Emeka Egbuka - the 19th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft - got his Tampa Bay Buccaneers career off to a dream start with two crucial touchdowns in a 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Not only was he instrumental in securing victory on debut, but the wide receiver of Nigerian descent was also the standout African player in week 1 of the 2025-26 NFL season.
Further standout performances from players with ties to the continent came from Samson Ebukam (Indianapolis Colts), Foyesade Oluokun (Jacksonville Jaguars), and Nate Landman (LA Rams) among others.
NFL Player of the Week: Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Fresh out of Ohio State, Egbuka's NFL debut was one for the books as his touchdown catches in the second and fourth quarters sealed a memorable win in a game that would probably have been out of reach but for his contributions.
The Buccaneers trailed 7-3 in the second quarter when Baker Mayfield caught the Falcons defense off guard, pretending to give the ball into the hands of Bucky Irving only to buy himself space and launch it long upfield. Egbuka did the rest, making the 30-yard catch and getting past Mike Hughes for the finish.
The winning touchdown came in the final minute as Egbuka darted through the middle of the field and positioned himself perfectly to get on the end of Mayfield's 25-yard pass, beating the despairing dive of Hughes - who was once again the last man who could have stopped him, but once again was left with little chance.
Egbuka was the hero as the Buccaneers came away with the win on away soil at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
NFL Moment of the Week: Foyesade Oluokun (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Oluokun's crucial interception in the second quarter led to the Jacksonville Jaguars scoring their first touchdown en route to a 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The linebacker of Nigerian descent got in the way of a Bryce Young pass intended for Xavier Legette, and off the ensuing drive, the Jaguars chipped away and made up 35 yards over eight plays, culminating in Hunter Long's touchdown off a Trevor Lawrence pass.
It all started with Oluokun's interception in what proved to be a crucial play, but it was not all he had to show for one of the most impressive defensive performances across the league in week 1.
Oluokun also starred with a forced fumble and made a total of 10 tackles as he led the Jags to victory at EverBank Stadium.
Honorable mentions
While Chuba Hubbard was on the losing side of the Jaguars' win over the Panthers, the running back - born in Canada to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother - scored a touchdown.
Alvin Kamara - who is of Liberian heritage - also scored a touchdown in a defeat as the New Orleans Saints lost 20-13 to the Arizona Cardinals. It was an historic moment, as it was the 1000th touchdown at Caesars Superdome.
Check out all of Sunday's thrilling plays from Week 1 of the NFL season.
Bobby Okereke - of Nigerian descent and a major part of the NFL's work in Africa to date - made 16 tackles in the New York Giants' 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is of Sierra Leonean heritage and gained 124 receiving yards for the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers. However, unlike former teammate Egbuka, he did not start the season with a win - as the 49ers walked away 17-13 victors.
Nigerian-American duo Folorunso Fatukasi (Houston Texans) and Nnamdi Madubuike (Baltimore Ravens) each picked up sacks in their teams' first fixtures of the season, but were on the losing end against the LA Rams and the Buffalo Bills respectively.
In the Chicago Bears' 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, two players of Nigerian descent had big moments for the hosts at Soldier Field. Rome Odunze scored a touchdown, while Dayo Odeyingbo sacked J.J. McCarthy.
Africa-born Player Watch
While many of the best African players in the first week of the NFL season ended up with defeats, two homegrown African stars in particular stood out in victories.
Nate Landman (Zimbabwe) made 10 tackles and was instrumental for the Rams in their victory over the Texans. Meanwhile, Nigeria's Samson Ebukam picked up a sack for the Indianapolis Colts in their 33-8 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins.
Landman in particular was hugely impressive on his competitive debut for his new team, after leaving the Atlanta Falcons and signing for the Rams as a free agent. His forced fumble in the fourth quarter may well have been the difference between defeat and victory.