NFL: Britain's Efe Obada 'so scared' before tackling his mental health issues

Efe Obada is astir to drawback luncheon astatine the NFL Academy tryouts erstwhile helium stops successful his tracks.

Obada has remembered that Derry, who travelled astir 90 miles southbound from Leeds to Loughborough for the tryouts, has 2 hours to termination earlier his bid home, truthful asks if helium wants to articulation him.

And helium doesn't halt there. The Washington Commanders antiaircraft extremity is astir to springiness the NFL hopeful the acquisition of a lifetime.

After lunch, Derry spends an hr lifting weights with Britain's biggest NFL star.

"I've told everyone," helium says aboriginal to BBC Sport. "I'm inactive buzzing now."

Obada knows however it feels to beryllium Derry. In his aboriginal 20s, helium got aboriginal greeting trains into London, to bid successful nationalist parks earlier moving arsenic a information guard.

Now he's completed his "miracle" travel to the NFL, the 30-year-old feels helium would beryllium "doing an injustice" not to usage his level to animate others, peculiarly British youngsters similar Derry.

In an exclusive interview, Obada tells the BBC astir his troubled upbringing, his ongoing conflict to consciousness accepted arsenic British and the value of keeping successful interaction with his Nigerian roots.

• Watch: Efe Obada - Against All Odds

'Growing up successful foster attraction translates to the NFL'

Obada claimed 4 sacks past season, giving him a full of 15 from 86 games successful 5 seasons arsenic an progressive NFL player

Born successful Nigeria, Obada moved to the Netherlands erstwhile helium was eight.

Two years later, helium and his sister were trafficked to the UK. They were abandoned successful London and grew up successful foster care. Obada feels those experiences prepared him for the ruthless satellite of the NFL.

He was fto spell by 3 teams earlier making his NFL debut successful 2018. At the commencement of the 2020 season, helium was kept on, released and re-signed each successful the abstraction of 1 weekend.

"The instability and uncertainty of not having a spot to telephone home, I consciousness it translates," helium says. "You tin beryllium connected 1 squad - past successful a moment, you tin beryllium connected another.

"Living retired of a suitcase is thing I inactive bash now, having this planetary lifestyle, and conscionable being comfy with being uncomfortable."

• Efe Obada: The NFL prima abandoned connected London's streets astatine property of 10

Frustrated astatine a deficiency of opportunities, partially due to the fact that of his migration status, the younger Obada was drawn into pack civilization successful southbound London. As helium tried to found himself successful the NFL, helium felt arsenic though helium was "running away" from that past.

"I was an immigrant, I couldn't work, I couldn't further my education," helium says. "There were lone a definite magnitude of options. Eventually you get pulled successful a definite direction.

"In my heart, that's not truly who I americium but your situation turns you into idiosyncratic other conscionable truthful you tin past and provide.

"So, fixed an accidental similar the NFL, thing that big… adjacent erstwhile I was successful the signifier squad I was making truly bully wealth that I was capable to nonstop backmost home. I was similar 'I'm going to clasp connected to this', due to the fact that I knew what was waiting for maine [back successful London] and I knew that was not what I wanted for myself."

'Until I get a passport, I consciousness the UK doesn't judge me'

Obada supports respective assemblage initiatives erstwhile helium is backmost successful the UK, specified arsenic emblem football

Obada has been a semipermanent protagonist of the NFL Academy, emblem shot and the Big Kid Foundation, a London charity.

He is present looking to make a assemblage grooming installation successful southbound London yet admits helium is frustrated astatine trying to unafraid a British passport, contempt flying the UK emblem connected 1 of the biggest stages successful satellite sport.

"I was successful foster attraction and erstwhile I was a insignificant they were expected to benignant retired my migration and my papers for me, but I fell done the cracks," helium says.

"I aged out, rules changed, and unluckily I was incapable to get [a passport]. I'm inactive warring to get it and though I bash consciousness British, I consciousness arsenic though it's a state that doesn't judge me.

• Why London is nary longer an 'escape' for Obada

"It does wounded a small bit, but these are the crosses and hurdles I person to carnivore and overcome. I person a batch of empathy due to the fact that I grew up astir radical who had akin situations and are inactive successful akin situations.

"They astir apt person much of a close to beryllium successful the state than I bash due to the fact that of however galore years they've been present but are inactive struggling, going done solicitors and having to set to the rules and changes successful the UK.

"I'm blessed that I person the quality to spell successful and retired [of the UK] arsenic I delight but it's conscionable having that indefinite inability to telephone England my location and beryllium recognised arsenic a British citizen. Hopefully I'll beryllium capable to benignant it and it volition beryllium conscionable a portion of my beingness that's down me."

'I had imposter syndrome, that's gone now'

Obada is inactive troubled by his past and supports intelligence wellness foundation Mind, having recovered the courageousness to talk to a therapist past year.

"I felt it was impacting my life, my relationships, and I wanted to hole that," helium says. "I saw the alteration from going into therapy, however impactful that was for maine successful presumption of however I dainty people, however I presumption the world, my assurance erstwhile I play, however I woody with issues from increasing up.

"In the NFL, successful African communities, successful tons of households - [opening up] is precise taboo, particularly arsenic a man. It's similar 'just get connected with it'. There's ever this mindset of 'oh, idiosyncratic other has it worse'. I felt blameworthy due to the fact that I'm an NFL subordinate - what bash I person to kick about?

"But [I realised] I person this level and that I'm not alone. I request to speech astir it and springiness radical the courageousness to larn astir the tools to assistance them, due to the fact that it's a immense thing."

Obada celebrates aft helping Washington go the archetypal squad to bushed the Philadelphia Eagles past play earlier the Commanders narrowly missed retired connected the play-offs

Obada adjacent opened up to his Washington team-mates too, which helium feels has made him "100% a amended player" arsenic helium looks guardant to playing a sixth progressive play successful the NFL.

"I was frightened retired of my mind," helium says. "I didn't cognize however it would beryllium received, I felt truthful exposed and vulnerable. But that process of sharing my story, my life, my experiences, was truthful therapeutic.

"It besides created a level for radical to stock their experiences and their journey, and that was amazing.

"I learned truthful overmuch astir my team-mates. I was capable to link connected a deeper level and it's decidedly made maine much confident. It's made maine much trusting successful my abilities and wherever I travel from.

"Initially I had imposter syndrome and I consciousness similar that's gone. I've accepted who I americium arsenic a person, and I've benignant of detached from my past and my interior voice.

"When I bash get antagonistic I present person the tools and consciousness to recognize that, 'OK, I consciousness this way', alternatively of catastrophising oregon spiralling into a definite spot similar I utilized to."