Obed Ariri

Obed Chukwuma Ariri (; born April 4, 1956) is a Nigerian-born former American football placekicker who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is distinguished as being the first Nigerian to play in the NFL. He also played in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Washington Federals and in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Miami Hooters.

Early life Ariri was born in Nigeria, and his middle name Chukwuma means "God Only Knows". He became a skilled soccer player and was scouted by Clemson University's soccer coach Ibrahim M. Ibrahim. After watching him play in Nigeria, Ibrahim offered Ariri a soccer scholarship to Clemson on the spot.

Professional career Ariri was drafted in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts but was cut from the team days before the season. He was on the initial roster of the USFL's Washington Federals but did not last the entire season due to inconsistency and poor performance. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired Obed in the 1984 pre-season but was waived before final cuts. After kicker Bill Capece flopped in the final Buccaneer pre-season game, Ariri was hired in time for the start of the regular season and he was their regular kicker that season, only to be released during the 1985 training camp. He was nicknamed the "Automatic African" by his teammates. In 2018, Ariri was awarded a Super Bowl ring for playing for the Redskins in 1987, the year they won Super Bowl XXII.