Osi Umenyiora conquered the Super Bowl, twice. By every statistic of the game, the former New York Giants defensive player is a legend. However, he feels the accolades on and off the pitch are not enough.  He wanted to do more for his roots.

Therefore, for the past 20 years, he has been sending resources silently to his home country. However, a time came when it started to feel like “pouring a bucket of water into an ocean”. Instead of handing out fish, he decided to teach people how to fish. By this, he was giving people the opportunity to help themselves.

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Why is he doing this? Because he believes that the best athletes are found in Africa. Consequently, he is leading the drive to find potential NFL talents across Africa.

This quest recently took him to Ghana for a week-long camp and clinic. For Diaspora Africans that are not sure of the best way to help the continent, Osi Umenyiora is showing you how.

Who is Osi Umenyiora?

Before delving into Osi Umenyiora’s change-making drive, it makes a lot of sense to know him first, right? Ositadimma Umenyiora was born to Nigerian parents from Ogbunike town in the country’s southeastern Anambra State. Perhaps, for convenience sake, he shortened his first name (an Igbo name) to Osi.

He was born in Golders Green London. His parents moved back to Nigeria when he was 7 years. After spending seven years in Nigeria, he left for Auburn Alabama to live with his sister. It was at Auburn High School that he was introduced to football. He was around fifteen years old at that time.

Osi Umenyiora did not get an athletic scholarship until his coach intervened. His coach called a former teammate (Tracy Rocker) who offered Osi the scholarship he needed to play college football. Following the scholarship, he got to play college football with Troy State Trojans. It was in college that he transitioned to defensive end from nose guard.

Osi repaid Rocker’s trust by setting a school record for most sacks in a single game and most tackles in a season. In 2014, Troy University inducted him into their Sports Hall of Fame. Although not invited to the 2003 NFL Draft Combine, he was later drafted in the second round by the New York Giants.

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After a dramatic and eventful career spanning over two decades, Osi Umenyiora announced his retirement from football on 26 August 2015. Perhaps, he is trying to give African Athletes the same chance that Rocker gave him.

The birth of The Uprise talent platform

There are over 100 players of African descent in the NFL. Upon his many visit to Nigeria over the years, Osi Umenyiora has been looking for ways to help the youths in his home country. He found a talent scout platform, “The Uprise” with Ejike Ugboaja, a Nigerian and former NBA player.

Together, the duo set up six camps across the continent to identify rising talents. The big breakthrough came in 2020 after Osi Umenyiora secured NFL backing. In early 2021, three players that made it to the tryout held in Nigeria’s capital sealed NFL contracts.

Now in his forties, Umenyiora believes the recruitment of Africans into the NFL will increase the appeal of the sport on the continent. In June, the NFL’s official African players highlighting platform, NFL Africa organized its first Africa camp. Umenyiora was part of the NFL delegates at the event.

The 49 prospective athletes were selected from the participants of the various regional camps Osi Umenyiora directed. During the two-day program, the players were evaluated for a chance to be invited to the International Player Pathway or international combines. Athletes between 16 and 19 years will also get a shot to attend London’s NFL Academy.

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Also in attendance at the camp were scouts to select the best for the NFL’s International Player Pathway. The pathway gives athletes from other countries other than Canada and the USA a chance to feature in an NFL team.

Six other players of African descent including Liberia’s Kwity Payer (Colts end) and Ghana’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Browns linebacker). Although Umenyiora is excited about the level of talents the Uprising has produced so far, he thinks the organization still has a long way to go.

What Osi Umenyiora thinks about African athletes

During an interview with NFL.com, Osi Umenyiora made an important observation about athletes from Africa. Making reference to his Nigerian roots and the values imbued in him by his parents, he said,

“Education is the most paramount thing in the world [for them]. Interestingly, most Africans have this mindset. It is a mentality that is implanted in them.”

He recalls how some of the guys from his camp went to the UK combine and everyone was wowed by their size and athleticism. However, what impressed him the most was their work ethic and mentality.

They were not so eager about making it to the NFL. Instead, they just wanted to go to school and get the chance to do something more extraordinary with their lives. Therefore, they see American football as an opportunity to get to their lofty destination.

Furthermore, he reminisced about how his parents thought that playing football was an unnecessary discussion that would affect his studies negatively. This story is not far from the norm in most African homes.

“African parents are not really concerned about sports. Their priority is for their kids to get educated. So, I bagged my degree in business administration”.

