Tag: Osi Umenyiora

Giants great Osi Umenyiora inducted into London Games Ring of Honour

Retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora is one of two players being inducted into the inaugural London Games Ring of Honour.

Retired New York Giants defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion, Osi Umenyiora, has stayed heavily involved with the NFL since his retirement in 2015.

As an NFL ambassador, Umenyiora has been a vital part of growing the NFL outside of the United States.

Because of his work and expanding the game internationally, Umenyiora is one of two inaugural inductees into the NFL London Games Ring of Honor — Jared Allen being the other.

Umenyiora reacted to the honor on X.

Umenyiora was featured in an International Player Pathway ad earlier this year and has assisted in expanding the NFL’s reach to Nigeria as well as other parts of Africa.

The duo of Umenyiora and Allen will be honored at halftime of the International Game on October 6 during a Week 5 matchup between the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.

Umenyiora is in elite company as one of a handful of Giants to win two Super Bowls with the team. He is a member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor after spending the first 10 years of his career in East Rutherford.

In fact, Umenyiora carries such respect in the organization that offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor requested and was granted permission to wear No. 72 in honor of Osi after signing as a free agent in the offseason.

Umenyiora spent time in his early childhood in both London and Nigeria. He is one of just five British-born players to have won a Super Bowl.

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Led by ex-Giant Osi Umenyiora, NFL Africa expands to Nigeria

Retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora has helped lead NFL Africa into Nigeria, where Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux are helping.

The NFL Africa program expanded to Lagos, Nigeria this week, where they are currently (June 14-18) holding a football talent identification camp in addition to NFL FLAG activities.

“It’s truly an honor to be leading the NFL’s efforts across Africa and expand key programming into a fourth country across the continent, Nigeria — a place that is very close to my heart,” said ex-New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, the NFL’s Africa lead.

“We’ve seen the incredible impact the program has had on young athletes’ lives to date, and we look forward to creating more opportunities for global talent to play the game and grow that impact in the years ahead.”

Following his retirement in 2015, Umenyiora took a pundit position at BBC Sport and became engaged with the league’s overseas ventures — the NFL International Series and NFL Africa.

As part of NFL Africa, Umenyiora has helped discover several new players who have traveled to America and joined NFL teams. Among the discoveries was former Giants offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka, a Nigerian native who spent time with the team in 2022 via the International Player Pathway Program.

Last year, the London-born Umenyiora helped lead NFL Africa into Kenyan and has now followed that up with his country of descent, Nigeria (Igbo).

Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux are also in Lagos with Umenyiora, joining a group of other NFL players who are taking part in the camp.

Several current NFL players will join talent identification camp events in Lagos, including David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns, Bobby Okereke and Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks and free agent Prince Tega ​Wanogho.

In total, 21 prospects from 10 countries across Africa will participate in the identification camp.

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Giants great says Daniel Jones must live up to contract in 2024

Retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora says QB Daniel Jones must live up to his contract in 2024 and play more like he did in 2022.

For New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, the time for excuses has passed. It no longer matters what deficiencies surround him, he needs to raise his level of play to match his $160 million contract.

At least that’s how Giants great Osi Umenyiora sees things.

“You are the guy, and you have to find a way to deliver because that’s how you’re getting paid, right?” Umenyiora told Giants Country. “You see what all these other quarterbacks do. You see Patrick Mahomes — a lot of times, maybe his receivers are dropping the ball, and people are giving him a pass. But in the media world, I say, ‘No, he’s getting paid $50 million a year to make everybody else right.’

“So if you’re getting paid at the higher echelon of, of the quarterbacks — $40 million a year is a lot of money, (Jones) has to perform better than he performed last year, and he has to play the way he played in 2022.”

While Umenyiora, like many others, grew frustrated with Jones before his 2023 season ended due to injury, the retired defensive end stopped well short of saying DJ doesn’t have it.

