Nat Berhe

Natnael Sabhato Berhe (born July 6, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs.

Early life Berhe was born in Fontana, California, and attended Colton High School. His mother, Judy, is African American; his father, Berhe Asfaha, emigrated from the Eritrea in 1970. During his youth, his family owned a gas station.

Berhe played two years of varsity football as a defensive back and running back and also lettered twice in track and field. He was also a member of the honor society. During his senior year, he was named a team captain for the Colton Yellow Jackets. He measured in at five-foot-eleven inches, weighed 160 pounds, and had a 2.9 grade point average. Berhe recorded the first interception of his college career against Utah State, and returned it 10 yards down the field. He made his first start against then 23rd-ranked Air Force and helped the Aztecs pull out an upset victory. He missed the game against Wyoming due to a concussion. In the Louisiana-Lafayette loss in the New Orleans Bowl, he had a team- and career-high 10 tackles.

In what would be his final year for the Aztecs, Berhe was named team captain. He had seven tackles (1 for a loss) and a fumble recovery against Northern Illinois, and had another fumble recovery against Oregon State. Nawocki was less fond of Berhe's size, considering it more appropriate for a cornerback than a safety, stating that he could stand to bulk up physically. He agreed that Berhe didn't have ideal size, and that his speed wasn't impressive. making him the first Eritrean-American player to be drafted into the NFL.

After Berhe's first preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills, in which he recorded three tackles and a forced fumble, Giants safeties coach David Merritt gave Berhe the nickname "The Missile". Berhe stated that he had been learning from the veterans on the roster, mainly Quintin Demps, and stated that Antrel Rolle was the leader of the Giants defense.

On September 5, 2015, Berhe's 2015 season came to an end when he was officially placed on injured reserve by the Giants. He had missed most of training camp due to a calf injury that required surgery to remove a blood clot.

Pittsburgh Steelers On April 4, 2018, Berhe signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Personal life He is the first player with Eritrean descent (through his father) drafted into the NFL, and is also the cousin of former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith.