The American professional football player Boye Mafe is originally from Nigeria and was born to parents Wale and Bola Mafe.
Moreover, Mafe grew up with five siblings.
The American linebacker has strong ties to his Nigerian ancestry while reared in America. He returns frequently to the nation that served as his starting point.
Boye Mafe grew up in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and attended Hopkins High School in the same city.
As a senior, Mafe was named All-Metro after recording 78 tackles for the team.
Later, he played collegiate football at the Minnesota Golden Gophers Football team.
As a redshirt sophomore, Mafe recorded 14 tackles. He was 2021 All-Big Ten Second Team in the collegiate program.
Currently, the linebacker plays for Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League.
He made it into the 2022 NFL Draft as the 40th overall selection from the Denver Broncos, but they traded him to the Seahawks.
Boye Mafe Parents: Father Wale And Mother Bola Mafe
Boye Mafe is Nigerian by roots to his proud parents, Wale and Bola.
In the late 1970s, Boye’s mother and father immigrated to America. They wanted to establish a new life in America and give their future family a brighter future.
The Mafe family was originally from Yorubaland, a region in southwest Nigeria.
There are more than 256 different dialects spoken in the region, which is rich in cultural legacy.
The Yoruba way of life came to America with Wale and Bola. Boye and his five siblings acquired knowledge of their family’s cultural values.
Moreover, there is no information regarding the parents’ educational and professional background.
Boye Mafe, who lost his mother to cancer on Mother’s Day, said “I love you” in sign language after sacking Daniel Jones on the “Monday Night Football” game.
Boye Mafe Is Guided By His Nigerian Roots
Wale and Bola wanted Boye and his siblings to know about their country directly.
They accomplished this goal by enrolling each Mafe youngster in a Nigerian boarding school.
Boye bonded with his culture during a year abroad in middle school.
The trip gave him insight into his parents’ way of life. Mafe received new insight into the world in addition to learning about his family’s history.
He observed the Yoruba culture’s principles, such as grit, willpower, and family.
At first, Mafe questioned how he would make it through a year of boarding school by himself.
“[The trip] was something that was new to me. Being in a country by myself without my family there, without my brothers and sisters, and to be on my own for the first time at a young age, it scared me a lot,” Mafe said in an interview. “It was something that really changed my life.”
After living in Nigeria for a year, the Mafe children discovered what it takes to succeed.
They all developed a profound appreciation for the life their parents built in America after learning about their parents’ background.
