.Nigerian-born American Football star, Rome Odunze has received a positive diagnosis after appearing to pick up a serious injury in training, as the latest information indicates that the Chicago Bears wide receiver avoided a serious setback.
Sports247 gathered that, in contrast with initial worries among fans of the National Football League (NFL) outfit, Odunze is expected to be fine and back in training soon, despite exiting training with a right leg injury on Thursday morning.
Odunze, who played college football for Washington Huskies, where he was a consensus All-American and runner-up for the national championship in 2023, left the field with a trainer in the first hour but, with The Bears off for the weekend, he’ll have time to recuperate.
It marks a breath of fresh air for Odunze, who was selected by The Bears ninth overall in the 2024 NFL draft, after he led the NCAA in receiving yards and the Pac-12 in receptions for 2023 as well as emerging a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
The highly promising 24-year-old lad, who declared for the 2024 NFL draft following Washington’s loss in the 2024 College Football Play-off National Championship, was limited to 12 games last season due to a stress fracture in his left foot, but tallied 44 receptions for 661 yards and 6 touchdowns.
A report by Dan Wiederer of The Athletic noted, “It sounds like Odunze has avoided a serious injury and should be ready for the season opener. He and Luther Burden III should be the top wide receivers in Chicago. Odunze has a chance to emerge as a WR2 if he becomes the go-to option for Caleb Williams.”
Sports247 reports further that Odunze was born to Nigerian parents on June 3rd, 2002, in Orem, Utah, USA, then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was three and attended Bishop Gorman High School, where he was named the state’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior in 2019.
That came after he recorded 54 catches for 1,222 yards and 15 touchdowns, following which he had 121 receptions for 2,699 yards and 31 touchdowns for his high schoool career, then committed to University of Washington to play college football.
