“…as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:31
Prince. It’s not only my name, but also an official title. My family is of Royal Igbo Nigerian descent. My great grandfather was the king, and every first son in the family gets the title of “prince.”
My Nigerian heritage has always played an enormous role in my life. Growing up, my parents spoke our native language, dressed in traditional clothing and cooked customary Nigerian foods. To be honest, though, my five sisters and I were kind of embarrassed by it. No one else dressed like us in public, which caused some awkward stares. But, as we grew up and had the chance to visit Nigeria, we began to understand, appreciate, and take pride in our native culture.
Hometown: Glendale, Ariz.
Born: June 6, 1989
Height/Weight: 6-0/207 lbs.
College: Nebraska
Drafted:
19th overall by the New York Giants in 2011.
Notes:
• Super Bowl XLVI Champion
• Unanimous First-Team All American (2010)
• Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2010)
• First-Team All-Big 12 (2009-10)
We were also brought up in the Catholic Church. My parents’ commitment to raising us in the church instilled important values in my life that I still hold to this day.
I went to the Thursday morning FCA meetings in high school (mostly for the free donuts), and my football coach invited me to an FCA Camp the summer after my freshman year. He told me there would be college coaches there, so I went. The next thing I knew I was waking up at 6:45 a.m. for prayer time and breaking down the gospel. It all just blew me away. On the second-to-last day, the speaker presented the gospel and explained all that Christ had endured in our place, and that all we had to do was confess our sins and commit our lives to Him. I walked to the front of the room that night and devoted my life to Him.
After a mountaintop experience like that, you want to read the entire Bible and listen to Christian bands in an at-tempt to replicate the way you felt. But it didn’t last. I didn’t have anyone discipling me or pouring into my faith on a consistent basis, so I never learned to actually grow in the commitment I made that summer.
That changed when I went to play football at Nebraska. I found a community of believers through FCA who supported and encouraged me to truly become a follower of Christ. I think there’s a huge difference between be-ing a believer and being a Christ-follower. The seed was definitely planted when I was at that high school camp, but through discipleship at college I became serious about my faith and about being a true follower of the Lord.
The success I experienced at Nebraska wasn't all me. It was all His plan. I started college as a running back but was switched to defensive back without the coaches even telling me. When I found out, I was ready to transfer. But our chaplain, Matt Penland, suggested that maybe God had a different plan. I prayed about staying and trusted my coach, Bo Pelini, when he said I would make a great cornerback and had a future at that position. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if my chaplain hadn’t encouraged me to pray about it and if I didn’t trust my coaches and God’s plan for my future.
Playing in the NFL was a huge goal and a dream of mine that came true in 2011 when the New York Giants drafted me. I’ve been blessed to be part of such a great organization and to already have a Super Bowl ring so early in my career.
Being a Christian in the NFL is no different than being a Christian in other professions. It can be tough because some of your peers live very different lives and question why you do the things you do. I face the same fears as others—not being accepted or being made fun of—but my fellow Christian teammates and my church encourage me to be bold in my faith. I enjoy being myself around my teammates, learning about them and interacting with them. That’s the great thing about being a Christian—you get the opportunity to love others and serve them with Christ’s love.
Every Christian’s job, no matter what they do for a living, is to know Jesus and to make Him known. Anytime I’m able to shine His light or make Him known from the platform He’s given me, I definitely try to take full advantage of it. I know that everything I’ve accomplished doesn’t compare to knowing the Lord and His gift of salvation.
Originally Published: November 2013
Photos courtesy of the Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports and Jerry Pinkus/New York Giants