Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi

Ndubuisi was born on 15 October 2000, in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] He grew up playing soccer and basketball before watching a YouTube video about the National Football League (NFL)'s best hits when he was 18.[2][3] He enjoyed watching it and decided that he wanted to be a football player.[3] Ndubuisi often brought his friends to local fields and tried to re-enact what he saw in the videos, despite knowing almost nothing about the game.[3]

There were almost no football teams in Nigeria at the time; Ndubuisi said "American football is not a sport that is in Nigeria per say [sic] - it is like a sport without hope. There is no future in it."[2] He sometimes practiced alone due to the sport's lack of popularity.[4] He was noticed by Ejike Ugboaja, who co-leads (with Osi Umenyiora) UpRise Academy, a program that helps identify African football talent, and was invited in 2021.[2][4]

After six months of training, Ndubuisi was invited to an NFL camp in London in late 2021.[5][6] He also trained with former NFL lineman LeCharles Bentley.[7] In January 2022, Ndubuisi was chosen as one of the participants in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).[7]

In April 2022, Ndubuisi was allocated to the Arizona Cardinals as part of the IPPP, being given a guaranteed contract of $207,000, which was among the highest for undrafted free agents that year.[7][8][9] He joined the team as an offensive lineman.[4] He appeared in the team's first preseason game, appearing on two snaps, but was released afterwards on 14 August.[8]

Ndubuisi returned to the IPPP in 2023 and was allocated to the Denver Broncos, with his position being switched to the defensive line.[10][11] In his first preseason game with the team, he posted two tackles.[3] He was waived on 29 August 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[12][13]