Mathias Nkwenti

Mathias Fru Nkwenti (born 11 May 1978) is a Cameroonian former professional American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). From Cameroon, he moved to the United States at age 10. He played college football for the Temple Owls and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He was a member of the Steelers for three seasons and appeared in two games. He later had a short offseason stint with the New York Giants in 2004. Early life Nkwenti was born on 11 May 1978, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He is fluent in French, English, and the local Mankon dialect. His father, a diplomat, moved the family to the United States when Nkwenti was 10 years old. His parents, unfamiliar with the sport, initially opposed him participating. Professional career Nkwenti was reported to have impressed at the 2001 NFL Scouting Combine, where he measured at and , running a 40-yard dash under 5.0 seconds that was viewed as "extremely fast for a tackle." Prior to the 2001 NFL draft, he was ranked by The Sporting News as the 11th-best offensive lineman available, while being ranked eighth by the publication Ourlads.

Nkwenti signed a three-year, $1.182 million rookie contract with the Steelers in May 2001. He was the backup left tackle to Wayne Gandy and made the final roster. However, Nkwenti ended up being inactive for every regular season and playoff game but one, seeing his only action during the 2001 season in a 13–10 Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers finished the season with a record of 13–3 and reached the 2001 AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the New England Patriots 24–17.

Nkwenti was reported as having impressed coaches with his development in 2002. Famed offensive line coach Joe Moore said of him: "He has as much natural talent as anybody I've ever seen in my life." He made the team again in 2002 as a backup, but was inactive for every game.

In 2003, Nkwenti made the team for the third consecutive year as a backup. Two weeks later, he was active again for the team's game against the Denver Broncos, where he saw significant action, being used as a left tackle in passing situations while also seeing time at right tackle. However, soon after the game it was determined that he needed surgery to remove a disc fragment in his back that was pressing on a nerve. He was placed on injured reserve on 22 October 2003, ending his season after only one game. The 2003 Steelers finished with a record of 6–10, missing the playoffs. He became an exclusive rights free agent after the season and the team withdrew their $628,000 qualifying offer, which made him a free agent. He concluded his three-year stint with the Steelers having appeared in only two games. After his football career, he moved back to Cameroon.