Justin Madubuike became one of the NFL's premier defensive linemen last season. In 2024, get ready for Nnamdi Madubuike to take it even further.
Madubuike has decided to go by his Nigerian-given name, Nnamdi, from now on. The new name is already on his nameplate above his locker and Instagram profile. On Monday, he explained why he made the change.
Madubuike took some inspiration from teammate Odafe Oweh, who also has Nigerian heritage and stopped going by Jayson when he was first drafted in 2021.
"Coming from Nigerian culture, our parents give us like an American name and give us a Nigerian name," Madubuike said. "When we were growing up as little kids, they addressed us as our Nigerian name. So Nnamdi, I believe in my heart, that's my real name."
When Madubuike talks with his parents, they still always call him Nnamdi. But he was in second or third grade when Justin, which is the name on his birth certificate, started to be on his name tags and desktops. That caught on, so that's what Madubuike would be called outside his home.
Madubuike's perspective changed this offseason. After signing his four-year contract extension, Madubuike reflected on his life and how to keep growing and improving.
"Just learning from the older vets and stuff, I keep finding ways to get better every single year. I just started to just keep everything real in terms of my life," he said. "After I signed my contract, I just need to keep doing that. I just felt like when I keep it real, the better player I am, the better man I am. I just was like, you know, I'm going to go with my real name. So Nnamdi is my real name."
Nnamdi says his father, Festus, approved of the name switch. The name Nnamdi actually means "my father's son" or "my father's legacy."
"My dad's my biggest supporter, so when he approved it, I was like, 'It's a go,'" Madubuike said.
"I guess there's the power of just being yourself. But I didn't do it for those reasons. I did it just for me being thoroughly honest with myself."
