Place of birth: Nigeria Weight 116 kg Height 1.98 m | Name Efe Obada Undrafted: 2015 Position Defensive end | |
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Role American football defensive end | ||
Efe Obada: It means the world
Efe Obada (born April 13, 1992) is a Nigerian-born American football defensive end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He did not play college football and became the first international player to go straight from an American football European league to the NFL.
Contents
- Efe Obada It means the world
- Early years
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- References
Early years
At the age of 10, Obada and his sister were trafficked from the Netherlands into England and left homeless as soon as they arrived in London. They lived with a family friend for five years, but because she already had five children of her own, they were sent to social services, who moved them from one family to another. He eventually worked as a security guard at Grace Foods in Welwyn Garden City.
In 2014, Obada began playing for the London Warriors of the British American Football Association National Leagues. He appeared in 5 games, while playing tight end and defensive end.
Dallas Cowboys
Based on a recommendation from Warriors defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who previously served as an intern coach with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, Obada was given the opportunity to workout for the team days before their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Although he was raw and didn't have much experience, he was signed as an undrafted free agent on April 1, 2015.
In rookie mini-camp he was tried on the first days at tight end, before the team decided to move him to defensive end, where the learning curve would not be as steep. He was waived on September 5. On September 23, he was signed to the Cowboys' practice squad. On October 7, he was released to make room for linebacker Keith Smith. On December 2, he was re-signed to the practice squad. He was waived on March 2, 2016.
Kansas City Chiefs
Obada was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on March 9, 2016. He was released on June 7.
Atlanta Falcons
On July 28, 2016, he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. He was waived on August 27.
Carolina Panthers
On May 25, 2017, Obada was signed by the Carolina Panthers, through the new NFL's International Player Pathway program, that guaranteed him a position on the team, after it granted an 11th practice squad slot to all four NFC South clubs, so they could sign an international player. As part of the program conditions, he will be ineligible to be promoted to the 53-man roster during the regular season. He was waived by the Panthers on September 1, 2017, and was re-signed to the practice squad.