Michael Ojemudia (born September 12, 1997) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

for the

DC Defenders The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C. The Defenders compete in the United Football League (2024), United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded by Vince McMaho ...

of the United Football League (UFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. Ojemudia was selected by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

in the third round of the

2020 NFL draft The 2020 NFL draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...

College career

Playing

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

at Harrison High School in

Farmington Hills, Michigan Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Farmington Hills is located roughly from downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United States censu ...

, Ojemudia committed to

as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

on January 28, 2015, choosing the Hawkeyes over

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

and

Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal school (teachers' ...

, who all offered scholarships. Ojemudia was trying to chase in-state scholarship offers from

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

and

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...

, but they never came. After redshirting his freshman year at Iowa, the coaching staff moved Ojemudia from safety to

. Ojemudia played in every game as a redshirt freshman. He broke into the starting lineup occasionally during his sophomore season, and improved his play after a midseason benching. and junior season. He moved into a permanent starting role during his senior season. After his senior season, Ojemudia participated in the

2020 Senior Bowl The 2020 Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game played on January 25, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. CST, at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game featured prospects for the 2020 draft of the professional National Fo ...

and 2020

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

Professional career

Pre-draft

Ojemudia declared for the

after his senior season at Iowa. He received an invitation to participate in the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

and the NFL Combine. Initially, Ojemudia was not high on many experts' draft boards, but he stood out in the Senior Bowl and increased his draft stock. On March 1, 2020, Ojemudia participated in the NFL Combine. At the end of the pre-draft process, most draft experts ultimately projected Ojemudia as a second-round to fifth-round prospect.

Denver Broncos

2020 season

Ojemudia was selected in the third round (77th overall) by the

in the 2020 NFL draft. Heading into his first

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...

in the NFL, Ojemudia was a starting cornerback alongside veterans

A. J. Bouye Arlandus Jacob Bouye (born August 16, 1991) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights and was signed by the Houston Texans as an ...

and

Bryce Callahan Bryce Jordan Callahan (born October 23, 1991) is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football for the Rice Owls and signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Early life Callahan attende ...

. He faced minor competition for his job from third-year veteran

Isaac Yiadom Isaac Yiadom (born February 20, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). A graduate of Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, he played college foot ...

. At the conclusion of the Broncos' training camp, head coach

Vic Fangio Victor John Fangio (born August 22, 1958) is an American professional football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Fangio also served as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. A ...

officially named Ojemudia the starting right cornerback in the Broncos'

nickel defense American football, a nickel defense (also known as a 4–2–5 or 3–3–5) is any defensive alignment that uses five defensive backs, of whom the fifth is known as a nickelback. The original and most common form of the nickel defense features ...

. Ojemudia made his first career start and NFL debut in the Broncos' season-opening loss to the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. He intercepted a pass in Week 1 that was negated by an unnecessary roughness penalty. In Week 6 of the 2020 season against the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

, Ojemudia recorded his first career forced fumble on tight end

Ryan Izzo Ryan Anthony Izzo (born December 21, 1995) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football at Florida State, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2018 NFL draft. Early life Izzo grew up in the Highland ...

which was recovered by the Broncos during the 18–12 win. In Week 15 against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

, Ojemudia was ejected after punching Bills' wide receiver

Gabe Davis Gabriel Davis (born April 1, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Davis has been nicknamed "Big ...

. In Week 17 against the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

, Ojemudia forced two fumbles that were both recovered by the Broncos defense during the 32–31 loss. Ojemudia finished his rookie season appearing in all 16 games (11 starts) recording 62 combined tackles, six passes defended, and four forced fumbles while playing in 78% of the defensive snaps.

2021 season

Entering his second training camp in the NFL, Ojemudia was slated to be the fourth cornerback on the depth chart, behind free-agent additions

Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft and play ...

and

Ronald Darby Ronald Darby (born January 2, 1994) is an American former professional football cornerback who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Buffalo B ...

and incumbent veteran

. During preseason, however, he was surpassed on the depth chart by first-round rookie

Patrick Surtain II Patrick Frank Surtain II ( ; born April 14, 2000) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, ...

. At the conclusion of the preseason, head coach

named Ojemudia the fifth cornerback on the depth chart, behind

, and

. On September 1, 2021, Ojemudia was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

to start the season. He was activated on December 11. On January 2 in the Broncos' Week 17 loss to the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

, Ojemudia appeared in 15% of the team's defensive snaps as he worked his way back from injury. The following week in the Broncos' season finale against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

, Ojemudia made his first and only start of the season alongside

and

. He had a stellar performance that week, recording eight solo tackles, two passes defensed, and almost notching two

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

against

Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...

. Overall, Ojemudia finished his sophomore season appearing in 2 games (1 start) and recording eight tackles and two passes defensed while appearing in 59% of the team's defensive snaps over the two games he played in.

2022 season

Heading into the 2022 offseason and training camp, Ojemudia competed for a starting cornerback job against

. At the conclusion of the preseason, head coach

Nathaniel Hackett Nathaniel Hackett (born December 19, 1979) is an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time assistant to Doug Marrone, Hackett previously served as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, Green Ba ...

named Ojemudia the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind

, and K'Waun Williams. On August 31, Ojemudia was placed on injured reserve to begin the season. He was activated on October 17. He was waived on December 27, 2022.

Chicago Bears

On December 28, 2022, Ojemudia was claimed off waivers by the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. He was waived on August 29, 2023.

Los Angeles Rams

On September 21, 2023, Ojemudia signed with the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

of the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

. He was not signed to a reserve/future contract after the season and thus became a free agent when his practice squad contract expired.

Arizona Cardinals

On January 30, 2024, Ojemudia signed a reserve/future contract with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

. He was waived on August 26.

DC Defenders

On January 23, 2025, Ojemudia signed with the

of the United Football League (UFL).

Career statistics

Regular season

Personal life

Ojemudia's father, Dennis, was born in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

but later moved to the United States and works as an engineer for

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

. Michael, a

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

major at Iowa, also plans to work in the auto industry once his football career is over. Michael's older brother, Mario, played college football at

and currently works as a corporate partnerships associate for the

. Ojemudia was an all-state track athlete in the 110-meter hurdles in high school.

References

External links

Iowa Hawkeyes bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ojemudia, Michael 1997 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen Players of American football from Detroit American players of American football of Nigerian descent Players of American football from Oakland County, Michigan Sportspeople from Farmington Hills, Michigan American football cornerbacks Iowa Hawkeyes football players Denver Broncos players Chicago Bears players Los Angeles Rams players Arizona Cardinals players DC Defenders players