Nat Berhe Becomes the first Eritrean in the NFL

Nat Berhe becomes the first Eritrean, and the first East African to get drafted by an NFL team

Nat Berhe Becomes the first Eritrean in the NFL

With selection No. 152 in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Nat Berhe, making the safety from San Diego State the first Eritrean in the NFL.

After being drafted, Berhe took to Twitter to ask if he is the first Eritrean in the NFL:

First Eritrean in the NFL?
— Nat Berhe (@NatBerhe) May 10, 2014

Last year, Berhe recorded 99 tackles, broke up six passes, sacked the quarterback once and ball carriers behind the line 5.5 times. While listed at safety, he actually played San Diego State's "Aztech" position, which is a hybrid of linebacker and safety positions.

"You can blitz off the edge, can come down in the box, can play deep pass, can line up in the slot, can play guys man-to-man," Berhe said. "You can do it all. The position usually makes a lot of adjustments on defense as well. They need to be a smart guy."

The 22-year-old, who plays with an aggressive style, said he looks to "take peoples' heads off" when he steps on the field.

"I try to be the biggest, baddest dude out there every time," Berhe said. "It's the way I play, the way I was taught to play. I just play with a lot of anger."

At San Diego State, Berhe was elected his team's captain. He becomes the fifth captain drafted by the Giants in this year's NFL Draft.

Nat Berhe (L) and teammate Bryce Quigley

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