No. 68 – Washington Commanders | |
---|---|
Position: | Defensive tackle |
Personal information | |
Born: | Lagos, Nigeria | 15 October 2000
Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Weight: | 327 lb (148 kg) |
Career information | |
College: | None |
Undrafted: | 2022 |
Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Roster status: | Active/international |
Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi (born 15 October 2000) is a Nigerian professional American football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He joined the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) and has been a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and the United Football League's (UFL) San Antonio Brahmas.
Ndubuisi 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]
In 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]
Ndubuisi 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]
On 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]
On 3 April 2024, Ndubuisi signed with the Washington Commanders. [16]
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