Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had arguably the best game of his career to date in the second week of the NFL season as he continued his bid for a second straight Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) prize.
The wide receiver with ties to Sierra Leone through his grandparents possesses quality that was never in doubt after he led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl in February. However, Carolina Panthers linebacker Bobby Okereke - another player with ties to Africa through his Nigerian parents - had plenty to prove after his move from the New York Giants. So far, he has proved a shrewd acquisition. African Player of the Week: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks)
Smith-Njigba scored a career record 82-yard touchdown in the Seahawks' 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
That play off the Seahawks' opening offensive drive set the tone for what was to come as JSN went on to score further touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter. He linked up with Drew Lock for three of the Seahawks' four touchdowns. AJ Barner then went over late on to put the cherry on top of the icing.
Smith-Njigba ended up with a total of 155 yards across nine receptions and his early touchdown beat his previous career best by 19 yards. African Moment of the Week: Bobby Okereke (Carolina Panthers)
In fairness, Smith-Njigba's performance against the Cardinals was sublime enough to be dissected from top to bottom of this Africa wrap. However, it would be a disservice to overlook Okereke's impressive display in the Panthers' 34-3 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons.
He showed tremendously slick hands on an interception during the first quarter. The former Stanford star's reflexes were put to the test as he latched onto a Cooper Rush pass which had been diverted towards him off Devin Lloyd.
Okereke's contribution to the cause did not end there. Although replay assistance overturned what would have been his second interception of the half, he ended with nine tackles - six of which were solo tackles - and a quarterback hit.
The 30-year-old's talent has never been in doubt, but if there were question marks over his consistency with the Giants, he has gone a long way towards putting them to bed in his first two games for the Panthers. Although the Chicago Bears clash in Week 1 ended in defeat for the Panthers despite Okereke's forced fumble, he now has his first win for his new team. Honorable mentions:
Kingsley Enagbare - who like Okereke is of Nigerian descent - impressed with a sack and a forced fumble for the New York Jets against the Green Bay Packers, with whom he started his career. However, he ended up on the losing side against his old team as the Jets went down 20-17.
Emeka Egbuka - whose father is Nigerian - got off to a strong start with a touchdown for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Cleveland Browns. However, his game ended in heartbreak as he and Baker Mayfield failed to connect late on for what could have been a game-winner.
Chuba Hubbard - who proudly reps both Canada and Nigeria as a Sherwood Park-born star of Igbo descent - was at least able to get a win along with his touchdown in the Panthers victory. Africa-born player watch:
American football fans from Africa recently had some positive news as Nigerian star defensive lineman Augustine Irek committed to Vanderbilt after his stock shot through the roof at the NFL Academy.
In the league itself, African fans were treated to a superb defensive performance from Nate Landman on Monday night after the Zimbabwean linebacker recovered from injury to feature on ESPN for the LA Rams in their 28-6 win over the New York Giants. Landman made seven total tackles and one for a loss.
Nigeria-born Samson Ebukam picked up half a sack for the Falcons in their loss to the Panthers, ensuring that regardless of who your team was on the day - an elated Panthers supporter or disappointed Falcons fan - the game was a win for Nigeria and Africa.