Efe Obada Trains For Longevity as He Helps Mold Future NFL Prospects
M&F sat down with the 6’6”, 225-pound gentle giant to learn more.
Obada explains that different to other positions such as a kicker, quarterback, or receiver where there is more forward running, his own play requires a lot more physicality, and then there’s the unorthodox movements such as twists and turns, as he finds himself running in different directions to chase the ball.
Obada first played for the NFL when he put on jersey for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. You wouldn’t realize to look at him, but Obada is one of Britain’s longest tenured players. In order to have this kind of career, careful thought needs to go into training smart for the long term. The Washington Commanders star says that while he loves to lift heavy, he saves those sessions for the off-season in order to perform at the best possible level on the field.
“I do enjoy it, but I think there is a time for it, because once you go on that rep to failure, the next day you are going to pay for it,” he says. “You obviously tear (muscle) fibers and need time to heal. During the football season, or times where you need that short (recovery) turnaround, you don’t really have the time to heal, so you work toward a certain range where it’s mainly strength retention…in order for you to make sure that you can compete on the field.”
They way in which Obada arrived from Nigeria to London as a 10-year-old boy is a story that the player, understandably, feels uncomfortable sharing. Reports suggest that he was trafficked along with his sister and soon found himself homeless.
“I feel like, if I can create more opportunities, show younger kids something different to the environment that they are used to, and show that I’m from where you are from, we have similar, shared, lived experiences, and this is where I’m at right now and you have that capability, so you can achieve those dreams and goals for yourself. I feel strongly about it.” Both on and off the field, Obada serves as an inspiration for many. Through hard work and determination, he’s beaten the odds to raise himself up from life’s challenges, and he’s eager to give others a much-needed leg-up too. We salute you, Sir.
