
Ifeadi Odenigbo hopped into a car and told the driver to find a protest.
Odenigbo didn't wake up May 31 planning to march in Chicago, where the Vikings' fourth-year defensive end attended Northwestern, but he wanted to take action just six days after George Floyd was killed while in Minneapolis police custody. Odenigbo quickly found himself in a crowd of strangers unaware that an NFL player was walking with them.
"I just quietly joined in and didn't say a word," he said. "Marched with them for a good two miles."
Speaking up is what Odenigbo, the first member of his Nigerian family born in the United States, encourages most in the fight against police brutality and social injustice.
"It was cool to see people all skin colors," Odenigbo said. "To the people who weren't black, I said, 'Hey, thank you. This wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for you marching or protesting or speaking up.' I'm really grateful for that."
Odenigbo shared his personal experiences, why he believes education is a root for change and more in an interview for the Access Vikings podcast. This excerpt has been edited for length and clarity. Listen to the full interview here.
Q: What led you to jump into that car on a Sunday morning?
A: You watch that footage and you see a man begging for his life. Asking for some pity. The fact that officer did not give him any type of pity. I'm pretty empathetic, but I think every black person watches that footage and says that could've been me. It's almost like a moral responsibility I have to do something. Hopped in an Uber and said, "Hey driver, I want to go protest." He was a cool Jamaican guy; he was like, "I'm with you, mon." He ended up dropping me off in the middle of downtown Chicago. Ten minutes later, by the grace of God, I was able to see a bunch of people protesting perfectly peacefully. Then I just quietly joined in and didn't say a word and marched with them for a good two miles.