Why prospective NFL athletes should never abandon education

Not every athlete ends up successful. Some will put in their best but may never find the big break that they have been looking for. However, having a good education will give you the lifeline to be comfortable when your sports ambition fails.

“Even if I never made it to the NFL, I may not be super successful but I would have been OK. I would have still been better than I was when I was in Nigeria.”

According to Osi Umenyiora, having the mindset of going to school is crucial because only a small percentage of athletes eventually make it to the NFL. So, being educated gives players that don’t make it an alternate path to success. Umenyiora is bringing this mindset to The Uprise.

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“This program’s main principle is to make the people coming to it understand that although football is great, the percentage of people that become successful is pretty slim. You have to give priority to your education. We are going to make sure that is what they do”.

Osi Umenyiora’s future plans for The Uprise

At the end of the camp in Ghana, a total of 15 players got the chance to change their lives. However, this is not going to be a one-off event. Osi Umenyiora is looking at building a facility or structure where the best coaches are hired for a short period of five months.

Consequently, when they scout for potential stars, they will house and feed them and give them some form of mentoring on the fundamentals of American football. His ultimate goal for The Uprise is to use it as a platform to increase the number of African NFL players to about 20%.

He believes this will get Africans more interested in the sport because more people will want to watch the games to see their brothers playing. He wants more people to understand the game and the success it can bring.

Conclusion

In reality, many Africans in the diaspora want to help build up the continent but are unsure of the right way to go about it. It is not surprising that there are lots of charity organizations cropping up every now and then.

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Osi Umenyiora had the chance to do the regular charity stuff—which would have been easier. However, he asked himself, instead of charity, “why not give people the chance to help themselves? This single question gave birth to The Uprise. You can read Osi’s recent interview with CNN here.

In the real sense of it, a charity has never really helped anyone or country. It is a quick fix with no long-lasting impact. Rather, charity makes the receiver a slave of the giver. Real aid starts with empowering the receiver to create their own wealth.

Africans in the diaspora still unsure of how to give back to their roots are welcomed to join the African Vibes community. Pressing African problems are frequently discussed on the platform and you will also get ideas and detailed steps on how to come in—whenever you are moved to do so.

Come midnight Monday 8th February 2021, the world will witness one of the greatest annual sporting events, the Super Bowl 2021. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida will be the venue for this prestigious final. Host, Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on Kansas City Chiefs in what will be a memorable fixture. Sports pundits are already predicting that it will go down as one of the best in the NFL’s history. Inasmuch as we cannot agree less citing the peculiar times we live, our focus is on the brilliant African players that will feature in the game.  

Photo credit: Sporting News

Proud African-American Super Bowl History

There have been many memorable African-American football players in the NFL dating as far back as 1988. Doug Williams was the first African-American quarterback to win the Super Bowl for the Washington Redskins, in San Diego, California. Not only did Williams feature in that Superbowl final, he additionally scored 4 out of the 5 touchdowns and guided The Washington Redskins to a 42-10 victory over The Denver Broncos.

At a time when blackness was a subject of discrimination, Doug Williams laid a solid foundation for future black football players to achieve greatness at the Super Bowl finals. Today, we spotlight some of the players with African ancestry that will feature in the Super Bowl 2021 finals.

African Players In The Super Bowl 2021 Final

The first thing that you will probably notice is that the majority of African players on the Super Bowl 2021 list were born outside the continent. Also, it is sad to know that there are not many countries within the continent that pay attention to football. Perhaps, if there were better leagues and competitions on the continent, some of these players may consider playing for their home countries. Nevertheless, have a look at our list.

#1. Ndamukong Suh, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Cameroon)

Photo credit: The Pewter Plank

Place of Birth: Portland, Oregon

Nationality: American of Cameroonian descent

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Position: Defensive end

In the Cameroonian native language, Ngemba, the name Ndamukong translates to “House of Spears”. The Tampa Bay Buccaneer is highly regarded as one of the best defensive players currently in the NFL. Having previously won Defensive Rookie of the Year, NFL 2010’s All-Decade Team, and played in 5 Pro Bowls, Ndamukong is a fierce player when on the field. At 34, this African defensive player has achieved plenty in the prestigious game. Can Monday the 8th be the moment Ndamukong Suh wins his dream Super Bowl? Perhaps, we need to wait for a little longer to find out.

