What is impressive about Bernard’s progress to date is that he did not play organised sports as young child, and only started in his mid-teens playing football and then, increasingly, basketball at school.

His sporting heroes growing up were Barcelona and Brazil forward Ronaldino and NBA stars Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan – and all three remain big inspirations for the NFL hopeful.

Bernard was first introduced to American football in 2023 when a coach of a team in Lagos State noticed his athleticism and encouraged him to attend a three-day training camp in Abuja.

“He saw my resilience, physical dominance, size and strength, and believed those qualities would translate really well to American football,” Bernard told BBC Sport Africa.

“After that initial introduction, in 2024 I was invited to several camps in Nigeria, and then more in Egypt.”

That is where Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl winner born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents, steps in.

In his role as lead ambassador for NFL Africa, which held its first events in Ghana in 2022, he works to identify talent from across the continent and develop it to join the IPP.

Umenyiora observed Bernard at some of those camps, and the young Nigerian was instructed to embark on a year of physical and technical preparation to move to the next level.

At a key NFL talent camp in Cairo last year, Bernard was selected for the IPP programme.

With American football still growing in Africa, exposure to the sport can be limited.

“The biggest challenge is access to proper training and infrastructure,” Umenyiora, a former defensive end for the New York Giants, said.

“Many young athletes with exceptional natural ability simply don’t have the facilities, resources, or structured pathways that are available elsewhere.”

But, as NFL Africa expands its reach, Umenyiora confirms the organisation is seeing increased participation and clearer development routes, and is beginning to close the opportunity gap for young athletes.