Osi Umenyiora to lead NFL effort for talent search in Africa

The NFL is headed to Africa, and Osi Umenyiora can't wait.

Umenyiora, a former All-Pro defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants who is of Nigerian descent, has been a leading voice in the league's efforts to establish a foothold on the continent. Umenyiora will be part of an NFL contingent traveling to Ghana for the league's first official events during weeklong activities, beginning June 21.

A talent identification camp will be the centerpiece of the program, which is also scheduled to include a fan event and a flag football clinic. There are more than 100 players of African descent (either born in Africa or first-generation born in the United States) on NFL rosters, according to the league.

With the new program, the NFL isn't merely dipping its toe into Africa, Umenyiora told Andscape. The league is diving in — and the former star pass-rusher says it's the right thing to do.

«This is incredible, just the NFL's whole approach to get started, and going in like this is the best way to do it,» Umenyiora, who was born in London to Nigerian parents and spent seven years of his childhood in Nigeria, told Andscape.

«You see the number of athletes we have in the NFL right now of African descent. There are a lot, and the winds are blowing even stronger in that direction. We've seen what the NBA has done in terms of its investment in Africa. There's no reason why we shouldn't be in full force on ground there also. And that's exactly what we're going to do.»

The NBA already has a very strong presence in Africa. In 2021, the league created a new entity to oversee its business in Africa. The partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is reportedly valued at nearly $1