A Nigerian-born offensive tackle who had never played football until his late teens and reached the NFL within five years of his first game.
Benjamin Chukwuma is a Tampa Bay offensive tackle with one of the more remarkable origin stories on the roster. Born in Nigeria and raised on soccer and basketball, he didn't try football until walking on at Georgia State, and he turned that late start into an undrafted NFL contract and a spot on the Buccaneers' 53-man roster.
Path to the league
Chukwuma was born in Nigeria on May 8, 2001, and moved to Georgia at age 17 with no football background, having focused on soccer and basketball growing up. He walked on at Georgia State in 2020 and needed years to learn the sport before becoming a contributor on the offensive line. He went undrafted in 2025 but signed with Tampa Bay for a reported $300,000 guarantee, the largest among that year's undrafted free agents.
Career highlights
At Georgia State, Chukwuma appeared in 23 games with 12 starts across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, developing into a starting-caliber tackle at 6-foot-5 and roughly 305 pounds despite having played the sport for only a handful of years. His rapid rise from first game to NFL roster spot in under five years made him one of the more notable undrafted signings of his class.
2025 season recap
Chukwuma made Tampa Bay's initial 53-man roster on August 27, 2025, wearing number 70. He appeared in 17 games as a rookie, making two starts along the offensive line as he continued developing behind the Buccaneers' veteran linemen.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ben Chukwuma
- ESPN: Benjamin Chukwuma
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Georgia State
- Hometown
- Austell, GA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
