British-Nigerian rugby convert Isaac Ubaka signs for Lenoir-Rhyne football

NCAA Division II football program Lenoir-Rhyne Bears have secured the commitment of British-Nigerian inside linebacker/running back Isaac Ubaka, a convert from rugby.

Ubaka, who joins from London's NFL Academy, is the latest among a steadily increasing group of rugby players switching to the gridiron. Another British-Nigerian convert from rugby, Daniel Akinkunmi, was one of Europe's most sought-after prospects last year before joining the Oklahoma Sooners from the NFL Academy.

More recently, Louis Rees-Zammit has gone through the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) Program after representing Wales at last year's Rugby World Cup. A phenomenally talented athlete, Rees-Zammit's attempts to break into the Kansas City Chiefs team as a running back and the Jacksonville Jaguars team as a wide receiver have so far not yielded any regular season playing minutes.

What could set Ubaka apart from other converts is that he has followed American football for some time, and been learning the game since his early teens.

"My dad's always been a huge fan of American football since I was as young as I can remember - probably five or six. I'd come downstairs and my dad would have the Super Bowl on the TV. He'd be screaming at the TV, trying to support his team, and I didn't even understand what was going on. I was too young," Ubaka told ESPN.

"However, I was around 14 and the NFL London Games - it was the first one; it might have been just before COVID. Just after the NFL London Games finished, there was an advert for the NFL Academy that popped up on the screen. I looked at my dad and was like: 'Is that [happening] here?' It was opening maybe an hour from where I live in North London.

"My dad was like: 'You know what you want to do if you want to make that transition,' so I started training every day at my local park."

Although he will be playing at a Division II college, Ubaka believes he can go all the way to the NFL, although he also intends to take his business management studies seriously.

"I'm a competitive guy. Even when I was playing table tennis with my older sister, I hated losing," he said.

"I've been studying this game for as long as I can remember. As soon as I was able to fully understand football aged 13, I [started] learning formations, different coverages... I have the IQ and I can compete out there."

On his exposure to multiple sports, he said: "I've always been a massive fan of sports. I've always been big into sports. My dad was a triple jumper and then he played rugby in college in Scotland. My mum used to play golf and tennis.

"Growing up, I was always kind of taller than anyone else, a little bit faster, a little bit stronger. I actually started off playing soccer - or football, however you want to call it."

Interestingly, although Ubaka is currently 6-foot, his early growth spurt meant that he was under the impression he was too tall to make it as a soccer player, hence he tried out rugby and played for Wanstead RFC.

"My mum suggested bringing me to Wanstead, which is where one of her friend's sons played at. As soon as they saw me, they said: 'We'll take him.'

"In my first game, I caught the ball. I said: 'What do I do?' I looked over to my coach. He said: 'Run.' I ran, scored my first try and the rest is history."

According to Ubaka, a son of two Nigerian parents, the adaptability and competitiveness Nigerian athletes show is linked to their culture.

He added: "I think it has to do with a lot of our upbringing. In Nigeria, we have a saying: 'Naija no carry last.' We never carry last, which means we don't like finishing last. We're very competitive. Everything we do, we strive to do the best."

At Lenoir-Rhyne, he is confident he has found a home that will promote the best of who he is as an athlete.

"[They have a playing style that is] fast and aggressive. It's like the academy - at the academy, they play fast football. It's a team - it's like a brotherhood over there," he said.

"As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the place I wanted to be."