Rugby star Paschal Ekeji Jr.'s unlikely journey to NFL

Posted : 01 April 2025

In 2022, Paschal Ekeji Jr., a promising rugby player from Nigeria, Lesotho, and South Africa, seemed poised for a successful career. However, an unexpected encounter with the Madden video game and encouragement from NFL star Osi Umenyiora changed the course of his life, steering him toward American football.

By December 2023, Ekeji was announced as one of 13 players from 12 different countries selected for the NFL International Pathway Program (IPP). Training in Florida, the program included rugby stars like former Wallabies back Jordan Petaia and former Clermont winger TJ Maguranyanga, both of whom were training for the EDGE position alongside Ekeji Jr.

Born in Lesotho to Nigerian parents, Ekeji Jr. grew up in South Africa after his family moved to Ficksburg, just across the border. Holding citizenship in all three nations, he was initially passionate about rugby, having dedicated much of his life to the sport. Although he discovered American football at 17 while at Grey College in Bloemfontein, he never considered it as a possible career at that time.

Recalling his introduction to football, Ekeji Jr. shared with ESPN: "One of my friends mentioned Madden in the classroom, and he invited me and a few friends to play football one weekend. I got beaten badly, not knowing anything about the sport. Being competitive, I went home, searched for Madden, and watched American football highlights and strategies to improve."

It was during this period that his passion for football truly began. He immersed himself in the sport, watching highlights of players like Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow. As he followed these players, Ekeji began to realize that football could be a path for him, even though it seemed like an unrealistic dream, especially considering his location in South Africa.

When he moved to the Western Cape, Ekeji met his agent, Gavin Jones, who informed him that the NFL was looking for players and had specific requirements. They decided to take a shot at it, and after a combine in Stellenbosch, Ekeji was invited to the first-ever NFL camp in Africa, held in Ghana in June 2022. That experience made him realize that pursuing a football career was indeed possible.

Although Ekeji played two games for Western Province in the Currie Cup that year, a knee ligament injury in early 2023 slowed his progress. Despite this setback, he returned to rugby in 2024 with Stellenbosch University in the Varsity Cup. However, his time on the sidelines gave him time to reflect and ultimately led him to pursue his dream in American football.

Rugby star Paschal Ekeji Jr.'s unlikely journey to NFL

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