Football is just a sport, but it also makes millionaires. Among those getting wealthy are 65 Africans that stand to each earn about $4m on their current contracts.
NFL contracts are complicated because each has multiple clauses to cover signing bonuses, injuries and incentives. Players may even be cut before the end of their contract period. Or they may have to renegotiate higher or lower salaries. But reporting by Sportrac indicates that these 65 players have contracts whose value exceeds $686 million (N686 billion).
To put the earnings of the African NFL players in perspective, the value of their contracts exceeds the annual budgets of each Nigerian state except Lagos and Akwa Ibom.
When combined, the 2023 salaries of these players exceed $267 million (or N267 billion). That is more than each of 24 Nigerian states plan to spend in 2023.
The highest paid African is Emmanuel Ogbah from Nigeria. He plays on defense for the Miami Dolphins. He may not be a household name, but he could make more than $65m on his contract. Naturally, his take home of $17m for 2023 is also the highest among Africans. His relative obscurity after 7 years in the league has to do with the fact that he plays on the defensive line. Whether on defense or offense, linesmen are rarely heard of but are among the most highly valued players in the league.
Ogbah, who came to the United States at age 9, graduated from Oklahoma State University as the best defensive linesman of his era, according to his hometown paper, the Houston Chronicle.
On graduation, Ogbah told the Chronicle how excited he was about his salary;
“The biggest part about transitioning to the NFL will be just having all of that money.” He added, “I’ve never had that kind of money before, so I don’t know what I’ll be able to do with it.”
Ogbah is 30 years old.
Serious fans of the NFL are definitely familiar with the player whose contract value, at $45 million, is the second highest for any active African players. He is Foye Oluokun, a linebacker (on defense) for the Jackson Jaguars. Oluokun has a take home of just under $9 million in 2023, still the second highest.
Oluokun is the equivalent of a terrorist (in a good way) for his team. His skill at wrecking the offense of opposing teams has earned him multiple honors over the years. He stood out on October 10, this year when he caused trouble for the New Orleans Saints, the opponent, in just about every play in the game that day.
Oluokun attended Yale University, an Ivy League college. Since the Ivy Leagues are known for academics, not athletics, only the top athletes from there make it to the pros. He led the NFL in tackles, a key category, in 2021 and 2022. He is 28 years old and is in his sixth year in the league.
Rounding out the top five earners of all Africans are Romeo Okwara of the Detroit Lions, David Onyemata of the Atlanta Falcons and Jeff Okudah, also of the Falcons. Okudah is from Ivory Coast, while the others are of Nigerian heritage.
While most players do not earn as high as Oluokun or Ogbah, those at the lower levels are not doing so badly as the league pays a minimum of $750,000 per season for each salary.