In fact, Umenyiora said, it’s evident by his play in 2022 that Jones can be a solid and productive long-term quarterback. But those six games this past season are concerning.

“You can’t say how he played, especially towards the second half of 2022, and say, ‘Okay, this guy isn’t a good quarterback, and we’re not gonna pay him any money.’ It doesn’t make any sense, right?” Umenyiora said.

“If you’re watching, you’re like, ‘Okay, this guy can play, you know, he is good with his feet, you know, accurate passer who can do a lot of things.’ But then you look at what happened last year, and, you know, once you get paid that amount of money as a quarterback or as a player, you can’t blame things on everybody else.”

There’s no denying that Jones regressed in 2023 but he never once blamed anyone else for those failures. The excuse-making has come from the outside and can largely be viewed as justified for a variety of reasons.

But that doesn’t mean Umenyiora is wrong. At some point or another, DJ has to take complete control and make things happen on the field despite what’s around him. If he doesn’t, he’s likely run out of his nine lives.

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See it: Giants great Osi Umenyiora reacts to his own Super Bowl commercial

Watch New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora react to his Super Bowl LVIII commercial for the very first time.

Retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora is one of the rare players who was born internationally and found his way to the NFL.

After the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, the NFL debuted a new ad campaign highlighting its International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), which Umenyiora was instrumental in launching.

In the ad, several current players are shown as a boy plays with a football while running through the streets of Accra, Ghana. At the end of the commercial, Umenyiora shows up and lets him know that his dream can be a reality and that it doesn’t matter where he was born.

“As long as you are born to play,” Umenyiora says.

On Thursday, the NFL released a heartwarming video of Umenyiora and Washington Commanders defensive end Efe Obada watching the full commercial for the first time.

The IPPP allows the NFL to expand its talent pool from US-based universities and programs to foreign countries where there is plenty of talent, but not a lot of opportunity.

Born in London and raised in Nigeria until high school when he moved to the US, Umenyiora has a passion for providing opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them. His genuine reaction to the ad that features him and that he related so authentically to Kwesi shows what a great human being Osi is.

The most interesting part of his reaction, though, is when you can see the impact register on Umenyiora’s face. Not just the impact of the ad itself, but the impact he had on making the IPPP happen, which Obada makes a point to let him know.

Umenyiora had an outstanding NFL career and is one of the greatest Giants to play defensive end. He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2015.

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Osi Umenyiora featured in new International Player Pathway Program ad

New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora appears in a brand new International Pathway Program commercial alongside Saquon Barkley.

Following the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, the NFL debuted a brand new ad campaign for the International Pathway Program.

“Born To Play” is a tip of the cap to the ever-expanding landscape of professional football and its role around the world.

Never before has the league been more inclusive and diverse with players arriving from each corner of the globe — many from areas that never previously believed it possible.

A part of that thanks is owed to retired New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora, who spearheaded the NFL’s Africa program and has since expanded outward.

Umenyiora, fittingly, took part in the new ad campaign alongside current Giants running back Saquon Barkley and a host of other players.

“Talent is global but opportunity is not. Opening doors for international athletes is not only a passion of mine, but it’s a way to give back to future generations of athletes” Umenyiora said, via Giants.com. “The NFL is life-changing, and the pathway to play the sport is now a truly global one. The league’s international football development programs are helping to change young people’s lives and grow the game around the world. This campaign shows young people globally that it doesn’t matter where you were born, but you were born to play.”

The campaign is inspired by Umenyiora himself, who was born in London and later moved to Nigeria before finding his way to the United States and, subsequently, the NFL.

Umenyiora was a second-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft and went on to have a successful 12-year career, winning two Super Bowls over that span while being named to two Pro Bowls and receiving two All-Pro honors.

The Giants inducted Umenyiora into their Ring of Honor in 2015.

