Odafe Oweh

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

ODAFE OWEH

Outside Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens & President of DOFFA

There is not a more impressive young man, on and off the American football field, than Odafe Oweh. A first-generation Nigerian-American, Odafe grew up in a household that embraced opportunities available in the United States, while making sure that Nigerian tradition and the proud spirit of their African heritage remained an integral part of their family identity.

Proudly African - Odafe Oweh in his African attire.

Distinguishing himself as a top athlete from a young age, first playing basketball before transitioning to football, Odafe was selected in the first round of the 2021 National Football League (NFL) draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Recognizing that he has the visibility and responsibility as a role model for youth, Odafe is committed to shaping the future for underserved populations in the United States and Africa by helping them have access to opportunity. Odafe Oweh is the standard-bearer for an empowered, united and equitable future, where opportunity is accessible to everyone, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomics, ethnicity or geographic local. He is the voice of ‘tomorrow’.

Powerhouse Global recently had an opportunity to sit down with Odafe to explore his philosophy toward life, his mindset and what he sees ahead for the future.

(PG) Odafe, tell us a bit about your family and your younger years, which clearly shaped the man you are today.

Odafe Oweh's parents

(OO) I grew up in a first-generation Nigerian household in New Jersey, USA. My father was born in Nigeria and my mother was born in London from Nigerian parents. We were raised with a global perspective and our Nigerian heritage playing an important role in our lifestyle and traditions. My mother came from the Igbo tribe and my father came from the Urhobo tribe. According to Nigerian culture, my brothers and I are recognized as Urhobo-men, as our tribal affiliation is tied to our father.

I had a wonderful childhood, but at times it was tough, as we were raised in African tradition, with discipline, respect for elders and cultural tradition at the forefront.

This was tough, at times, because I grew up in a largely Caucasian community. My parents did very well and achieved the proverbial American dream, which allowed me to live in a certain community and have advantages for my education, but to feel as though I belonged, I would have to go to the next community over to play sports with the black kids, with whom I could better relate. New Jersey is a melting pot of cultures – probably one of the most diverse States in the USA, and I was fortunate to have access to the benefits of the more privileged community where I lived and could still be a part of the black community where I had more camaraderie of similarity. The advantage that came with having access to the benefits that both communities offered me, was not lost on me. From a young age, I recognized that I was fortunate, however, for a lot of my friends on the basketball court, the access to the quality education and opportunities that I had would be a challenge, if not an impossibility. From a young age, I knew I wanted to find some way to bridge this gap.

Garry Gilliam, Larisa Miller, Henry Oweh and Odafe Oweh. (Board of advisors for DOFFA, with Odafe as the president and chairman)

(PG) How did the challenges you faced as a child shape your strength as a person and an athlete?

(OO). It was crazy as a young person, going back and forth between the black community and the predominantly Caucasian community where I was living. In my Nigerian household, I had to have one personality, and in my school and sports environment, I had another. I didn’t see this as an issue as I was growing up - it was just who I was. My family shaped my morals and gave me a strong set of ethics, but it was tough for me going to school, having to tell the kids that my name was Odafe – not just Odafe, but Odafe Oweh. I heard so many variations on the pronunciation of my name – both my first and last name. At a young age, you’re very impressionable, and being the only big black guy in an environment where people didn’t look like me was tough. Eventually, I started to go by Jayson instead of Odafe, and kids could suddenly pronounce my name. Without a difficult African name, I assimilated easier. Because of my size, my height – the way I looked, even with a more American sounding name, I was still always different than the other kids at school. As a child, we moved a lot, so it meant new communities, new schools, new friends – having to find ways to fit in, so I had to learn how to be a part of a new ‘team’ frequently, which has given me an advantage as an athlete.

I learned how to be comfortable in my skin and to have pride in being different, understanding that what makes you different is what makes you who you are. When I was selected in the NFL draft, I proudly changed my name back to Odafe. If people can’t pronounce my name, I guess they’ll just have to learn.

(PG). Why is it so important to you to make your African heritage a priority in your life?

(OO) I had to learn how to bridge both sides of my life – the African heritage which was so important to my tradition, and my life in more mainstream American society. I am proud to be a Nigerian-America, and I am thankful that I had the upbringing I had from my two amazing parents, because they shaped the man that I am today. I work very hard to keep my culture and Nigerian heritage a part of my life. I want to be a man who can say I have a culture, I have roots and I know where I’m from, and I want all young people – no matter what their culture is, to feel comfortable in their skin.

Odafe Oweh, siblings and mother

(PG) You play football in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens, selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft, which is an extraordinary achievement. But you also prioritize giving back and empowering youth through DOFFA, your nonprofit. Tell us why this is such a priority to you.

(OO) My parents always held us to a high standard because they wanted my brothers and I to have opportunities that would lead us to success – in the classroom, in sports and in life.

But for other people around the world, and particularly in Africa, they don’t have access to the opportunities that I was blessed to have. Sports has been an important part of my life since I was young and was certainly something I had a natural aptitude for. By the Grace of God, I have the opportunity to play football in the NFL, but I believe my life’s calling is to be a force for good in people’s lives, giving back to those less fortunate than myself. This is what touches my heart and motivates me.

Make yourself better, make your family better, and make your community better, are values instilled in me by my parents. As a professional athlete, I have the platform to make impact and potentially, to change lives. I believe that my calling and purpose is to empower individuals who live without much of which we take for granted. My nonprofit foundation, the Dafe Oweh Family Fund for Africa (DOFFA) will serve to help, propel, and ignite a generation of young students, athletes, and entrepreneurs. There is so much potential in people around the world that is being wasted because these people lack the access to knowledge, resources and tools which can help them find their purpose and pathway. Many young people go to school – if they can afford to go to school, without books, or a pencil and paper to write on. They have ingenuity that is born out of necessity, but don’t know how to turn this into an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

They lack the access to start-up capital to get their businesses off the ground. Young people everywhere need guidance and role models to help them make good decisions. They need people to look up to who can inspire them and give them courage and confidence. Through DOFFA, I want to be the person that is this voice of hope and opportunity for young people here in the USA, in Africa and across the globe.

I want to look back on my life and be able to say that I made a difference and changed lives, and DOFFA will be my means to that end. DOFFA will award scholarships, give young people the chance to pitch business ideas for seed capital, hold hackathons that will allow us to solve critical world problems in line with the SDGs. Partnering with The Bridge Eco-Village, we will build eco-villages where people can work, eat, live, learn, and play in marginalized neighborhoods here in the USA, in Nigeria and across Africa. I believe that if we can change a little, we can change a lot, but our impact is much stronger if we do it together.

Odafe Oweh in action

(PG) As a role model – someone that people look up to, what one piece of advice would you like to give to young people?

(OO) Be everything that God wants you to be and reach your potential using your God-given talents. At the end of the day, we must answer to God, and we want to be able to say that we tapped into our full potential instead of wasting it. Remember that humility, empathy, and understanding can change lives.