Jenna Laine
TAMPA, Fla. — Within the alternate universe proposed to Tampa Bay Buccaneers extensive receiver Emeka Egbuka in a query requested by ESPN on Wednesday, the wideout is not catching passes from Baker Mayfield or slow-walking into the tip zone and triumphantly pumping his fist. In an alternate universe, he isn't enjoying at Lumen Discipline on Sunday when the Bucs go to the Seattle Seahawks — or enjoying soccer in any respect.
As an alternative, he is shagging baseballs and making acrobatic catches within the outfield throughout the road like one in every of his boyhood idols — 10-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, two-time AL Batting Champion and 2001 AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki. As an alternative, Egbuka is enjoying at T-Cell Park, the place the Seattle Mariners will host Recreation 2 of the American League Division Collection towards the Detroit Tigers later that night.
“I've undoubtedly thought of that, however God has me right here for a cause,” mentioned Egbuka, who was simply named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September — with 4 touchdowns within the first 4 video games of his NFL profession.
“I assumed he was going to be a baseball star for positive,” his father, Henry Egbuka, advised ESPN.
In spite of everything, the Mariners have been the primary big-time sports activities crew that bore witness to the abilities of the DuPont, Washington, native. It was at then-Safeco Discipline the place he received the 2011 MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Workforce Championship for athletes from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia after advancing by the native and sectional rounds.
That earned him an all-expenses-paid journey to Phoenix for the 2011 MLB Aquafina Nationwide Pitch, Hit & Run Finals, held earlier than the MLB's House Run Derby at Chase Discipline.
Carrying a Mariners ball cap, a decided Emeka Egbuka pounded the strike zone goal that stood 45 ft away. Then, on his third strive within the hitting competitors, he smashed a baseball practically 200 ft — the farthest an athlete can hit within the competitors, rising because the nationwide winner within the 7-and-8-year-old age group.
“I believe it was the primary time anyone had received it from the Pacific Northwest,” Henry Egbuka mentioned. “So it was an enormous deal.”
As a part of his award, he bought to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Mariners-Chicago White Sox sport the subsequent spring. On the receiving finish of that ball? Six-time All-Star and 2010 Cy Younger Award winner Felix Hernandez.
“He was the one I threw my first pitch to. He caught it, in order that was superior,” Emeka Egbuka mentioned. “I bought to satisfy all my favourite gamers, just about the whole crew. I [still have] signed memorabilia from all them, so I believe it is actually cool.”
Henry Egbuka added, “It was an enormous, packed stadium and every thing. And I used to be like, ‘At 8?‘ It was unimaginable.”
13 years later, when he was chosen nineteenth within the 2025 NFL draft by the Buccaneers, the Mariners stunned Emeka Egbuka with a congratulatory message that includes a picture of Hernandez and 8-year-old Egbuka on X, Instagram and Fb.
“I used to be not anticipating that,” he mentioned of the shoutout. “That was fairly cool.”
EGBUKA HAD THE probability to probably be drafted out of Steilacoom Excessive Faculty by the MLB. As a freshman on varsity in 2018, he batted .316 with a .376 on-base share as skilled scouts sat within the stands. However soccer finally took over, as he was named the Gatorade Participant of the Yr within the state of Washington after his junior season within the fall.
Then COVID-19 got here within the spring of 2020.
“I imagine the door to the baseball in my life closed certainly not of my very own,” mentioned Egbuka, who obtained his first provide as a freshman from Florida State — a college whose dual-sport athletes embody Heisman Trophy winners Charlie Ward and Jameis Winston and Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Deion Sanders.
“We have been three days out from my junior 12 months [in baseball] — our opener and the entire season bought canceled,” mentioned Egbuka, who had simply been named MaxPreps Excessive Faculty Soccer Junior Participant of the Yr after a 25-touchdown season with 1,600 receiving yards.
He helped Steilacoom attain the WIAA 2A state championship in 2019, ending with a title-game document of 18 receptions for 163 yards and three touchdowns to associate with eight tackles and an interception. After COVID worn out his senior season within the fall of 2020, Egbuka would find yourself enrolling early at Ohio State in January, ranked because the No. 2 extensive receiver by ESPN within the 2021 class.
“There was COVID, there was a bunch of issues that went into it to the place baseball simply made its means out of my life,” Egbuka mentioned. “However I really feel like God has me right here for a particular cause, a particular objective. So I am undoubtedly grateful to every thing the sport of soccer has given me, too.”
However baseball has helped help his soccer success.
“I imagine one energy that I've all the time had that I've [taken] a variety of delight in was ball monitoring and catching the ball,” he mentioned. “I believe there's by no means been a ball within the air that I felt like was a tough catch or that I could not observe. I've an in depth baseball background, so I believe that is helped me out lots — enjoying heart subject and stuff like that.”
In his NFL debut in Week 1, he scored two touchdowns, together with the sport winner with :59 left. At one level on the play, he momentarily misplaced observe of the ball within the lights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, however in baseball, an outfielder should depend on instincts.
“The ball bought hung up within the lights somewhat bit, so I had to verify I actually concentrated to have the ability to haul it in,” Egbuka mentioned. “It was a really memorable second.”
