Nick Emmanwori
.jpg) Emmanwori with South Carolina in 2024 | |||||||||||
| No. 3 – Seattle Seahawks | |||||||||||
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| Position | Safety | ||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | February 7, 2004 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Irmo (Irmo, South Carolina) | ||||||||||
| College | South Carolina (2022–2024) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: 2nd round, 35th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||
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Nicholas Ovundah Eze Emmanwori (/ˌɛmənˈwɔːri/ Eh-man-WORE-ee; born February 7, 2004) is an American professional football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. He had a notably productive rookie season, where he came in second place for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and won Super Bowl LX as a key member of Seattle's "Dark Side" defense.
Early life
Emmanwori was born on February 7, 2004, in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest of five brothers[1] to Nigerian parents. He moved to Irmo, South Carolina, when he was seven, and later attended Irmo High School.[2][3] As a senior, he was listed as a three-star recruit.
Emmanwori committed to play college football at the University of South Carolina over offers from Georgia Southern and UNC Charlotte.[4][5]
College career
When Emmanwori first started at South Carolina, his coaches debated on playing him either as a linebacker or safety, ultimately choosing the latter position for him.[6] In his first two collegiate starts, he recorded 11 and 14 tackles against Arkansas and Georgia, respectively.[7] As a true freshman in 2022, he emerged as a key player for the Gamecocks, recording a team high 78 tackles and being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.[8][9][10] As a junior in 2024, he was named to the All-SEC first team and was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press.[11]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄8 in (1.91 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 6+1⁄4 in (1.99 m) | 4.38 s | 1.49 s | 2.57 s | 43.0 in (1.09 m) | 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) | 20 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Emmanwori was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 35th pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.[14] In Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons, he recorded two tackles for loss, a sack, a blocked field goal, and his first career interception.[15][16] At the end of the regular season, he was named a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but lost to Carson Schwesinger of the Cleveland Browns, receiving seven first-place votes to Schwesinger's 40.[17][18] Emmanwori had five total tackles in Super Bowl LX, a 29–13 win over the New England Patriots.[19]
On July 22, 2026, it was announced that Emmanwori had undergone ankle surgery that would sideline him for a portion of training camp.[20]
Career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
NFL
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Lng | TD | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2025 | SEA | 14 | 11 | 81 | 56 | 25 | 2.5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 14 | 11 | 81 | 56 | 25 | 2.5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Lng | TD | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2025 | SEA | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
College
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Co-led NCAA Division I FBS | |
| Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |||
| 2022 | South Carolina | 13 | 85 | 62 | 23 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | South Carolina | 11 | 71 | 47 | 24 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | South Carolina | 13 | 88 | 57 | 31 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 4 | 107 | 26.8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 37 | 244 | 166 | 78 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 6 | 107 | 17.8 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
References
- ↑ Eig, Jonathan (January 27, 2026). "Nick Emmanwori's mom predicted Seahawks' Super Bowl berth long before it happened". 12th Man Rising. FanSided. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ↑ McGranahan, Hale (June 15, 2021). "Irmo target set to return after strong camp performance". 247Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ↑ McGranahan, Hale (November 26, 2024). "Emmanwori gives back to local families, just in time for Thanksgiving". 247Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina Gamecocks, Safety". 247Sports. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ Elsey, Jacob (July 2, 2021). "South Carolina football: Nick Emmanwori commits to Gamecocks". Garnet and Cocky. FanSided. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ Macheca, Joe (December 7, 2022). "How Nick Emmanwori earned Freshman All-American honors". On3. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ Goodwyn, Griffin (September 27, 2022). "Nick Emmanwori embraces 'next man up' mentality on Gamecocks' defense: 'The moment's not too big for him'". The Daily Gamecock at University of South Carolina. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ Lyon, Andrew (September 12, 2022). "South Carolina Finds Unheralded Star In Nick Emmanwori". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ↑ Jones, Alex (December 20, 2022). "Confidence helps Emmanwori turn in stout freshman season". 247Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ↑ "2022 SEC All-Freshman Football Team Announced". secsports.com. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Emmanwori, Kennard Earn Spots on AP All-America Team". University of South Carolina Athletics. December 16, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Nick Emmanwori Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- ↑ "Nick Emmanwori College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- ↑ Horton, Ari; Boyle, John (April 25, 2025). "Seahawks Select Safety Nick Emmanwori With 35th Overall Pick". Seahawks.com. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ↑ Benintendi, Connor (December 7, 2025). "Nick Emmanwori calls Seahawks defense 'historic' after monster game vs. Falcons". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Nick Emmanwori snags his first NFL interception in Week 14 of his rookie season". NFL.com (video). Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ "AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Voting". AP News. February 6, 2026. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ↑ "NFL Honors: Finalists announced for MVP, other awards from 2025 season". NFL.com. January 22, 2026. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Super Bowl LX - Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots - February 8th, 2026". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori has ankle surgery, expected to play W1". espn.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.