#2. Alex Okafor, Kansas City Chiefs (Nigeria)

Photo credit: Arrowhead Addict

Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas

Nationality: American of Nigerian descent

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Defensive end

On March 14th, 2019, Alex Okafor signed a lucrative three-year deal with Kansas City Chiefs with a contract valued at $18 million. Alex Okafor has a well-decorated NFL career since his debut season in 2013. However, Okafor is famous for putting his full body on the line. Unfortunately, due to multiple injuries, many believe Nigerian Okafor is yet to reach his full potential. Unfortunately, Okafor was not part of the Super Bowl Final in 2019 when The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. Will The Super Bowl 2021 be the night Okafor finally gets to actively lift the Super Bowl trophy?

#3. Derrick Nnadi, Kansas City Chiefs (Nigeria)

Photo credit: The Virginian-Pilot

Place of Birth: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Nationality: American of Nigerian descent

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Defensive tackle

The young defensive tackler goes into this Super Bowl 2021 final with high hopes. He would hope to build on the win of 2019 by The Kansas City Chiefs. Also, Nnadi has the reputation of being one of the best current defensive players in the current NFL league. He is one player that oppositions fear to play on the football field. Asides from being a professional African football player, Nnadi tends to dedicate his time to animal care. Following the success of the 2019 Super Bowl triumph, Nnandi donated some of his earnings towards a local Kansas City dog shelter. He paid for all of the adoption fees for the dogs. It will be a tremendous addition to his trophy shelves.

#4. Tanoh Kpassagnon, Kansas City Chiefs (Ivory Coast & Uganda)

Photo credit: Arrowhead Addict

Place of Birth: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Nationality: American with Ivorian and Ugandan descent

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Defensive end

Tanoh Kpassagnon will be another youthful, African Kansas City Chiefs player who will be looking to write his name in history as a two-time Super Bowl winner. In his short career to date, the Michigan born athlete has exceeded expectations and has the potential to become a Hall Of Famer. Kpassagnon has been a stand-out athlete and a starting player for The Kansas City Chiefs since 2017. Kansas City Chiefs will be banking on his skill and energy to lift yet another trophy after the disruption of the coronavirus.

#5. Kelechi Osemele, Kansas City Chiefs (Nigeria)

Photo Credit Chiefs Wire USA Today

Place of Birth: Houston, Texas

Nationality: American of Nigerian descent

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Offensive guard

Kelechi Osemele has vast experience and adds more firepower to The Kansas City Chiefs offense come midnight Monday. Aged 31, the offensive guard has been one of the most valuable left guards and was one of the highest-paid in his position in 2018. Following the heavily incentivized salary earned at Oakland Raiders to the value of $11.7 million, he had short season stints at other NFL teams until signing for The Kansas City Chiefs in July 2020.

#6. Prince Tega Wanogho, Kansas City Chiefs (Nigeria)

Photo credit: Opelika Auburn News

Place of Birth: Warri, Nigeria

Nationality: Nigerian

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Offensive tackle (reserve)

Prince Tega Wanogho is the only Nigerian NFL player on this list that was born in Nigeria. The Nigerian was scouted to play basketball as a teenager in the United States of America. However, while at high school, he was introduced to football. Consequently, with only one year of football experience, he went to play college football for Auburn University. In the 2020 season, he got drafted to the Philadelphia Eagles. After one season in Philadephia, he signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs and is currently a member of the reserves. It is unclear if the Nigerian will get to feature on the team come 8th February. Nevertheless, he will definitely share any victory with his team. 

#7. Greg Joseph, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (South Africa) 

Photo credit: Sportsnet

Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa

Nationality: American with South African birth

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Position: Placekicker (practice squad)

Greg Joseph was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but moved to West Boca Raton, Florida with his family at 7 years. Greg succeeded in both soccer and football as a youth. However, when he went to college, his sole focus turned to football. In 2018, Joseph signed with Miami Dolphins in his first NFL contract. After a short stint with other respective NFL sides, Joseph signed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and is a member of the sides practice squad to date.

Photo credit: 247 Sports

Conclusion

Obviously, Africans will continue to shine, wherever you find them. However, it would be great to see more African countries improve on different sports across the continent. Who knows, other African countries will join Nigeria to become global leaders in football and various other sports. As February is Black History Month in the US, watching these players will be a thing of joy for every black person in the world. Who do you think will win the Super Bowl 2021? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.