Then there was the landing in Week 4 towards the Philadelphia Eagles the place Mayfield laced the ball between two diving defenders. It had a completion chance of simply 21.2%, in response to Subsequent Gen Stats.
“I truthfully could not inform if it was tipped or not,” Egbuka mentioned. “It was powerful. It sort of simply popped on me fast. … You are monitoring it the entire means, and then you definitely lose it final second. You simply bought to belief what you noticed, put your fingers the place you thought the ball was going to be after which as soon as it comes out the again finish, simply have the focus.”
He additionally credit baseball along with his skill to bounce again from errors.
“There's nothing extra demoralizing than going 0-for-4 on a day with two strikeouts,” Egbuka mentioned. “So I believe constructing that psychological fortitude in baseball undoubtedly has helped me with my levelheadedness in soccer.”
HENRY EGBUKA WAS adamant about not pushing his son. As an alternative, he allowed him to seek out his means. Together with Emeka Egbuka's mom, Rhonda Ogilvie, he was merely there to assist his son.
“He was so pushed and targeted,” Henry Egbuka mentioned. “He used to beat himself up each time he missed one thing he was supposed to realize. And I saved telling him, he was so onerous on himself.
“He was his personal worst critic. Even when he by no means thought he did something completely, he was all the time attempting to enhance. He has all the time been very, very pushed and really fiercely aggressive.”
That drive has taken Emeka Egbuka to a particular place. He grew to become the Ohio State all-time receptions chief through the 2025 Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship sport, surpassing Okay.J. Hill's document (201) with 205 catches, together with 2,868 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.
Now as an NFL participant, he leads all rookies with 282 receiving yards and 4 landing receptions. He grew to become one in every of simply 5 gamers over the previous 20 years to have recorded a landing catch in three of his first 4 video games, becoming a member of Hakeem Nicks (2009), Martavis Bryant (2014), Terry McLaurin (2019) and Ja'Marr Chase (2021).
“He is one in every of a form,” Bucs receiver Chris Godwin Jr. mentioned. “He is undoubtedly one of many extra mature and pro-ready rookies that I've ever been round. He is been an ideal addition to our room. Clearly, you guys see what he can do on the sector. He makes unbelievable performs. In some way, he makes much more unbelievable performs in observe, so now it feels a bit routine.
“He has all the instruments that you want to be an ideal professional. He has the velocity, he has the playmaking skill, he has the psychological capability to know the offense in any respect three positions, he is unselfish. I believe he has a extremely, actually vivid future forward of him.”
If Egbuka notches two extra touchdowns in his residence state, he may tie Bryant and Calvin Ridley for probably the most by a participant's first 5 video games since 2000 — though that might be a tall order on condition that the Seahawks have surrendered solely six complete touchdowns in 4 video games — tied for second fewest within the NFL.
“It is simply unimaginable to look at him hit the bottom working from the day he stepped on campus at Ohio State to at this time,” mentioned Mariners normal supervisor Justin Hollander, who's a graduate of OSU. “It looks as if his time to transition is simply smaller than most, and that is actually spectacular.
“In baseball, we've got minor league ranges, so that you bounce from A ball to AA, AA to AAA, AAA to the massive leagues, and it looks as if during Emeka makes these jumps — and does it sooner than most guys.”
No matter he does subsequent, it will likely be in entrance of some acquainted faces, as Ogilvie has bought what her son describes as a “very massive part” of the stadium.
“The one factor is — if you need a ticket, you bought to put on Tampa Bay gear,” Egbuka mentioned. “I bought a variety of Seahawks followers in my household and stuff like that, however they bought to put on Bucs gear if they are going to go to the sport.”
There will not be a problem with allegiances on the baseball diamond although. It is the primary time the Mariners have received the American League West title since 2001 — earlier than Egbuka was even born.
He is admittedly behind in his scouting of this present crew, given how a lot time he is devoting to soccer, however mentioned, “I am glad they made the playoffs and bought some life for that metropolis baseball smart. It is superior.”
“They are a very nice crew,” Egbuka mentioned. “They bought Cal Raleigh, they bought Julio Rodriguez, so you bought a variety of guys who're X issue playmakers. So in moments like these — within the playoffs and when it issues — it simply relies upon how your complete crew performs and the way your finest gamers play.”
And his brush with the Mariners at a younger age has left a long-lasting affect, one thing he needed to cross on to college students when he visited Tampa's Lockhart Elementary Magnet Faculty on Tuesday, the place he led youngsters in soccer drills.
It took him again to the second that he spent along with his baseball idols all these years in the past. A second that has helped propel all of his athletic achievements.
“It sort of simply motivates you and makes you need to push tougher to get to the place they're. Evokes you with a variety of hope,” Egbuka mentioned. “It is a second that I've by no means forgotten — one thing that may persist with me the remainder of my life.”
Although his journey within the NFL is simply beginning, Hollander made a lighthearted gesture that if Egbuka needed to return residence and play, the door could be open for him to take the sector with Mariners.
“If Emeka needs to make a change, I would be blissful to work him out,” Hollander mentioned. “I do not assume he'll need to try this, however I'd be blissful to get him a glove and have him run round heart subject if that is what he needs to do.”
