history in 2014 when he became the first Zimbabwean to play in the NFL.
While in the US, he loved soccer and rugby, but ended up playing American football instead.
His NFL breakthrough came when he drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
