During the NFL Honors ceremony last week, internet comedian Druski made a show of mispronouncing the name of Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The comedian initially said Smith-Njigba’s name properly before repeating it without the “J,” in a manner that made it sound like the N-word.
In a post celebrating Smith-Njigba’s big win, the Seattle Seahawks PR account even shaded Druski, calling his joke a “big whiff.”
After winning Super Bowl LX this past weekend, Smith-Njigba finally got a chance to address Druski’s joke. The star wide receiver did not address the comedian by name, but was asked by BSO’s Robert Littal to explain the lineage of his name and family tree.
Smith-Nigba explains that the second portion of his last name comes from a grandfather who migrated from Sierra Leone to the U.S. and built a family that would ultimately produce the Ohio State standout and NFL OPOY.
“My grandfather came to these United States in the ’70s. Had to work for everything that he had,” Smith-Njigba explained.
“Brought a lot of people over here, brought a lot of family over here. And he was a leader and took pride in who he was and what he had to give back to. And I represent him, I represent my family, I represent Sierra Leone, Bo, Freetown. It’s an honor just to even say that. It’s an honor to just say that in front of you all, and I take great pride in it.”
Smith-Njigba, whose mid-game injury was one of the top stories of Super Bowl LX, has been open about his African heritage since joining the NFL. The former Buckeye wears an emblem of the country’s flag on his helmet during games.
Druski’s joke has arguably put even more attention on Smith-Njigba’s talent and his story.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.