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DeMarcus Ware shouts out Osi Umenyiora during Hall of Fame speech

DeMarcus Ware singled out his friend and retired New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora during his Hall of Fame speech on Saturday afternoon.

Retired Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware was honored during a pre-induction Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio on Saturday afternoon. When his time came, Ware took the stage and gave an impassioned speech.

Ware gave thanks to his family, his friends and many of his former teammates, including those who have passed. He also called back to his roots — Auburn High School and Troy University.

One of the former high school and college teammates Ware singled out was retired New York Giants edge rusher Osi Umenyiora, who played alongside Ware for four seasons prior to entering the NFL. The two became extremely close friends and remain so today.

“I want to thank Osi Umenyiora,” Ware said. “And all my high school teammates for using your voices to help me get my scholarship to Troy University. The only college scholarship I got.”

Both Ware and Umenyiora were limited to scholarship from Troy, but they each made the most of the opportunity. They combined for 52.5 sacks during their two years together at the program and then it was on to the NFL.

“We’ll laugh [about] how we can’t believe we are here,” Umenyiora said in 2008, via ESPN. “If you see where we came from and the paths we took to get here, for us to both be known as some of the most feared pass-rushers in the league right now, coming from that is stupid when you think about it.”

For Ware, his football journey ended in Canton. For Umenyiora, his continues in Africa with the mission to grow the game of football across the globe and provide opportunities for those around the world who otherwise wouldn’t have it.

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Ex-Eagle LeSean McCoy throws major shade at Giants QB Daniel Jones

LeSean McCoy, who spent years being hilariously trolled by Osi Umenyiora, threw major shade at New York Giants QB Daniel Jones this week.

Former Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has never been a fan of the New York Giants and throws shade in their direction every opportunity he gets.

That trend continued this week.

During an appearance on FS1’s Speak for Yourself, McCoy addressed the Saquon Barkley contract situation and in doing so, took aim at quarterback Daniel Jones, completely disparaging the 26-year-old.

“Who is Daniel Jones, though?” McCoy asked as the panel compared DJ to a house, saying he will appreciate over time. “Daniel Jones isn’t even a condo. He’s like a garage. You can rent a garage out.

“Are we really going to sit here and act like Daniel Jones is this superstar quarterback? You’re supposed to get better and better each year, right? I can’t even say he’s getting better each year. . . You will never see Daniel Jones on any commercials. When a defense comes to play the Giants, you really think they’re talking about Daniel Jones?”

Shady must have missed DJ’s Buffalo Wild Wings commercial, but we digress…

Earlier in his career, defenses didn’t focus heavily on Jones. And even during the first half of last season, much of the focus was on stopping running back Barkley, and rightfully so. But during the second half of last season that all changed and defenses did begin to focus much more heavily on DJ.

“Last year he unleashed. We all loved it. When he runs, it builds confidence. He’s legit fast. I started to see later in the season, teams were putting spies on Daniel Jones,” former Giants linebacker Jaylon Smith said recently.

McCoy obviously did little research before making his anti-Jones comments but he’s likely still sour from being trolled by Osi Umenyiora over the years.

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Giants great Osi Umenyiora helps expand NFL Africa program

Retired New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora has helped expand NFL Africa into Kenya with an NFL Flag football showcase.

Since his retirement in 2015, former New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora has remained very much involved in the game of football.

Umenyiora took a pundit position at BBC Sport and became engaged with the league’s overseas ventures — the NFL International Series and NFL Africa.

As part of NFL Africa, Umenyiora has helped discover several new players who have traveled to America and joined NFL teams. Among the discoveries was former Giants offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka, a Nigerian native who spent time with the team in 2022 via the International Player Pathway Program.

Here in 2023, Umenyiora and NFL Africa have expanded into Kenya where a talent identification camp and NFL Flag football showcase in Nairobi are currently underway.

