Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi (born 15 October 2000) is a Nigerian professional football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He joined the NFL through the International Player Pathway (IPP) program and has been a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and the United Football League's (UFL) San Antonio Brahmas.
| No. 68 – Washington Commanders | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 15 October 2000 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight: | 298 lb (135 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Undrafted: | 2022 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad/international |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editNdubuisi was born on 15 October 2000, in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] He grew up playing soccer and basketball before watching a YouTube video about the National Football League (NFL)'s best hits when he was 18.[2][3] He enjoyed watching it and decided that he wanted to be a football player.[3] Ndubuisi often brought his friends to local fields and tried to re-enact what he saw in the videos, despite knowing almost nothing about the game.[3]
There were almost no football teams in Nigeria at the time; Ndubuisi said "American football is not a sport that is in Nigeria per say [sic] - it is like a sport without hope. There is no future in it."[2] He sometimes practiced alone due to the sport's lack of popularity.[4] He was noticed by Ejike Ugboaja, who co-leads (with Osi Umenyiora) UpRise Academy, a program that helps identify African football talent, and was invited in 2021.[2][4]
After six months of training, Ndubuisi was invited to an NFL camp in London in late 2021.[5][6] He also trained with former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley.[7]
Professional career
editArizona Cardinals
editIn 2022, Ndubuisi was chosen as one of the participants in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), being allocated to the Arizona Cardinals as an offensive tackle.[7][8][4] He appeared in the team's first preseason game, appearing on two snaps, but was released afterwards on 14 August.[8]
Denver Broncos
editNdubuisi returned to the IPPP in 2023 and was allocated to the Denver Broncos, with his position being switched to the defensive line.[9][10] In his first preseason game with the team, he posted two tackles.[3] He was waived on 29 August 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[11][12] He was not signed to a reserve/future contract and thus became a free agent at the end of the season.[13]
San Antonio Brahmas
editOn 1 February 2024, Ndubuisi signed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL).[14] He was waived on 12 February 2024.[15]
Washington Commanders
editOn 3 April 2024, Ndubuisi signed with the Washington Commanders.[16] He was waived on 27 August 2024 and joined their practice squad the following day.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Haggai Ndubuisi". ESPN.
- ^ a b c Adetunji, Josh (4 September 2022). "Haggai Ndubuisi: From watching American football on YouTube to the NFL". BBC.
- ^ a b c d Stubbs, Roman (17 August 2023). "He learned football on YouTube in Africa. Can he make an NFL roster?". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b c Tomasson, Chris (12 June 2023). "Broncos' Nigerian defensive lineman Haggai Ndubuisi making strides after not long ago 'football was foreign to me'". The Denver Gazette.
- ^ MacKenzie, Daniel (28 December 2022). "NFL International Player Pathway spotlight: Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi, Nigeria". American Football International.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (4 May 2023). "DL Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi joins Broncos as part of NFL's International Player Pathway Program". Denver Broncos.
- ^ a b Root, Jess (19 April 2022). "Cardinals sign Nigerian OL Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi". USA Today.
- ^ a b Mahoney, Joe (10 May 2023). "The most under of underdogs - Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi". Mile High Report.
- ^ Jensen, Chad (5 May 2023). "Broncos Add Massive DL to Rookie Camp From NFL's IPP Program". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Heath, Jon (14 June 2023). "Haggai Ndubuisi will get his real chance with Broncos at training camp". USA Today.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (29 August 2023). "Broncos make series of transactions to reduce active roster to league-mandated limit". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (30 August 2023). "Broncos sign 14 players to practice squad". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (8 January 2024). "Broncos sign 12 players to future contracts". DenverBroncos.com.
- ^ @UFL_PR (1 February 2024). "The United Football League, the premier spring football league, has agreed to terms with the following 4 players for the upcoming 2024 season" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 February 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "UFL Player Transactions, Monday February 12, 2024". UFLBoard.com. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Commanders sign DL Haggai Chisom Nduisi". Washington Commanders. 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Commanders sign 12 players to 2024 practice squad". Commanders.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.