NFL Thanksgiving: Jermaine Eluemunor on his journey from London to the New York Giants
Elumuno’s latest move follows Ossi Umeniola, Also of Nigerian descent, he was born in London and moved to the United States when he was 14.
He played in the first London game in 2007 and went on to help the Giants win the Super Bowl that season and repeat four years later.
Umeniola wears jersey No. 72, while Eluemuno seeks his blessing to wear the same number for the Giants.
However, Elumuno is unlikely to follow Umeniola’s lead and reach the Super Bowl this season. The Giants enter Thursday’s Thanksgiving game in Dallas with a 2-9 record.
Although Elumuno was nicknamed “London” at university, he has now lost his accent but remains a die-hard Arsenal fan and sports a tattoo of the Union Jack with “bred” written underneath.
Like Umeniola, he also returned to the city of his birth Helping the sport grow in the UK, A third annual football camp is planned for the offseason.
“I grew up in London and wasn’t the best at school,” Elumuno said. “But sports is one thing that keeps me in check. I feel like the kids at my camp do the same.
“It would be really cool for kids everywhere to have flag football make it to the Olympics, and I honestly think it’s a life-changing sport.”
Elumuno also revisited the apartment building where he discovered the sport.
“It makes me grateful for all the struggles I had to go through,” he added.
