African athletes possess NFL traits in abundance — Umenyiora News

Navigation: Home / News / Athletics / African athletes possess NFL traits in abundance — Umenyiora

African athletes possess NFL traits in abundance — Umenyiora

By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 23, 2026

Two-time Super Bowl champion and Head of NFL Africa, Osi Umenyiora, talks about the NFL’s International Player Pathway Programme, discovering Nigerian prospect Uar Bernard, the growing influence of African athletes in American football, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO

How significant is this moment for you personally and for NFL Africa, with Uar Bernard from Nigeria and Joshua Weru from Kenya securing opportunities with the Philadelphia Eagles?

It’s a very, very big moment. When you look at a guy like Uar Bernard getting drafted, for the Philadelphia Eagles to take a chance on a guy with massive talent and athletic potential is a turning point for us. Being in Nigeria, we know there are so many athletes like him. We have so much talent across Africa, and now people have hope and understand that something like this is possible. The whole programme was built on ideas like this. Although Uar got drafted, we already have athletes who came through the NFL Africa programme currently playing games in the NFL, despite never playing football before. So there’s no excuse anymore. We now have proof that people can start late, train for a few years and still make it to the NFL. They’re changing not only their own lives, but also their families’ lives. For us, this is a huge moment.

What qualities did you first notice in Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru that convinced you they had genuine NFL potential?

Bernard specifically came through our camps a couple of times. Joshua came through a different route, but with Bernard, you could immediately see the athletic ability. He was big, fast, strong and hardworking. Once you combine all those things, there’s going to be a place for you in our programme. He also persevered because this wasn’t his first attempt. He kept trying, kept working and eventually made it through. That story isn’t unique to him. We’ve had several guys who kept showing up and persevering. But for Bernard, the size, strength and work ethic stood out immediately, and he had all those qualities in abundance.

As Head of NFL Africa, what are the biggest challenges in scouting and developing raw talent across the continent, especially in countries where American football is still growing?

The biggest challenge is that people are not really playing the game yet on a large scale, so it’s difficult to identify who is going to be good because you can’t watch them actually playing football. What we do instead is look at athletic ability and speak with them to gauge their mental capacity because you have to be very smart to play football in the NFL. We also look at size, height and weight, although many of them are not as big as we need them to be initially. But in Nigeria and across Africa generally, once you start training and feeding them properly, they gain weight and develop very quickly. So we look for potential first. There’s a baseline level of athleticism and size we are searching for because these are people who have never played the game before, and we’re preparing them to compete at the highest level.

What are the main qualities NFL Africa looks for in young talent?

Speed is number one. Then size, because the positions we are mainly looking for are offensive and defensive linemen, who are usually the bigger guys on the field. We also look for strength, explosiveness, jumping ability and overall athleticism. Mental strength is also very important because football is a very demanding game mentally. Age matters too. We usually work with two groups — ages 15 to 18, who can potentially join the NFL Academy in the UK, and then players around 20 to 22 years old, because it still takes a couple of years to fully train them for the NFL level.

How important is the International Player Pathway programme in helping African talents bridge the gap between local discovery and the NFL stage?

It’s massive. It’s really the only pipeline these athletes have. You have to think about it — without this programme, how would a young athlete from Africa ever get an opportunity to play in the NFL? There isn’t a college football system in Africa like there is in America, so without the IPP programme, many of these incredible athletes would never get seen. It’s something we are very proud of because it’s now helping a lot of African youths succeed and opening doors that simply didn’t exist before.

As a British-Nigerian and a two-time Super Bowl champion, how much has your Nigerian heritage shaped your journey and your passion for helping the next generation of African players succeed?

My Nigerian heritage played a massive role in everything I’m doing now. I lived in Nigeria from the age of six to 14, so my formative years were spent there. I was raised with Nigerian discipline and mentality, and I understood very early how fortunate I was to get the opportunity to go to America and play football. When I was in Nigeria, there were many people who were better athletes than I was, but I happened to get the opportunity. So when people talk about giving back or helping Nigerians, I realised I was in a position where the game I played could genuinely change lives. A lot of Nigerians and Africans have incredible talent. I started playing football late myself, so I knew other people could also start late and still succeed. We just needed to connect that talent with the opportunity.

Do you think African athletes, especially Nigerians, have certain physical or mental qualities that give them an edge in the NFL?

Without a doubt. Right now, there are about 60 active NFL players of Nigerian heritage, and when you consider the Nigerian population in America, that number is remarkable. If you walk down any street in Nigeria, you’ll see people with the physical tools to compete at the highest level in sports. The issue has always been opportunity. When you look at the demands of American football — size, strength, speed, aggression and intelligence — Africans possess those traits in abundance. We just need to harness that talent, train them properly and give them opportunities.

What advice would you give to young Nigerian athletes who may not have grown up playing American football but dream of reaching the NFL through this programme?

Keep training and keep working hard. Learn as much as you can about American football because there’s so much information available online now. If you genuinely believe you have the physical qualities and the mentality required, send us your videos. Reach out on Instagram or social media because we are always looking for talent. I’ve personally discovered athletes that way before. The most important thing is to keep trying and keep working.

Do you think the rise of flag football in Nigerian schools can help young athletes develop the skills needed for the NFL?

One hundred per cent. Flag football helps young players understand the game without needing all the equipment immediately. It teaches movement, cutting, offensive and defensive awareness and overall football intelligence. It’s also open to everyone — boys, girls, men and women — so it’s a great introduction to the sport. With flag football now set to feature at the 2028 Olympics, it also creates another pathway for athletes to get involved in the game.

With Africa becoming an increasingly important talent market for the NFL, what does success look like for you in the next five to 10 years for NFL Africa?

Success means continuing to create opportunities for African athletes, but beyond that, we also want to build something sustainable on the continent itself. We don’t just want to export talent. We want to create systems and competitions within Africa where players can actually develop and compete locally. American football is an incredible game once you understand it, and the opportunities it creates are enormous. So the goal is to establish stronger structures on the continent and continue expanding the game across Africa.

Looking back at your own career, from London to the NFL and winning two Super Bowls, did you ever imagine you would one day be leading the development of African talent in this way?

Honestly, probably not. Winning my first Super Bowl with the New York Giants was definitely the highlight of my playing career, but what we’re doing now with NFL Africa is probably the most impactful thing I’ve ever been involved in.

When you see these young athletes come into camp one way and then, a few months later, they’re on NFL teams earning money and changing their lives, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Because I know where many of them are coming from and I understand the struggle, seeing those transformations means everything to me. Hopefully, we can continue doing this for a very long time.

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 23, 2026