Former Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora is creating a new path for African talent to make it to the NFL
CNN
The two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants is helping the NFL find new talent on the African continent.
Now, the 40-year-old, UK-born athlete is looking to find talent who will help transform American football into a more internationally appreciated and celebrated game.
According to the NFL, there are more than 100 players of African descent already in the league. Umenyiora says on visits back to Nigeria over the years, he's wanted to make an impact on young people in the country. So in 2020, after securing the backing of the NFL, he co-founded a talent-finding platform called The Uprise with fellow Nigerian and former NBA player Ejike Ugboaja. After holding camps in several African countries, three Nigerian talents from the program were signed to NFL rosters in 2021.