The 21-year-old defensive tackle from Abuja was present at the Draft Theatre in Pittsburgh on Saturday night when his name was called, becoming the first Nigerian ever drafted into the league.Bernard joined the Eagles through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Programmr and stands as the first African athlete to reach the pros via this route.
A former basketball player, he had never played a single game of American football before being selected.
His path to the draft began with an invitation to the 2024 NFL Nigeria camp run by Osi Umenyiora, the ex-New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons star of Nigerian heritage.
He later stood out at the 2025 NFL Africa camp in Cairo, Egypt, earning a place in the International Player Pathway Class of 2026 and completing a 10-week training stint in Florida.
Reacting to the historic selection, Bernard said: “It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this. I’ve not played football, but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I’m going to get better every day.”
He added: “I thank God for everything. I thank God for life. I thank God for the opportunities given to me to be drafted by the Eagles.”
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman described the pick as a calculated investment in raw potential.
The 6ft 4in, 306-pound prospect “has the tools” the team values, but the franchise knows development will take time.
Roseman explained: “We wanted to take the chance on the kid. Obviously, we’ve had great success with that program. We spent a lot of time with him. You know, just for us, it was a passion project.
“Obviously, he’s got a lot of tools in his body. [We] understand it’s going to take time. It’s going to take a lot of time here.”
Bernard will get his first taste of NFL life at various training camps beginning in May, ahead of preseason action in August.
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