Quick Facts
Biography
Uchechukwu Eberechukwu "Uche" Nwaneri (pronounced OO-chay nwah-NEHR-ee) (born March 20, 1984) is an American football guard. Uche was born in Dallas, Texas to Nigerian parents. He played college football for Purdue University after graduating from Naaman Forest High School. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 149th overall pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Early life
Nwaneri attended Naaman Forest High School in Garland, Texas, where he was teammates with Melvin Bullitt.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uche Nwaneri OL | Garland, Texas | Naaman Forest High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | 5.0 | Jul 8, 2003 |
Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: -- (OL) Rivals: 66 (OL), -- (TX) | ||||||
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Nwaneri committed to Purdue University on July 8, 2003. Nwaneri also had FBS scholarship offers from Kentucky, and Texas A&M.
Professional career
Jacksonville Jaguars
Nwaneri saw limited action as a rookie during the Jaguars' 2007 playoff run, playing in 9 games with 1 start. The next season, he was elevated to starter after an injury to starting guard Vince Manuwai. In all, he appeared in 15 games during the 2008 season, starting 15 of them. He allowed 4.5 sacks during the season.
In 2009, Nwaneri and fellow guard Maurice Williams competed for the starting guard position opposite the returning Vince Manuwai. Nwaneri won the job; Williams was deactivated for much of the season before being released on December 5, 2009. Nwaneri appeared in all 16 games, starting 13 of them. He was only credited with allowing one-half of a sack. Nwaneri was also not penalized during the 2009 season.
He was released on March 4, 2014.
Dallas Cowboys
Nwaneri signed with the Dallas Cowboys on June 25, 2014. He was cut during final roster cuts on August 30, 2014.