Nicholas Ovundah Eze Emmanwori ( Eh-man-WORE-ee; born February 7, 2004) is an American professional football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. He had a notably productive rookie season, where he came in second place for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and won Super Bowl LX as a key member of Seattle's "Dark Side" defense.
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Early life
Emmanwori was born on February 7, 2004, in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest of five brothers to Nigerian parents. He moved to Irmo, South Carolina, when he was seven, and later attended Irmo High School. As a senior, he was listed as a three-star recruit.
Emmanwori committed to play college football at the University of South Carolina over offers from Georgia Southern and UNC Charlotte.
College career
When Emmanwori first started at South Carolina, his coaches debated on playing him either as a linebacker or safety, ultimately choosing the latter position for him. In his first two collegiate starts, he recorded 11 and 14 tackles against Arkansas and Georgia, respectively. As a true freshman in 2022, he emerged as a key player for the Gamecocks, recording a team high 78 tackles and being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. As a junior in 2024, he was named to the All-SEC first team and was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press.
Professional career
Emmanwori was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 35th pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. In Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons, he recorded two tackles for loss, a sack, a blocked field goal, and his first career interception. At the end of the regular season, he was named a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but lost to Carson Schwesinger of the Cleveland Browns, receiving seven first-place votes to Schwesinger's 40. Emmanwori had five total tackles in Super Bowl LX, a 29–13 win over the New England Patriots.
On July 22, 2026, it was announced that Emmanwori had undergone ankle surgery that would sideline him for a portion of training camp.