“It has always been a dream of mine to bring the NFL to Africa and over the past couple of years The Uprise and NFL have made that dream a reality,” Umenyiora said, via Giants.com. “It’s been incredible to see the opportunities it has provided through the International Player Pathway Program, the NFL Academy and Flag football, and this is only the beginning.”

More from Giants.com:

Twenty-nine prospects aged 16 – 21, from African nations including Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal will take part in a 3-day NFL Combine-style camp to showcase their skills.

Participants will be competing for invites to the NFL International Combine, NFL International Player Pathway Program, or the opportunity to join the NFL Academy in the UK as part of League efforts to advance pathways to play in the NFL for international athletes.

Players were invited to attend the NFL event, spearheaded by Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl champion who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, after taking part in Umenyiora’s ‘The Uprise’ initiative, which held scouting events for more than 200 athletes across six countries in recent months.

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Roy Mbaeteka turns down Giants contract, returns to International Pathway Program

Nigerian OL Roy Mbaeteka has turned down a reserve/futures contract from the Giants and will return to the International Pathway Program.

The New York Giants have signed 12 players to reserve/futures contracts thus far but Nigerian offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka is not among them.

Mbaeteka, who came to the Giants by way of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, spent most of the 2022 season on the team’s practice squad. However, when presented with the option to sign a reserve/futures deal, Mbaeteka declined.

Following that decision, Mbaeteka will return to the IPP.

The 6-foot-9, 320-pound Mbaeteka was mentored by retired Giants great Osi Umenyiora in the NFL Africa initiative, which is part of the IPP.

“Once you see him, you know he’s physically imposing and in a year or two if you immerse him in football culture, he’s going to be fantastic,” Umenyiora told Giants.com at the time of Mbaeteka’s signing.

“The Giants took a chance. Not much of a chance, I think. When you see him working, you’re going to know what he’s about. . . He is big, strong, physical, extremely intelligent, very athletic. He’s built to play offensive tackle in the league. In fact, he reminds me quite a bit of Kareem McKenzie. He has the same temperament. He’s very smart, but he’s a very athletic player.”

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Osi Umenyiora thinks Giants should re-sign Daniel Jones

There will be precious few options at QB in 2023, which is why Osi Umenyiora believes the New York Giants should re-sign Daniel Jones.

Daniel Jones is in the last year of his rookie contract. The New York Giants opted not to exercise his fifth-year option, putting Jones’ future, and the future of the franchise, in limbo.

But retired Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora thinks the new regime in New York should reconsider their stance on Jones.

Umenyiora spoke at a recent roundtable media session regarding Jones and the Giants.

“It’s my team, but they’re in a bit of a problem right here because, you wouldn’t say Daniel Jones is Patrick Mahomes right? You wouldn’t say that, but he’s a good quarterback and he’s shown that he’s a pretty good quarterback,” Umenyiora said, via Give Me Sport. “So now what do you do? If you don’t resign him who are you going to bring in that’s going to be better?

“There’s no quarterback in college right now, who I would say for sure is going to be better than Daniel Jones is at this particular juncture, at least is going to develop. So the New York Giants are right there, what do you do? Do you feel like, ‘okay, now we’re going go draft the guy.’ Even if you draft the guy with the way they’re playing, they’re going to be drafted him late, so you’re not going to get one of the elite quarterbacks. And who out there would you say is better than him?

“So you’re in a bit of a situation where you almost have to sign him, because nobody’s really going to be better, even if you don’t think that he’s the long-term answer for you at the position. You’re kind of stuck there, and I think he’s going to be with the Giants for the next couple of years.”

Umenyiora isn’t wrong. There are a handful of quarterbacks in college who will eventually play on Sundays and be household names, but the Giants have a legitimate chance at the playoffs this season. How do you go from a post-season team to starting over with a new QB? Even with the added cap space in 2023, the free agent options are less than inspiring.

Whether the Giants believe this is the path or not remains to be seen, but if Jones continues to play well, there’s a chance he will stay in New York.

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