Meet Nigeria’s Uar Bernard, first African pathway player drafted in NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles have selected Nigeria’s Uar Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking a historic breakthrough for African talent in American football.

The Abuja native was picked 251st overall in the seventh round on Saturday night at the Draft Theatre in Pittsburgh, with the 21-year-old present to witness the life-changing moment.

Bernard joins the Eagles as the first-ever Nigerian to be drafted into the National Football League, and also becomes the first African to reach the league through the International Player Pathway Program.

A defensive tackle, Bernard’s journey into the sport is anything but conventional. A former basketball player, he had never played a single game of American football prior to entering the program.

His transition began after attending the 2024 NFL Nigeria camp organised by Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and former player for the Atlanta Falcons.

Bernard’s rapid development earned him a spot at the 2025 NFL Africa camp in Cairo, Egypt, where he was selected for the International Player Pathway Class of 2026. He then completed an intensive 10-week training programme in Florida, ultimately doing enough to secure his place in the draft.

Born in 2005, Bernard grew up in the small village of Unguwa Uku in northern Nigeria with his four sisters and three brothers, and later relocated to Benue State. His father passed away when he was 16, forcing him to work part-time as a personal trainer to help support his family.

Growing up, he spoke four languages and followed football and basketball closely, idolising Ronaldinho, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan. Remarkably, he had never played organised American football before 2023.

His journey began when a coach from a Lagos team spotted his raw athleticism and urged him to attend a three-day training camp in Abuja.

“He saw my resilience, physical dominance, size and strength, and believed those qualities would translate really well to American football,” Bernard recalled.

After being discovered, Bernard attended multiple camps across Nigeria and Egypt, where Osi Umenyiora identified his potential through his NFL Africa ambassador role.

He was subsequently selected for the NFL’s International Player Pathway program and began a 10-week training stint in Florida in January 2026.

Standing 6ft 4in and weighing 306 pounds with just six percent body fat, Bernard produced extraordinary athletic numbers at the IPP Pro Day. He ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, recorded a 39-inch vertical jump, and a 10ft 10in broad jump—figures that would rival or surpass typical combine results for his position.

His journey has also been defined by ingenuity. Without access to proper facilities, Bernard studied pass-rushing techniques on YouTube and used tree trunks to simulate offensive linemen during training sessions in Africa.

Jordan Luallen, director of NFL pre-draft operations at X3 Performance, described his ability in glowing terms.

“Hands down, he is the most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my life. He broad jumped 10-10. At 306 pounds. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

With the No. 251 overall pick in the seventh round, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Uar Bernard, continuing their investment in International Player Pathway prospects—following the success of Jordan Mailata, a 2018 seventh-round pick who developed into an All-Pro offensive lineman.

Reacting to his selection, Bernard described the moment as a dream fulfilled.

“It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this. I’ve not played football, but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I’m going to get better every day,” he said.

“I thank God for everything. I thank God for life. I thank God for the opportunities given to me to be drafted by the Eagles.”

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman acknowledged Bernard’s raw potential, noting that the franchise is willing to invest time in his development.

“We wanted to take the chance on the kid. Obviously, we’ve had great success with that program. We spent a lot of time with him. You know, just for us, it was a passion project,” Roseman said.

“Obviously, he’s got a lot of tools in his body. [We] understand it’s going to take time. It’s going to take a lot of time here.”

Bernard is expected to begin his NFL journey with rookie and training camps in May, before potentially featuring in pre-season action in August.

Vanguard News