Bucs rookie offensive tackle Ben Chukwuma lives dream as NFL player

TAMPA, Fla. - Bucs rookie offensive tackle Ben Chukwuma is on cloud nine.

"Two years ago, I played my first ever football game," Chukwuma said. "Today, I am starting my first ever game. It's crazy. I feel like I am in a dream."

Long way from home:

It's a dream come true for the Nigerian-born football player. According to Pro Football reference, he is just the 37th player of Nigerian descent to make it to the NFL. 

He was a longshot to make the team as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia State. However, Chukwuma is kicking it on NFL Sundays at the highest level. He believes he held his own against the Saints.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 24: Charlie Heck #77 works out with Ben Chukwuma #70 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at AdventHealth Training Center on July 24, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Gett

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"I did pretty much good," Chukwuma said. "[This was] my first ever NFL start. This is my first time going against all of these elite NFL players, so I held myself, yeah."

The man who's blindside he was blocking for says he had a good game. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was not sacked once against New Orleans.  

What they're saying:

"I thought he did a great job," Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "I know there's things he wants to get correct and get fixed, but for his first real NFL snaps, I thought he did a really, really good job. [He] was locked in; no pre-snap penalties, none of that, which [is] what you look to eliminate when it's your first start, and he did all of that well."

Chukwuma credits his teammates for keeping him locked in, which made him not as nervous for his first NFL action.

"Every player was saying, 'Ben, you've got this,'" Chukwuma said. "'It's just like preseason. It's just like practice.' Everybody showed me love, and I was able to play fast and strong."

The coaching staff noticed that fast and strong play, and they said it was something good to see from the young Buc.

Impressing in his role:

"There [are] definitely things that – from a rookie’s perspective, in his first start in the NFL, he wants to clean up – but from an effort and mentality and how he approached it going into it was really good to see from his end of it with not having played much, and now he’s starting," Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said. "That whole game, he was going to go against Chase Young, which is a tall task – and that guy is having a hell of a year. I think he did a good job. I think he’s able to build off of that, and we told him going in, ‘Once the ball’s snapped it doesn’t matter that he was a first-round pick and second overall or whatever he was, and you’re undrafted, he’s got to get off the block, and you’ve got to block him.’ So it comes down to mano a mano, and I thought he met the challenge and played really physical."

Chukwuma certainly understands when healthy, Tristan Wirfs is going to start at left tackle until the day he retires. However, if he can't go, the undrafted free agent says he will be ready for the opportunity. 

"[It takes] one snap, and we have to go in and play," Chukwuma said. "I take a lot of motivation from them. That's how I was able to stay ready today."

He's ready to get better and learn from this experience.

"Just pick up from the mistakes we made and get better," Chukwuma said. 

What's next:

It appears Chukwuma will be back on the sidelines against the Falcons on Thursday night as Wirfs was running with the first team offense in practice.