Carolina Countdown to Kickoff: 94 Days

Matt Alquiza | Jun 5, 2024

Sep 23, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Efe Obada (94) hits Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) as he throws the ball in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Every day from now until kickoff we'll be celebrating a Carolina Panther who donned the number that correlates with the number of days left until the Panthers take the field in week one against the Saints. Today marks 94 days left, so let's talk about Efe Obada.

Efe Obada's journey to the NFL is straight out of a Disney script. The former Panther grew up in Nigeria, before relocating to the Netherlands and eventually winding up in England as a ten-year-old. Obada bounced around foster homes as a teenager. He didn't start playing competitive football until he was 22.

His first sniff at the NFL came from a workout hosted in 2014 by the Cowboys before they took on the Jaguars in London. Dallas signed Obada to a contract the following spring, but he didn't crack an NFL roster until the Carolina Panthers broke camp in 2018. When Efe Obada was named to the Panthers' 53-man roster, he became the first player to come through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program to suit up for an NFL team.

If his story stopped there, it would be enough. From homeless on the streets of England to wearing an NFL jersey on game day is as unlikely of a story as it gets. Obada wasn't finished.

In the third quarter of his NFL debut, Obada intercepted an errant Andy Dalton pass.

You're not taking this play from Efe‼️ pic.twitter.com/8LN4DqdgEd

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 23, 2018

He finished his NFL debut with a sack to go with that interception, and his performance earned him an NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. The cherry on top of the sundae of maybe the most unlikely story in NFL history.

Obada spent four seasons in Carolina, and failed to develop into more than a rotational pass rusher. However, his impact on the field pales in comparison to the mark he made off of it. Obada's story is an inspiration to millions of kids across the world who dream of one day playing in the NFL.

The Carolina Panthers' motto is "Keep Pounding," Efe Obada is the perfect encapsulation of what that phrase means, and we could all do well to take a page out of his book when it comes to perseverance, heart, and grit.