By Abiodun Caston-Dada
The Super Bowl is the annual league championship game of the National Football League of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game has been played on the second Sunday in February.
Players of Nigerian descent in the Seattle Seahawks squad following the team’s victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl played on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Seattle Seahawks routed the New England Patriots 29–13 to claim their second Lombardi Trophy.
Players of Nigerian descent on the team’s lineup who helped achieve this victory include Jalen Oluwaseun Milroe, quarterback; Nick Emmanwori, a defensive standout; Uchenna Nwosu, a veteran linebacker; Boye Maye, a linebacker; and Olu Oluwatimi, an irrepressible offensive lineman.
Over the years, the NFL has seen a steady rise in the number of players of Nigerian heritage, many of whom have excelled across offensive and defensive positions.
Let’s throw spotlights on the Players of Nigerian descent:
Boye Mafe (Linebacker)
Boye Mafe, born to Nigerian immigrant parents in Minnesota, continued to establish himself as one of Seattle’s most explosive defenders. He added five sacks and seven tackles for loss in 2025 and holds the Seahawks’ franchise record for most consecutive games with a sack.
During the Super Bowl LX celebrations, Mafe, whose parents immigrated from Nigeria, notably celebrated while holding the Nigerian flag alongside teammates Uchenna Nwosu and Nick Emmanwori. This gesture was publicly commended by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
Mafe has completed the final year of his four-year rookie contract (20222025) – total value of $8,562,251 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March 2026.
Uchenna Nwosu (Linebacker)
Veteran linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was a cornerstone of the Seahawks’ defence. Born in Carson, California, to Nigerian parents, Nwosu has embraced his heritage throughout his career. He recorded 107 tackles and seven sacks during the 2025 season, bringing his career total to 34.5 sacks.
“Being Nigerian is about hard work; it’s in our DNA,” he once said, underscoring the values that have shaped his journey.
Nwosu is currently playing under a three-year extension signed in 2023. For the 2026 season, he carries a salary cap charge of approximately $19.99 million.
Olusegun “Olu” Oluwatimi (Center)
On the offensive line, Oluwatimi provided stability and leadership. Drafted in 2023, he allowed zero sacks in his starts during the 2025 season and played a key role in protecting the quarterback and orchestrating line calls.
Before being drafted by Seattle in the 5th round (154th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, Oluwatimi had a highly decorated college career at Michigan (2022) and Virginia (20192021). In 2022, he became the first Michigan player to win both the Rimington Trophy (nation’s best center) and the Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman) in the same season.
Oluwatimi is currently in the third year of a 4-year, $4.16 million rookie contract signed in 2023.
Nick Emmanwori (Safety)
Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori made an instant impact after being drafted in 2025. Raised in a Nigerian-American household in South Carolina, he tallied 81 tackles, 11 pass breakups and an interception in his debut season, quickly earning a reputation as a versatile defensive standout.
Known for elite athleticism, he posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and a 43-inch vertical at the 2025 NFL Combine.
Nick Emmanwori is currently under a historic four-year, $11.6 million rookie contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Signed on July 17, 2025, the deal is fully guaranteed, making Emmanwori the first player in NFL history selected at the 35th overall pick to receive a 100% guaranteed contract.
Shout Out:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Wide Receiver)
One of the NFL’s breakout stars, Smith-Njigbawhose heritage traces to Sierra Leone and Nigerialed the league with 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025, earning Offensive Player of the Year honours. His route-running and hands have made him a central figure in Seattle’s offence.
He was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards, a Seahawks single-season franchise record.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is entering the final year of his original four-year, $14.4 million rookie contract in 2026.
Jalen Milroe (Quarterback)
Backup quarterback Jalen Oluwaseun Isaiah Milroe, son of a Nigerian-heritage mother, added a dynamic rushing element in select packages, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns during the season.
Milroe joined the Seahawks as a highly decorated dual-threat prospect from the University of Alabama, where he won the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy.
Jalen Milroe is currently in the second year of a four-year, $6,264,086 rookie contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Worth mentioning:
Michael Onwenu
The New England Patriots also featured Nigerian heritage on their roster, led by Michael Onwenu, one of the league’s most dominant offensive linemen. The Detroit native, who has strong ties to Nigeria, started all 17 games in 2025 and anchored a Patriots line that posted a franchise-record rushing average.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him as the 7th-best guard in the NFL for the 2025 season, earning high marks for both run blocking (74.2) and pass blocking (78.2).
Onwenu is currently in the final year of a three-year, $57 million contract signed in
