(ThyBlackMan.com) The best defensive player on the Jacksonville Jaguars made a major change entering this 2024 NFL season. Edge rusher Josh Allen made it publicly known that he will now be referred as Josh “Hines-Allen” to pay respect to “maternal side of his family and the other relatives who have worn ‘Hines’ and ‘Hines-Allen’ on their jerseys”. One of his sisters, Myisha Hines-Allen, played for the 2024 WNBA championship as her Minnesota Lynx lost to the New York Liberty in a five-game series in the 2024 WNBA Finals. Josh Hines-Allen’s decision to wear “Hines-Allen” on his jersey was because “Legacy is forever, and I’m proud to carry that tradition on the back of my jersey, following in the footsteps of my family, who have donned the Hines-Allen last name with so much pride and joy. My last name has been changed, but I’m still that person. And I will continue to play like it, play even better.” He wasn’t the only important NFL defensive player to have a name change entering the 2024 NFL season.
Last season, Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman “Justin” Madubuike had a career year in nearly every category during his fourth year for the Ravens in the 2023 season. However, he also wanted to make a name change that relates to his African roots. He decided entering the 2024 NFL season and beyond that he will go by Nigerian-given name, Nnamdi, going forward. “Coming from Nigerian culture, our parents give us like an American name and give us a Nigerian name,” Madubuike said. “When we were growing up as little kids, they addressed us as our Nigerian name. So Nnamdi, I believe in my heart, that’s my real name.”
Nnamdi Madubuike’s reflection and decision to go with his birth name was strengthened during the summer when he earned a nice contract extension. “After I signed my contract, I just need to keep doing that. I just felt like when I keep it real, the better player I am, the better man I am. I just was like, you know, I’m going to go with my real name. So Nnamdi is my real name.” Another source of inspiration that assisted his decision was his own Ravens teammate, Odafe Oweh. Oweh played his entire Penn State career being known as “Jayson Oweh” but Odafe Oweh, also has Nigerian heritage and stopped going by Jayson when he was first drafted in 2021.
Now both Odafe Oweh’s and Nnamdi Madubuike’s first and last names clearly speak to their homeland being the African continent. It is a power example of honoring their culture that they had the opportunity to learn from their parents about. There is a deep meaning for Madubuike’s name change as the name “Nnamdi” actually means “my father’s son” or “my father’s legacy.” Both of those Baltimore Ravens are two of the most important defensive players for a franchise that has had a history of strong defenses.
It is great that both Oweh and Madubuike both were comfortable and proud of their heritage to make their separate decisions to publicly go by names related to their heritage. There always a lot of pressure for colonized people of any background to assimilate in many different ways including names. Their families should be proud of them beyond their football accomplishments by this major decision.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines
