Seahawks see special quality in their draft picks born in Africa
RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks' headquarters and practice fields could pass for a luxury resort, bald eagles nesting above one far end zone, and the shore of scenic Lake Washington barely the distance of a shanked punt away.
It seems a cushy environment for the kind of player Seahawks general manager John Schneider likes to bring in: guys with a trait he calls "grit." It's about a prospect's capacity to persevere, and whether he has developed a degree of inner steel and determination by living through challenging experiences.
Recently, Schneider has been finding that grit in players born in Africa.
Rookie receiver Amara Darboh was an orphaned refugee from war-torn Sierra Leone, and tackle Rees Odhiambo was the first Kenyan-born player drafted into the NFL.
"It's staying in tune with our philosophy of acquiring players who have had big obstacles to overcome in their lives," Schneider said. "These are guys who know how to handle adversity." The theory, shared by head coach Pete Carroll, is that someone who has been through difficulties, or even life-threatening circumstances, is less likely to come unglued when challenged by comparatively trivial hardships on the football field.
Darboh and Odhiambo are part of a growing diaspora of African-born athletes across the NFL. The league's 2017 media guide lists 16 African-born players starting training camps. Nigeria leads with seven players.
Darboh (Michigan) and Odhiambo (Boise State) were third-round draft picks for the Seahawks in 2017 and 2016, respectively. In 2015, Seattle used a sixth-round pick on Oregon State defensive end Obum Gwacham (a Nigerian-born lineman now with the New Orleans Saints).
Tackle Germain Ifedi, the Seahawks' first-round draft pick in 2016, was born in America as the son of immigrants from Nigeria. Their work ethic, Ifedi said, has been an inspiration for him every day in the NFL. And he can see those qualities in teammates Odhiambo and Darboh, too.
"One thing I do know about Africans, as a whole, we're grateful for the opportunity [to be in the NFL]," Ifedi said. "[They're] some of the hardest-working guys you'll ever see. You really appreciate how hard they work."
"Both Rees and Amara have had a rough go," Schneider said. "That gives guys another level of maturity, coming to a different country, [both lost their] folks. They've made it through a lot in their lives."
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