British Efe Obada named NFC defensive player of week following NFL debut for Carolina Panthers
Panthers defensive end Efe Obada recorded an interception and a sack on his NFL debut
Wednesday 26 September 2018 16:01, UK
Carolina Panthers defensive end Efe Obada named NFC defensive player of week after a dream start to his NFL career, returning an interception and a sack on debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Obada's journey to the NFL is an incredible one. Born in Nigeria, Obada was trafficked from the Netherlands to the UK aged 10, then he and his 11-year-old sister were abandoned on the streets of Hackney.
He ultimately found refuge in American football, playing just five games for the London Warriors in 2014 where he was spotted by the Dallas Cowboys and headed stateside for rookie camps.
Obada was then signed and released by the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons in previous seasons before joining up with the Panthers in May 2017, subsequently becoming the first player to make an NFL 53-man roster from the NFL's International Pathways Program.
Making his first start in Week Three against the Bengals, Obada intercepted an Andy Dalton pass early in the third quarter and had a sack late in the fourth with the score at 28-21, halting a potential Bengals comeback before his team ultimately ran out 31-21 winners.
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