Ahmed Hassanein qualifies for the NFL's International Pathways Program because he was raised in Egypt and played just 2 years of high school football.

Even though he's an American-born US citizen, Lions rookie DE Ahmed Hassanein still earned an international player exemption from the NFL.

Ahmed Hassanein remembers the days of learning how to play football in his half-brother’s small kitchen in California. The 6-foot-2, 267-pound former Boise State defensive end, who was the first Egyptian drafted into the NFL last month by Detroit,