VOA标准英语2009年-NFL Sees Infusion of Nigerian Talent

Over the years, NFL rosters¹ have listed players from a cross-section of countries and territories other than the United States -- Canada, Germany and American Samoa to name a few. Nigeria also has produced its share, especially in the last decade.

Mike Richman | Washington 24 December 2009

 
Photo: Courtesy New York Giants
New York Giants defensive² end Osi Umenyiora

New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is one of a growing list of NFL players from Nigeria or born elsewhere to Nigerian parents.  One of the best players in the NFL this decade, he grew up in London, moved to Nigeria at age seven, then to the U.S. at age 14.  Umenyiora thinks the NFL should keep a closer eye on American college players with Nigerian roots. He played college football at Troy University in Alabama.

"The list is ridiculous. I could name at least 12 to 13 people who I know of personally of Nigerian descent in the NFL right now," he noted³.

Defensive end Brian Orakpo of the Washington Redskins is in his rookie season. The budding NFL star was born to Nigerian parents in Houston, Texas and grew up there.  He later excelled on the football field at the University of Texas.

Orakpo takes enormous pride in belonging to a Nigerian fraternity in the NFL.

"There's some type of kinship or brotherhood⁴ that you have between each other because we come from the same background, the same family, tradition and everything that goes around that," said Orakpo.  "So that's how everybody reached out to each other and sort of like creates that brotherhood, that we have to stick together and just have a little fun with it while we're in the NFL."

Umenyiora and Orakpo say Nigerians are physically⁵ well-suited for the NFL, particularly on defense⁶, where speed, agility⁷, power and size are needed at multiple positions. 

Impact players on defense include linemen Amobi Okoye of the Houston Texans, Victor Abiamiri of the Philadelphia Eagles, and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba of the Oakland Raiders.
Umenyiora says the best athletes in the world are from Nigeria, where soccer is the national sport and basketball and sprinting⁸ are very popular, but where American football hasn't caught on.  Orakpo says the athletic⁹ talent of Nigerians - as he put it - is likely in the "genes¹⁰."

"We have a lot of explosiveness about us, so you see us at defensive end and some other positions where you really have to use your athleticism¹¹ and your explosiveness all the time to really be a great football player.  We always have the same physique to get bigger and faster and stuff and really help our game to be a great player," he added.

Redskins coach Jim Zorn agrees.

"I think those families are bringing up strong men, and strong men play football," he noted.

In recent years, a foundation run by Nigerian-born Amobi Okoye of the Texans has organized trips to Nigeria for fellow NFL players.  This year's trip, videotaped by the NFL Network, included Okoye and defensive linemen Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris of the Chicago Bears.  While there, players embraced the African culture, taught American football to kids who know little about the game, and distributed college scholarships and medical supplies.

Umenyiora is a partner in Okoye's foundation, and says such visits send a message of hope to Nigerians.

"A lot of Africans, in general, once they're born into poverty, or they're born into desolate¹² situations, they don't really have an opportunity to pull themselves out of it," Umenyiora explained.  "So the more people who have pulled themselves out of it, can come back and give back and try to help those people, the better off the country's going to be."

The first Nigerian star in the NFL, running back Christian¹³ Okoye, played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1985 to 1990. He laid the groundwork for a long line of NFL talent from a country an ocean apart from where the game is played.
 

1 rosters   

n.花名册( roster的名词复数 )；候选名单v.将（姓名）列入值勤名单( roster的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Teams have until Monday, Oct. 29 to set their rosters. 球队可以在下周一之前，即10月29确定他们的15人常规赛名单。 来自互联网
• Rosters, R& R, FIFO or country-based lifestyle limiting your opportunities? 枯燥单调的生活方式限制了你的机会？ 来自互联网

2 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

8 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

9 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

10 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

11 athleticism   

n.运动竞赛，崇尚运动，竞技热

参考例句：

• He brings defense. He brings talent. He brings athleticism. That's a lot. “他带来的防御，他带来了人才，他带来了身体，这是很多”。 来自互联网
• Each of these sports isn't won through sheer athleticism alone. 每个体育项目无法凭借纯粹的运动能力而获胜。 来自互联网

12 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

13 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。