The Patriots filled an open spot on their 53-man roster by signing Haggai Ndubuisi, an intriguing player from the NFL’s International Pathway Program, off Washington’s practice squad.
A native of Nigeria, Ndubuisi began playing football at 17 years old after seeing the game on YouTube, according to an interview with BBC. The 6-foot-6, 298-pound defensive lineman then went to UpRise Academy in Ghana in 2021, where he caught the attention of NFL scouts.
Ndubuisi originally signed with the Cardinals as an offensive tackle in 2022, but flipped to the defensive side of the ball with the Broncos after that. He stayed at defensive tackle in Washington this season, and may have caught New England’s eye in the preseason finale, where he registered two pressures in 10 pass rush snaps. Ndubuisi recorded a sack against the Dolphins this preseason, too.
He’s yet to play an NFL regular season game, but Ndubuisi now on Jerod Mayo’s active roster.
In an interview with ESPN earlier this fall, Ndubuisi said that a desire to bring his mother to the United States to take advantage of healthcare is a major motivator for him. Ndubuisi said she suffered a gunshot wound when he was a child and there have been long-term complications.
“When we were back in the North (of Nigeria), she was shot in the leg… We had an encounter back in the North and the wound just refused to go,” Ndubuisi told ESPN in September. “It was not healing properly – I think maybe they (gave) wrong medications. It went deep into her leg and it was making her uncomfortable to walk.
“This has been going on for years and years. She has been going on medication – from one medication and hospital to the other. It breaks my heart that she’s not getting the best treatment that she could get…. I feel like this (football) could help me bring her to the States so she can get the best treatment she can get because she has eye issues (too).”
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