Nate Landman is the first Zimbabwean player in the NFL, representing the Atlanta Falcons.
Landman’s helmet features stickers of the Zimbabwean and American flags as part of the NFL Heritage Program.
Stansly Maponga was the first Zimbabwean player in the NFL and also played for the Falcons.
Zimbabwean pride is running high in the NFL with linebacker Nate Landman joining the Atlanta Falcons. Landman, who is the first NFL player of Zimbabwean descent, expressed his gratitude for being able to represent his birth country. Landman donned stickers of both the American and Zimbabwean flags on his helmet during the Falcons’ recent victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, Landman is not the first Zimbabwean player in the NFL; that distinction goes to former defensive end Stansly Maponga, who also played for the Falcons. Both Landman and Maponga share a connection to Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare and have successfully made it to the NFL from the country.

As a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, Landman holds the power to support Zimbabwe on a national scale. In fact, the NFL Heritage Program is currently amid its two-week run of recognizing the league’s international diversity. More than 330 players and coaches honored their cultural backgrounds by wearing international flag decals on their uniforms last weekend, and they will do so again with this round of games. In Landman’s case, a Zimbabwean flag has been placed next to the American sticker on his helmet. He’s the only one with that combination. “It means a lot,” Landman said. “I have a tremendous amount of pride being born in Zimbabwe.”