Uche Nwaneri

Uchechukwu Eberechukwu Nwaneri // ⓘ (/ˈuːtʃeɪ nwɑːˈnɛri/ OO-chay nwah-NERR-ee) (March 20, 1984 – December 30, 2022) was an American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at Purdue and was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft.[1] After retiring, he ran "The Observant Lineman" channel on YouTube.[2]

Uche Nwaneri
refer to caption
Nwaneri with the Cowboys during the 2014 NFL preseason
No. 77
Position:Guard
Personal information
Born:(1984-03-20)March 20, 1984
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died:December 30, 2022(2022-12-30) (aged 38)
West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:Garland (TX) Naaman Forest
College:Purdue
NFL Draft:2007 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:104
Games started:92
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life

Nwaneri attended Naaman Forest High School in Garland, Texas, where he was teammates with Melvin Bullitt.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Uche Nwaneri
OL		 Garland, Texas Naaman Forest High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 5.0 Jul 8, 2003 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: -- (OL)   Rivals: 66 (OL), -- (TX)
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2002 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 15, 2011.

Nwaneri committed to Purdue University on July 8, 2003.[3] Nwaneri also had FBS scholarship offers from Kentucky, and Texas A&M.[4]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard splitVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 3+1⁄8 in
(1.91 m)		 325 lb
(147 kg)		 34+1⁄8 in
(0.87 m)		 10 in
(0.25 m)		5.44 s1.87 s3.13 s27.5 in
(0.70 m)		8 ft 1 in
(2.46 m)		24 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[5][6]

Jacksonville Jaguars

Nwaneri saw limited action as a rookie during the Jaguars' 2007 playoff run, playing in 9 games with 1 start. The next season, he was elevated to starter after an injury to starting guard Vince Manuwai. In all, he appeared in 15 games during the 2008 season, starting 15 of them. He allowed 4.5 sacks during the season.

In 2009, Nwaneri and fellow guard Maurice Williams competed for the starting guard position opposite the returning Vince Manuwai. Nwaneri won the job; Williams was deactivated for much of the season before being released on December 5, 2009.[7] Nwaneri appeared in all 16 games, starting 13 of them. He was only credited with allowing one-half of a sack. Nwaneri was also not penalized during the 2009 season.

Nwaneri was released on March 4, 2014.[8]

Dallas Cowboys

Nwaneri signed with the Dallas Cowboys on June 25, 2014.[9] He was cut during final roster cuts on August 30, 2014.[10] Following his release, he chose to retire from the NFL.

Death

Nwaneri died on December 30, 2022. Preliminary results indicated a possible heart attack. He was 38.[11]

References
  1. "2007 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  2. "Uche Nwaneri - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  3. "Uche Nwaneri". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  4. "Uche Nwaneri". Scout.com. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  5. "Uche Nwaneri Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  6. "2007 Draft Scout Uche Nwaneri, Purdue NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  7. "Maurice Williams". www.rotoworld.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008.
  8. Ryan O'Halloran [@ryanohalloran] (March 4, 2014). "#jaguars have released starting right guard Uche Nwaneri" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. Helman, David (June 27, 2014). "Cowboys Officially Sign Veteran Guard Uche Nwaneri". www.dallascowboys.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  10. Halprin, Dave (August 30, 2014). "Dallas Cowboys Roster Cuts 2014: 53-Man Roster Settled For Now, Ryan Williams Cut". www.bloggingtheboys.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  11. Wilkins, Ron (January 2, 2023). "Former Purdue, NFL player dies in West Lafayette home". Journal & Courier. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
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