Nigerian lottery could pay off for Lobos
Wideout Umeh was heavily recruited
In 1999, Anselem Umeh’s father won a United States visa in a lottery and moved his family from Nigeria to the U.S.
Some 17 years later, the University of New Mexico football program won a lottery of its own — signing Umeh, a highly recruited prospect out of the powerful St. John Bosco High School program in Bellflower, Calif.
Now, after sitting out the 2016 season as a redshirt, Umeh is eager to play. The Lobos are eager to cash in. “He’s as good a route runner as we’ve got,” UNM offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Bob DeBesse said after Friday’s practice. “He’s got really sure hands, he’s a conscientious kid, so he’s got a chance to be the whole package.”
Umeh comes from a high school program that was the whole package and more. During his three years at St. John Bosco, the Braves went 41-3. They were acclaimed as national champions in 2013, Umeh’s sophomore year, going 16-0.
Anytime St. John Bosco lost, it was an upset.
It’s a bit of an upset, too, that Umeh wound up in Albuquerque.
After his junior year, New Mexico was one of 11 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs to offer him a scholarship. But Umeh was focused on Washington, which had not extended an offer.
“My (St. John Bosco) teammate, Sean McGrew, we were best friends and we were planning to go to (Washington) together,” he said.
But the assistant coach who had been recruiting Umeh for the Huskies was fired, and contact ceased. To Umeh’s dismay, he found that most of the schools that had offered him a scholarship no longer had room for him.
But Lobos running backs coach Scott Baumgartner, the program’s primary recruiter in California, had never given up.
“He just kept contacting me, asking me how I was doing,” Umeh said. “... I contacted him when all these things were going on, and I told him, ‘Hey, coach, I’m still here. If you guys still have a spot for me I’ll be more than happy to join.’”
Fortunately for both parties, a scholarship was available. Umeh signed with UNM just before the start of preseason practice last August.
“Things happen,” said Umeh, who’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds. “I ended up here, and I’m happy to be here.”
INJURIES, ETC.: Senior linebacker Kimmie Carson will not play in UNM’s first two games this season, coach Bob Davie said.
Carson, a returning starter, was held out of spring practice and the first seven practices of preseason camp while dealing with personal and academic issues.
He participated in Friday’s practice on a limited basis, but Davie said he has missed too much work to play immediately when the season begins.
... Junior wide receiver Patrick Reed is in his hometown of Silsbee, Texas, because of a death in his family. He’s due to return on Sunday, Davie said.
... Redshirt freshman running back Kentrail Moran (ankle) and redshirt freshman defensive end Nahje Flowers (knee) have been out since suffering injuries on Wedneday. Davie said he was optimistic in both cases. Junior outside rush linebacker Everett Powell (knee) returned to the practice field Friday. ABOUT PRACTICE: The Lobos will scrimmage in Dreamstyle Stadium today in a session closed to the public and the media, Davie said. They’ll take Sunday off and return on Monday.
... During Friday’s practice, junior safety Michael Sewell intercepted not one, not two, but three passes.
... Junior wide receiver Aaron Molina, a former Valley Viking, made an outstanding catch of some 35 yards — outleaping safety Stanley Barnwell and holding onto the ball after a hard landing.
Molina originally signed with UNM in 2014 but spent the last two seasons in junior college.