Prince Amukamara entered the 2011 NFL Draft projected among the top 10 picks. He went 19th to the New York Giants, and was widely considered one of the big steals of the draft. But why the slide? National Football Post speculates:
Prince Amukamara Fell To The Giants Because He’s Nigerian... Wait, Really?
...there may have been more to the story. A lot of NFL people are skeptical about Nigerian players like Amukarma. “And it’s not just white men,” one executive said. “It’s whites and blacks.” It’s still a subtle form of racism. The word on Nigerians: they are soft, not tough enough and too educated. It would be a pity if that’s what cost Amukamara.
Do they realize it’s still a racist stereotype even if they’re not talking about all black people? And is it just Nigerians? Do other African descendants like Ndamukong Suh not count?
But for all the absurdity there, the best part is definitely that Nigerians are “too educated” to succeed. As we learn time and again, here’s nothing more damning in the NFL’s eyes than a high IQ. Much better to go with with Patrick Peterson, and his single digit Wonderlic test.
Aren’t NFL scouts just the best?
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