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While many NFL hopefuls had their dreams dashed this week as teams cut players leading up to the start of the season, 26-year-old Efe Obada — who only began playing football four years ago — received word that he made the 53-man roster for the Carolina Panthers.
While the accomplishment is an impressive one for the Nigerian-born defensive end, whoESPNsays is the first player from theNFL’s International Pathwayprogram to make a final roster, it’s even more astonishing considering all that he endured before he ever picked up a football.
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In the years that followed, Obada and his sister moved from home to home while in foster care until they were old enough to control their paths in life.
“I was young and I didn’t have any say into what was happening in my life,” he toldthe Associated Press. “I was ignorant to it.”
When he later discovered American football as a 22-year-old college student, Obada tapped into everything his past experiences had taught him and helped the London Monarchs football team win a championship.
“It instilled a hunger in me that I have to this day and I feel I can apply in the game,” hesaid. “It’s kind of going through a state of survival.”
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His performance with the team was enough to catch the attention of the Dallas Cowboys, and he soon signed on to their practice squad. He didn’t make the team, and later joined the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs, but his stay with them was short-lived. After spending time with the Panthers’ practice squad, Obada made an impression on coach Ron Rivera.
“I see it every time he steps on the field,” Rivera toldESPN. “He practices 100 miles per hour. I’ve got guys that get upset with him because on Friday he’s going hard.”
While talking with reporters following the news, Obada said he hasn’t quite grasped everything that he experienced as a child.
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“I’ll be honest with you, what happened to me is something that has happened across the world, it’s happened to a lot of people,” he explained. “Some of the issues, I haven’t dealt with… I haven’t really taken time to understand.”
As of now, he is soaking in the moment and focusing on making an impact in the NFL.
“It’s good being a story and being the first to do it. Now I have to keep going,” hesaid. “I have to prove to people that believe in me, people that’s given me an opportunity, that I have the right to be here.”
source: people.com
