NFL player who never played football until he went to U of M signs $35M deal

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata is shown after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans, in this Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)

David Onyemata, who never played football until his time at the University of Manitoba, has signed a three-year contract worth $35 million with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Nigerian-born Onyemata’s football career began when came to the U of M. After seeing a few football games on television, he went to the international student office to ask where he could go to play some sports.

“He’d never played football. I put him on the field for the first time and we were shocked at the way he moved. Shocked,” said Brian Dobie, head coach for Manitoba Bisons Football, in a previous interview for CTV News Winnipeg when Onyemata was still at the U of M.

“Stan Pierre, our defensive coordinator, turned to me and said, ‘Shame on us if we can’t turn this kid into a football player.’”

Onyemata did, in fact, turn into a football player.

In 2016, the defensive lineman was taken in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. This week, the Atlanta Falcons agreed to terms with Onyemata on a deal worth $35 million over three years, with $24.5 million guaranteed.