Green Bay Packers add 6’5 Nigerian DL Kenneth Odumegwu from NFL IPP

| 2023 NFL International Player Pathway Program | 05/05/2023

The Green Bay Packers were allocated Nigerian defensive lineman Kenneth Odumegwu from the NFL’s International Pathway Program, the team and NFL announced on Thursday.

Odumegwu is a 22-year-old from Anambra State in Nigeria, who was initially discovered through Osi Umenyiora’s “The Uprise Intiative” in Ghana and Educational Basketball in Nigeria. From there, Odumegwu and 12 others participated at the International Combine in London last year, were trained in Florida during a 10-week program and then had a pro day in front of teams at South Florida.

He is one of eight allocated players from the program following the 2023 draft. All four teams from the NFC North and AFC West received a player, and now all 32 teams have been allocated at least one player from the International Pathway Program, which began in 2017.

The young Odumegwu was awarded defensive MVP at the NFL Africa camp in 2022 and was one of the more highly anticipated athletes coming into the program due to his imposing physique and an alleged 4.8 40-yard dash and 33.5-inch vertical jump. The former basketball player was convinced to try football and trained by the Adpitan brothers of Educational basketball in Lagos.

Odumegwu will be with the Packers throughout training and will be eligible for an international player practice squad exemption for the regular season.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and