Anime Obsessed NFL Star Jermaine Eluemunor: My Life Is a Sports and Shonen Saga!!

Players in the National Football League have a bit of a reputation – earned or otherwise – for their lavish lifestyles. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s $5 million ranch pales in comparison to Hall of Famer Tom Brady’s $17 million Miami mansion. Former Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochocinco dropped a wagon full of cash on a custom semi-truck that got a whopping 7 miles per gallon, and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald rang up a bill of $135,000 on one custom pendant packed with 85 karats worth of diamonds.

New York Giants offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor would just like to watch the next episode of One Piece, thank you very much.

“I’m about to start the Wano arc,” said the lineman, who, when not bulldozing the gridiron for the Giants firmly embraces his anime obsession. In addition to the chronicles of the Straw Hat Pirates, Eluemunor lists recent anime hits such as The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan and Dandadan on his list of recent views.

And it’s not just cursory knowledge. The 6’4”, 338-pound NFL star has put the time into the media form. “I had watched anime like when I was younger, but I didn’t really connect the dots and think like that was anime until I had started watching more anime… It just became a domino effect and I started watching more and more and more. I just love it.”

“I’ll say it like this: when it comes to anime, I feel like it’s endless, whatever you want, you can have the characters do whatever they want. With anime, it can be literally whatever you want it to be.”

Eluemunor began his pro football career in 2017 with the Baltimore Ravens, immediately making a name for himself by landing a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America’s “All-Rookie Team.” As his career progressed, playing for the Las Vegas Raiders before being signed by New York, so did his fascination with anime, which began on a simple laundry day with a buddy. “He brought over Chik-Fil-A,” he recalled, “and he was like, ‘You wanna watch this show I’m watching?’ And I was like, ‘What is it?’ And he’s all, ‘It’s called Attack on Titan.’ Aiight, cool, just put it on. He puts it on, and it’s just like, these big figurehead people just running around, like eating humans, and I’m like, ‘Bro, what is this? What are you even watching?’ And at the end of that episode I was totally hooked. From that point on, that was literally all I watched was Attack on Titan.”

It comes as no surprise then that Eluemunor lists Attack on Titan as the ultimate anime, crediting the high quality of character development as well as its constant improvement season after season, beating out other anime gems such as Naruto, Demon Slayer, and Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, which he all considers S-Tier. It also comes as no surprise that his passion for anime serves as a guiding force both on the field and off.

“For me, I get a deeper meaning from anime,” Eluemunor said. “Like, life is whatever you make it. You can do whatever you want in life. Like an isekai, where they die and go to another planet, and they do exactly what they want to do… You know, you can make life whatever you want it to be.”

Another lesson the offensive lineman has pulled from anime stems from his love for the underdog. “That’s what drives me,” said Eluemunor, referencing the appeal of anime like Wistoria: Wand and Sword where the main character remains focused on a specific goal. “I think that’s how I kind of relate to anime too. A lot of my top anime are ones where a character has a goal that’s driving them, and they never stray from the path that they’re on, because the ultimate goal is within distance, and they just have to keep fighting for it.”

It’s not just a trope for him, either. When ESPN’s Mike Greenberg took a swing at Eluemunor and the Giants’ offensive line, Eluemunor swung back, saying Greenberg should sit and watch some film with him to see if the analyst’s critiques held up against the footage. Was it Eluemunor’s redemption arc? “Nah, I would say it’s just standing up for what you believe in,” he said. “I have certain beliefs and it’s just kind of annoying when analysts get on TV and say certain things for views and viewership, and sometimes they’re talking from experience and sometimes they’re just talking out their ass.” The offensive lineman’s response may not have pleased Greenberg, but others, like Gene Clemons and Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated, stood up alongside Eluemunor, praising his toughness and resilience bouncing back after an injury as well as his versatility and adaptability.

For Eluemunor, it tells him that he’s still walking the right path. “If I have all this influence where Sports Illustrated and all these other people want to jump on board, and be a part of it, it just tells me I’m on the right track.” And it’s not a path he intends to stray from soon. “By the time God calls me back up to heaven, I want to say I accomplished everything I wanted to do in life.”

He may have to wait for the next life to eat a Demon Lord, however. “I’d want to gain all their powers.” Maybe next time, he will be reincarnated as a slime.