Panthers DE Efe Obada opens up about playing through the pandemic in 2020
The NFL finished its 2020 season last weekend despite some serious hurdles. At times, it didn’t look like we would make it through without major delays, cancellations and outbreaks of COVID-19. Truth is, living through the pandemic has been hard on everyone – even professional athletes. Panthers defensive end Efe Obada shared a video on Twitter today detailing some of his struggles playing through it.
Obada even admitted to thinking about quitting mid-season and going home to comfort his wife, who was sick. He followed up with another post, saying he’s grateful for coming through and that 2020 was his best season yet.
We rode it out and I had the best season of my career. I know you’re probably tired of me saying it but with everything that happened in 2020 I’m GRATEFUL and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter has in store for me 🙌🏿🙏🏿💙
— Efe Obada (@EfeObadaUK) February 15, 2021
That it was.
Obada saw his defensive snap count increase dramatically (from 306 in 2019 to 415 in 2020) and took advantage of the opportunity. He finished the year with 5.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hits and 21 pressures, all career highs.
Most impressive was Obada’s versatility – he took to lining up inside as well as on the edge and proved capable at doing so. He’s a restricted free agent, so it’s a no-brainer for the Panthers to sign him for another year. Obada is an important piece for a defensive line rotation that’s growing.
