Carolina Panthers defensive end Efe Obada began shuffling his weight from one foot to the other, just as close friends had said he would, when talking about his past. His lips became tight and he lowered his head to avoid eye contact as he searched for words to explain his childhood.
Obada, who was born in Nigeria, was trafficked at the age of 10 from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom before being abandoned on the streets of London with his older sister. He moved in and out of countless foster homes before football changed his life.