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Former Northwestern DL Ifeadi Odenigbo receives raise for staying with Vikings practice squad
By Paul Harvey
Published:
It’s not everyday that a player elects to stay on a practice squad with other offers on the table. However, that is what Ifeadi Odenigbo decided to do with the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Chris Tomasson with Pioneer Press, Odenigbo had drawn lots of interest from the Philadelphia Eagles who wanted to sign him to their 53-man roster. However, he felt the best course of action was to remain with the Vikings on their practice squad.
In return, Minnesota gave Odenigbo a pay raise to $28,235 a week, the same amount he would earn on a minimum contract on an NFL roster. Odenigbo went on to say that the Vikings assured him he would be a part of the team’s future:
“When you’re on the practice squad, you don’t really know if you’re staying with a team, but (the Vikings) told me they look at me as part of the future, so it was cool,’’ Odenigbo said. “They told me, ‘We have plans for you and trust the process and we’ll match their offer.’ So that worked out well.’’
Odenigbo played at Northwestern from 2013-16, racking up 26.5 TFL and 23.5 sacks in his career. His best season came as a senior in 2016 when he recorded 12 TFL and 10 sacks.
He did appear in one game this season with the Vikings, recording one tackle. Hopefully he will get another chance to prove himself soon.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.