Nigerian, Hakeem Adeniji to feature in world's biggest sports event

The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will face off against each other at Super Bowl LVI, the latest instalment of the biggest sporting event in the world.

The Super Bowl is basically the NFL final. The two best teams from each division (AFC and NFC) play each other in an annual one-off, a grand winner-takes-all affair that has become the most-watched sports event in the world over the last 55 editions.

This year’s edition is set to go down in Los Angeles this Sunday (12:30 am on Monday in Nigeria) between the AFC Champions Cincinnati Bengals and the NFC Champions Los Angeles Rams, who will actually be playing at their home ground, the SoFi stadium.

So why should you - a Nigerian with minimal knowledge of American football - be interested in this?

Hakeem Adeniji is the answer.

The offensive guard for the Cincinnati Bengals, who has played a crucial role in the team's unlikely run to the Super Bowl, will feature on the grandest stage in the world this Sunday.

Whether or not you know the NFL, the Super Bowl will dominate both the mainstream and social media channels so you might as well root for the team with Nigerians.

Hakeem Adeniji is one of three players of Nigerian descent on the Bengals’ roster, but the 24-year old’s Naija roots go deeper than just his name.

Hakeem is from a very Nigerian family: his mother Joke Adeniji was a television anchor in Lagos State for many years before moving to Texas with her family.

The big man grew up as a multi-sport athlete in high school, having represented Garland High in both American football and track and field, an indication that he is much faster than he looks.

Hakeem progressed to collegiate football and excelled at the University of Kansas where he started all 48 possible games and was named in the first team All-Big 12 in his senior year.

Adeniji got drafted by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL draft and many considered him a sleeper pick, a reputation to which he lived up with a decent rookie season before suffering a serious injury afterwards.

The Bengals guard tore his pectoral muscle and had to overcome that adversity in his sophomore year. To his credit, he managed it in truly amazing fashion, recovering and showing no signs of decline.

Hakeem instead slotted straight into the Bengals starting lineup and played his best football so far to spur the team on to glory.

And now, in what is only the 25th game of his NFL career, Hakeem Adeniji will play in the Super Bowl, a stage most players never get to experience. Go Hakeem Adeniji, Nigeria is rooting for you.