A guy who had never played football before got picked by the Philadelphia Eagles after amazing everyone at the NFL combine.
The NFL draft just brought one of the most amazing stories in sports after a man who has never played organized football scored a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Uar Bernard from Nigeria was picked in the seventh round, 251st overall, making a dream come true with the two-time Super Bowl champions.
The draft usually features many rookies, but Bernard is different—he has never played football before. In fact, he barely played any sports until he started basketball at age 16. Then a coach noticed him, and he got invited to NFL camps in Africa and the International Player Pathway program.
At the program’s Pro Day, Bernard impressed everyone. At 6ft 4in, 306 pounds, and just 6% body fat, he earned a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score. The 21-year-old ran an amazing 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumped 39 inches high. The NFL even called him a “crazy athlete” on X.
Bernard’s pick is almost unheard of because he only began training four months ago. He was clearly proud when he got the news. “It’s a dream come true because I worked so hard,” he said in a Zoom call reported by The Inquirer. “I’ve never played football, but the drills made me feel like I’m getting better every day. I thank God for everything—life, the chance to be drafted by the Eagles.”
He added, “Before the IPP, Osi Umenyiora introduced me to football. Back home, I watched videos about pass rushing and practiced with my coaches learning techniques … But I can hold my own in the trenches.”
While Bernard’s physical skills are impressive, Eagles GM Howie Roseman said they’ll need patience because Bernard is still very raw. But the team planned to take a chance on him because they see great potential.
“We wanted to take a chance on Bernard,” Roseman said. “We’ve had success with this program and spent a lot of time with him. For us, it’s a passion project. It’s definitely unusual with this guy. He has amazing tools in his body, but it’s going to take time. A lot of time. But it’s pretty cool.”