![]() From there, he was selected for the IPP Program and then allocated to the Packers. ![]() Odumegwu moved on to the NFL Africa Touchdown camp in Ghana a month later, where he claimed his defensive MVP notch, then to London for the NFL International Combine in October. That was when I took the training extra serious." At the end of the camp, he told me that he was very impressed with me. "At that moment, I realised: 'Osi wants to see what I can do,' so I gave it my all. Osi walked up to me and said: 'Number 12,' because I had number 12 on my jersey at that time, 'Your coach told me a lot about you. "The first camp in May in Abuja, I went there. However, once Odumegwu set foot inside Umenyiora's Uprise camp and met the two-time New York Giants Super Bowl winner face-to-face, his mind was made up. ![]() I knew about the flag football, but I wasn't interested." I was like: 'what?' I never knew anything about American football in Nigeria. "It was David Agoha, who is with the Las Vegas Raiders now, who also asked me to come play football. When some people came with the idea: 'How would you like to play American football?' I was like: 'What?' They called me, they spoke to me, and then I spoke to my dad about them and he told me I should go try. ![]() "In Nigeria, we all know that's how it works. How would you like to go to Europe?' It's all talk. Ivan Rakitić was his idol, but when it became clear that his size was better suited to basketball, he switched to hoops and began following Giannis Antetokounmpo.Ī year ago, the coaches at Educational Basketball, Iseolupo and Olutobi Adepitan, spotted him and converted him to American football, which they had just ventured into to scout for Umenyiora's Uprise program.īut Kenneth had very little trust for the Adepitan brothers at first, having been burned by flakey scouts in the past: "To be honest, in Nigeria, in my soccer playing days, we had some people who called themselves scouts and they'd be like: 'Ok, we liked you. Odumegwu, the defensive MVP at the inaugural NFL Africa camp in Ghana last year, started out playing soccer as a defensive midfielder. On the training ground, they tell me: 'Ok, you line up here.' Running backs - Aaron Jones, Dillon, and my position's players, of course - outside linebackers - Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, JJ, LaDarius. He added: "To be honest, every one of them. "The first time I spoke to him, he was like: 'How are you doing? How are you finding it here? How's Nigeria?' He was curious to know more about me. Odumegwu told ESPN: "Jordan Love actually gave me a lift to the training facility from the building today. Now, having joined the Packers in a crash-course-in-football preseason, the Nigerian had nothing but good words to say about his 'helpful' team-mates, notably the only starting quarterback he's ever encountered at Lambeau Field and surrounds, Jordan Love. Odumegwu is one of a few Nigerian basketballers scouted by American football mentors like Osi Umenyiora's Uprise programme in Lagos in recent years, many of whom, like the Los Angeles Chargers' CJ Okoye, have reached the IPP with little more than a basic education in football. Like many tall and talented Nigerian teens, Odumegwu, who was recently allocated to the Packers via the NFL's International Player Pathway programme, was aiming for the NBA last year, when a scout in Nigeria changed his sporting direction. He'd never even touched a football, back then. A year ago he'd only vaguely heard of the now-Jets QB, and Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, but that was as far as his NFL knowledge went. Potential Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Kenneth Odumegwu has never met former franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserįrom Lagos to Lambeau - Packers' Kenneth Odumegwu on (Jordan) Love and basketball All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated.
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