Last week, The Quintessential Gentleman sat down with NFL linebacker Anfernee Orji to talk about faith, scholarships, and giving back to the community in a different way.
The New Orleans Saints player is spending his offseason far from the spotlight—instead, he’s back home in Rockwall, Texas, teaching students. While many professional athletes give back through camps or field days, Orji has chosen a less conventional path. He’s teaching kids the fundamentals of building and operating robotics.
“It’s easy for me to host a camp and have kids come out to play football,” he said. “But what about the kids who don’t? I want to be able to reach every kid, not just the football players.”
For Orji, it’s not about making a big show of giving back. He could easily hire a team to handle the details while he makes a brief appearance. Instead, he chooses the intimate setting of a classroom, where the impact is personal and direct.
“A lot of kids ask me, ‘You’re a rich man—why do you come back here?’” he shared. “And I say, ‘For you. I come back here for you.’”
Born and raised in Rockwall by Nigerian parents, Orji grew up straddling two worlds: the culture of his household and the world outside it. From a young age, his parents instilled in him the importance of thinking ahead, especially when it came to affording college.
With his older brother, Alston Orji, already playing football, Anfernee found his answer. He fell in love with the game and saw it as his pathway to a free education. After years of hard work, he became a three-star recruit in high school, eventually earning a spot on Vanderbilt’s football team.
Mission accomplished, right? Not quite.
After reaching his first goal, a new mountain appeared. At Vanderbilt, he doubled down, leading his team in tackles with 19 in his junior year and 106 in his senior year—his second consecutive season as the team’s defensive leader.
“Okay, so I made it to college and led my team in tackles junior and senior year. That has to be a straight line to the league… right?”
Not necessarily. Orji declared for the draft but ultimately went undrafted.
God can turn our plans into a purpose that serves Him, but to carry out that purpose, He shapes our character through experiences that may feel like a dead end.
“I didn’t realize it in high school or college, but He was shaping me for where I am now. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without that.”
After a period of uncertainty, Orji signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2023. Though he was later cut, the Saints re-signed him to a future/reserve contract on January 8, 2024, and he remains active on the roster.
Instead of fighting for control over what he thought he wanted, Orji surrendered to God’s direction, letting his faith guide him.
We’re always in need of something. But if we got everything we wanted when we wanted it, there’d be no need for the journey, right?”
As our conversation came to a close, I asked him one final, important question:
What do Black men need? He paused for a moment and then said simply: “Black men need Black men.”
