Two Africans are performing in the top ten of rooky (first year) defensive players in the National Football League (NFL). In a recent tweet, Greg Auman, a reporter for Fox Sports, shared data ranking all rooky defensive players. His analysis showed that Yaya Diaby, a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leads rookies in many key categories, especially in tackles while BJ (full name Jamiu Bolaji) Ojulari, a linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals, comes eighth.
Both Diaby and Ojulari reflect the best of the American dream as both are children of immigrants. According to a report by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Diaby’s parents came from Guinea. The Cardinals report that Ojulari is the son of immigrants from Nigeria.
American football is pure team sport and both Diaby and Ojulari will be the first to say that outstanding play by other team mates of theirs made their success possible. Even so, they may be headed for stellar careers in the NFL if they maintain this level of performance.
Diaby, aged 24, played college football at Georgia Military College and the University of Louisville.
Ojulari, aged 21, attended Louisiana State University, where he played for the LSU Tigers. BJ, as he is known, is one of two Ojularis in the NFL. Azeez, who is older by two years, played football at the University of Georgia, and is a linebacker for the New York Giants.
