One of the most anticipated sporting events in the world took place last Sunday, February 13 – we are talking about Super Bowl in its 56th edition. The National Football League (NFL) championship was marked by Eminem’s performance and by one of the star players: Larry Ogunjobi.
The importance of this event is so vital that the most crucial advertising agencies reserve around 11 months in advance a spot of only a few minutes for up to 2 million dollars. This way, they can present their most creative commercials and reach the largest possible audience. Although the financial results for this year are still being calculated, in 2021, a year marked by the pandemic, the audience of the Super Bowl was recorded in decline, and it was still 96.4 million viewers.
Who is this Nigerian-descendant player?
The American defensive tackle has carried the Nigerian flag in the National Football League since 2017, the moment his career started with Cleveland Browns, and since March 19, 2021, with Cincinnati Bengals. Born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, his parents are originally from Nigeria and take pride in his son’s double majoring in computer science and biology while playing college football at Charlotte University of North Carolina.
At 27 years old, Ogunjobi has 229 total tackles during his NFL career, making him one of the best currently at his position. These guys represent the dream of many others worldwide, as many athletes want to reach this level in their careers. During the most recent annual playoff of the NFL, Ogunjobi made his fans in New Jersey proud, along with the other 6 Nigerians who participated in the championship.
The Bengals vs Rams: a close story
Last Sunday, Ogunjobi and his Nigerian compatriot Hakeem Adeniji participated in one of the tensest and close games in the championship history, resulting in the final score of 20-23 in favour of the Los Angeles Rams. On this occasion, the first part belonged to the locals, who dominated 13-10. However, the powerful halftime show with Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem fueled the Bengals, scoring 16-20. And it is here where the performance of our favourites stood out remarkably.
It seems football fans have quite followed the history of these two teams. The two have met 15 times (including 1 postseason game), with the Cincinnati Bengals winning 8 games and the Los Angeles Rams winning 7 games. The last time they shared the field was in October 2019.
Larry Ogunjobi’s contract with the NFL expires next year. He notes that he started 16 games in 2021, recording seven sacks, 49 tackles, and a career-high 12 tackles for loss. This is a great career opportunity for this player, and just by being a part of one of the most televised championships in sports history, he already deserves a long life in the NFL.
