Linebacker Azeez Ojulari will be playing in his 4th NFL season in 2024. And he has performed wonderfully since his debut. In his rookie season (2021), the LB had 8 sacks, most by a Giants rookie. One thing that sets him apart is his quest for perfection. He has received it in his genes (which come from Nigerian heritage). The player has extreme focus and likes to keep everything in order. His parents and teammates like his qualities.

The Giants’ locker room also has a nickname for the linebacker: Prince Azeez. It’s not just a moniker; he’s a real-life prince. Let us take you through his Nigerian heritage.

Who are Azeez Ojulari’s Nigerian royal parents?

Azeez was born on June 16, 2000, to Monsuru Ojulari and Bolanle Seven-Seven in Austell, Georgia. While Monsuru came to the States in 1990, Bolanle often toured with her father, Olaniyi Osuntoki. Osuntoki was renamed Prince Twins Seven-Seven as he was the only surviving kid of his parents’ seven sets of twins. And he was an Ibadan King.

Prince Twins was a renowned dancer and painter whose collections are on display all around the globe. UNESCO’s Artist for Peace for 2005, he also lived with the family for a brief time when Azeez was around 10 years old. And he predicted ‘a unique future’ for the young boy. The child had a very quiet nature, and upon seeing this, Prince Twins said (Iin Azeez’s words), “He told me I was going to be special one day. That he believes it, and he knows that it was going to happen.” Phenomenal! It happened a decade later.

His parents also had a life of their own. Monsuru always wanted to settle in Oklahoma after studying about the state in a geography class. But his work initially took him to New York City. Later, Azeez’s father moved to Philadelphia. In 1996, he went to see the Olympics and met Bolanle for the first time. Immediately, they fell in love. And settled in Marietta, Georgia.

In 2011, when Azeez’s grandfather died, he was about to become chief of his clan. Azeez made it a mission of his life to do it big in anything he does. And he did it.

Azeez’s royal Nigerian heritage

Linebacker’s father worked as a truck driver while his mother worked as a lab technician. However, they did their best to keep their 4 children – Mariam, Azeez, BJ, and Olabisi- always disciplined. The couple taught them both, the culture and traditions of the US and Nigeria. All four know Yoruba, the native language of Nigeria. And they told their children one thing, “always know where you come from.”

Their royal Nigerian heritage didn’t pressure Azeez, instead, it inspired him to play football with more domination. He inspired his younger brother BJ Ojulari also. Like his brother, he also plays as a linebacker. BJ followed a similar path, played college football for LSU and later, the Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the 2023 NFL draft. But he wouldn’t be seen in action in 2024 due to an ACL injury.

The parents are proud now as their sons are in the world’s biggest football league, putting their royal heritage in the spotlight. However, Azeez is not the only Nigerian royal to play for the Big Blues. While the grandfather of former CB Prince Amukamara was the king of the Awo-Omamma in the Imo State of Nigeria, the father of retired DE Osi Umenyiora was king of Ogbunike village and became honorary chief in 2008. For now, the man in the headlines is Azeez Ojulari.

As a child, he often played chess. He calls it a stepping stone to plotting moves on the gridiron. He’s been successful in it. But he has one more thing to do. The LB has never been to Nigeria. We all are waiting for that moment when the price returns to his kingdom.