Efe Obada (born April 13, 1992) is a Nigerian

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for the

Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He was raised in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and was the first player to go straight from a European football league to the NFL. Obada has been a member of the

London Warriors The London Warriors are an American football club based in Thornton Heath, London, England, they compete in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division South, the highest level of British American football. They operate from Selhurst Sports Arena ...

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

, and

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

Early years

Born in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, Obada and his family later moved to the

. At the age of 10, he and his sister were trafficked into

and were left homeless as soon as they arrived in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. They initially slept in an office block before living in 10 different

foster home Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family mem ...

s. He eventually began work as a security guard at

Grace Foods Grace and Grace Foods are brand names of GraceKennedy Limited, a multinational entity involved in food processing and distribution, banking and finance, insurance and remittance services, and building materials retailing. It was established in 1922 ...

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

Professional career

London Warriors

Obada signed with the

of the

BAFA National Leagues The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) are the primary American football domestic League competition in Great Britain. The League is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within England, Scotland and Wales. ...

in 2014, where he played in five games as a

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

and

Dallas Cowboys

Based on a recommendation from Warriors

defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...

Aden Durde, who previously served as an intern coach with the

, Obada was given the opportunity to work out for the team days before the Cowboys' game against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

. Although he did not have much experience, he was signed on April 1, 2015. In rookie mini-camp, he was tried on the first days at

, before the team decided to move him to

, where the learning curve would not be as steep. He was waived on September 5. On September 23, 2015, he was signed to the Cowboys'

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

. He was released on October 7, but rejoined the practice squad on December 2. He was waived on March 2, 2016.

Kansas City Chiefs

Obada was signed by the

on March 9, 2016. He was released by the team on June 7.

Atlanta Falcons

On July 28, 2016, he was signed by the

. He was waived on August 27.

Carolina Panthers

file:Efe Obada 2019 (cropped).jpg, 200px, Obada with the

in 2019. On May 25, 2017, Obada was signed by the

through the NFL's

International Player Pathway Program The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of non-Americans, American and Canadians, Canadian players in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strateg ...

. He was waived by the Panthers on September 1, 2017, and was re-signed to the practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Panthers on January 8, 2018. After a strong preseason, Obada became the first player from the NFL

International Player Pathway The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of non-Americans, American and Canadians, Canadian players in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strateg ...

program to make a 53-man roster. In Week 3, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Obada played his first regular season game, where he had one sack and one interception. He was later awarded the game ball, and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished the season with eight combined tackles and two sacks. On January 23, 2019, Obada signed a one-year contract extension with the Panthers. On October 13, 2019, Obada was made an honorary captain for the Panthers' NFL London Game vs. the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in north London, replacing the club's previous ground, White Hart Lane. With a seating capacity of 62,850, it is the third-largest football stadium in England and the ...

as part of a very emotional day for him. On January 6, 2020, Obada signed a one-year contract extension with the Panthers. He was waived on September 6, 2020, but re-signed with the team the next day. In Week 3 of the 2020 season against the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

, Obada recovered a fumble lost by wide receiver

Keenan Allen Keenan Alexander Allen (born April 27, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California before leaving after his junior year. He was draft ...

on the last play of the game to secure a 21–16 win for the Panthers.

Buffalo Bills

On April 19, 2021, Obada signed a one-year deal with the

. He recorded 3.5 sacks with 12 tackles in 10 games.

Washington Commanders

Obada signed with the

on March 23, 2022.

NFL career statistics

References

External links

*
Washington Commanders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obada, Efe Living people 1992 births English players of American football Sportspeople from London American football defensive ends Nigerian players of American football Dallas Cowboys players Kansas City Chiefs players Atlanta Falcons players Carolina Panthers players Buffalo Bills players Washington Commanders players International Player Pathway Program participants Expatriate players of American football English expatriate sportspeople in the United States