Obi Melifonwu facts for kids
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Melifonwu with UConn in 2014
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| Position: | Safety | ||
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| Personal information | |||
| Born: | April 5, 1994 London, England |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Grafton (Grafton, Massachusetts) |
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| College: | UConn (2012–2016) | ||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Henry-William Obiajulu Melifonwu (born April 5, 1994) is an American football player. He plays as a safety, which is a defensive position in football. He played college football at UConn and was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the 2017 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School
Obi Melifonwu was born in London, England, on April 5, 1994. His parents are from Nigeria. When he was three years old, his family moved to the United States. His middle name, Obiajulu, means 'consoled heart'. He has an older brother, a sister, and two younger brothers, Nonso and Ifeatu.
Obi went to Grafton High School in Massachusetts. He was a talented player, playing in different positions like defensive back, quarterback, and running back. In his last year of high school, he ran for over 1,300 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. After high school, he decided to play college football at the University of Connecticut.
College Football Career
Obi started his college football journey at Connecticut in 2012. He redshirted his first year, which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to gain experience and keep an extra year of playing eligibility.
From 2013 to 2016, Obi was a key player for UConn. He started almost every game. He made many tackles and had several interceptions. In his senior year in 2016, he had an amazing season with 118 tackles and four interceptions. His strong performance earned him a spot on the First-team All-AAC.
Professional Football Career
Getting Ready for the NFL
Before the 2017 NFL draft, Obi Melifonwu showed off his skills at events like the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. These events allow college players to show their abilities to professional teams. Obi performed very well in physical tests, especially in the vertical jump, broad jump, and 40-yard dash. His impressive athleticism made many football experts believe he would be a high draft pick.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders picked Obi Melifonwu in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. This was a big achievement, showing how much potential he had. However, his time with the Raiders was affected by injuries. He was placed on the "injured reserve" list, meaning he couldn't play due to injuries. He was later released by the team in 2018.
New England Patriots
In November 2018, Obi signed a contract with the New England Patriots. He played in a couple of games for the team. That season, the Patriots made it all the way to Super Bowl LIII, the championship game of the NFL. They won the Super Bowl by beating the Los Angeles Rams 13–3, making Obi a Super Bowl champion!
After the Super Bowl win, Obi was released by the Patriots in 2019 but later re-signed to their "practice squad." A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster for games. He was released again by the Patriots in 2020.
Other Teams
Obi continued his professional career, signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, but he was later waived. He then joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, but again, his time was short due to injury.
In 2022, Obi was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL. The USFL is another professional football league. He played for them before being transferred to the inactive roster due to an injury. In 2023, he signed with the St. Louis BattleHawks in the XFL, another professional football league, but was released shortly after.
Personal Life
Obi Melifonwu comes from a family of athletes. His younger brother, Ifeatu Melifonwu, also plays college football. Ifeatu played for Syracuse and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2021 NFL draft.
