| Profile | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1994-04-08)April 8, 1994 (age 31) Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) | ||||||||||||
| College | Northwestern (2012–2016) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2017: 7th round, 220th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||
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Ifeadikachukwu Anthony Odenigbo (born April 8, 1994) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker. He playedcollege football for theNorthwestern Wildcats and was selected by theMinnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the2017 NFL draft.[1]
Born inBayonne, New Jersey, to Nigerian parents Linda and Thomas Odenigbo, Ifeadi was the first member of his family born in the United States. He attendedCenterville High School inCenterville, Ohio, where he playedfootball firstly on offense and later as alinebacker anddefensive end.[2] He recorded 90tackles and 10.5sacks as a junior and 50 tackles and 8.5 sacks as a senior in 2011, helping lead Centerville to a 7–4 record and a Greater Western Ohio Conference championship, earning all-region, all-state and all-area player of the year honors. He was selected byUSA Football to the 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team and also competed in theUnder Armour All-American Game andInternational Bowl.
Odenigbo also lettered intrack and field all for four years for the Elks. In 2009, he set the freshman record in the200-meter dash with a time of 22.91 seconds and also recorded the third-fastest time in the400-meter dash (51.57s).[3] He was all-district in the110-meter and300-meter hurdles as a junior with times of 15.14 and 39.93 seconds, respectively. As a senior, he posted a personal-best time of 11.28 seconds in the100-meter dash at the regional championships and also anchored his team to a third-place finish in the4 × 200 m relay (1:27.92) at the state championships.[4]
Odenigbo playedcollege football atNorthwestern from 2012 to 2016. As atrue freshman, he only appeared in a game against Vanderbilt before suffering a season-ending injury, but was granted hardship waiver and did not lose a year of eligibility. The next season, he saw time on the field as a third-down pass-rushing specialist and finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks. As a sophomore, Odenigbo played in all 12 games, primarily onthird downs. He tied aBig Ten Conference record and became the first conference player sinceBob Sanders to notch 3 forced fumbles in a game, doing so againstWestern Illinois in week 4. As a junior in 2015, he helped Northwestern to a 10–3 mark, notching 5 sacks on the season, including 1.5 againstStanford.
In his final collegiate season, Odenigbo was designated first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second-team by the media after leading theBig Ten Conference with 10 sacks on the year.[5] In week 5, Odenigbo tallied 4 of the Wildcats' 6 total sacks againstIowa, tying the school record in the 38–31 victory.
Odenigbo ended his collegiate career ranked second in Northwestern school history with 23.5 sacks.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Ifeadi Odenigbo's NFL Combine Workout |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 258 lb (117 kg) | 32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) | 10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) | 4.72 s | 1.66 s | 2.76 s | 4.40 s | 7.26 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 25 reps | |
| All values from 2017NFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
Odenigbo was selected by theMinnesota Vikings in the seventh round, 220th overall, in the2017 NFL draft.[8][9] He was waived on September 2, 2017, and was signed to thepractice squad the next day.[10][11] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Vikings on January 22, 2018.[12]
On September 1, 2018, Odenigbo was waived by the Vikings.[13]
Odenigbo was claimed off waivers by theCleveland Browns on September 2, 2018.[14] On September 22, 2018, Odenigbo was waived by the Browns.[15]
On September 24, 2018, Odenigbo was claimed off waivers by theArizona Cardinals.[16] He played in one game for the Cardinals before being waived on October 23, 2018.[17]
On October 31, 2018, Odenigbo was signed to the Vikings practice squad.[18] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Vikings on January 2, 2019.[19]
On August 31, 2019, the Vikings announced that Odenigbo had earned a spot on the 53-man roster. In Week 5, he got his first career sack, tacklingDaniel Jones in a road win against theNew York Giants. In Week 15 against theLos Angeles Chargers, Odenigbo sackedPhilip Rivers once and recovered a fumble lost by Rivers which he returned for a 56-yardtouchdown during the 39–10 win.[20] In Week 17 against theChicago Bears, Odenigbo recorded a strip sack onMitchell Trubisky and recovered the football during the 21–19 loss.[21]
Odenigbo was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Vikings on July 29, 2020,[22] and activated from the list five days later.[23]He left the Vikings on March 16, 2021
On March 19, 2021, Odenigbo signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Giants.[24] He was released on August 31, 2021.[25]
Odenigbo was signed to the Browns' practice squad on September 6, 2021.[26] He was promoted to the active roster on September 21.[27] In Week 14 Odenigbo recovered a fumble forced byTakkarist McKinley in a 24–22 win over the division rivalBaltimore Ravens.
On June 12, 2022, Odenigbo signed with theIndianapolis Colts.[28] He was released on December 20.[29]
On December 27, 2022, Odenigbo was signed to theTampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad.[30]
On July 21, 2023, Odenigbo signed with theNew York Jets.[31] He was placed oninjured reserve on August 14, 2023.[32]
Odenigbo is ofNigerian descent. His brother Tito Odenigbo also spent the 2019 training camp with the Vikings.[33]