5 FilAm NFL Players Firing Up The League

Written by Jennifer Redondo

With Super Bowl LVII around the corner, I wanted to highlight the FilAm National Football League (NFL) players firing up the league. Unfortunately, none of their teams will be playing in the upcoming super bowl. Nevertheless, its a great time to celebrate our FilAm players and learn more about them as we gear up for the big game and of course, next season!

1. Tyler Allgeier | Running Back, #25 Atlanta Falcons 

Tyler Allgeier attended Henry J. Kaiser High School in Fontana, California. Allgeier’s grandmother is from Southern Leyte, Philippines. On his left arm, he has the Philippine sun and stars tattooed as a tribute to his Filipino side of the family that took care of him and his sister. Allgeier was raised by his single mother, Ester, who he credits to pushing him to play football. She worked hard and did everything possible to provide for him so that he had opportunities. She even took on loans to help him pay for college. Since Allgeier wasn’t handed a full scholarship, the summer before entering college, he worked at Walmart collecting shopping carts so that he could make money to help his mom out. He was a walk-on at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2018-2021. 

After two years in college, he entered the 2022 NFL draft, and was selected in the fifth round as the 151st overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. Allgeier started the season inactive but finished his rookie season with 1,035 rushing yards – cementing his name in the Falcons’ franchise record books. He holds the record for the first Falcons running back to rush for over a thousand yards. He also set the Falcons single-season rookie record for most rushing yards in a season. He attributes his success to having a starter mindset, making progress, and remaining coachable.  

2. Camryn Bynum | Strong Safety, #24 Minnesota Vikings 

Camryn Byrnum is another SoCal native, hailing from Centennial High School in Corona, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played cornerback his entire collegiate career. He is the only Golden Bear to start in all 42 football games from 2017- 2020. Upon graduating from Cal in 2020, he was drafted in the 4th round of the 2021 draft, making him the 125th overall pick. Once he joined the NFL, he transitioned to playing safety. 

Camryn is a loud and proud Filipino, and gives back to the community. You’ve probably seen him wearing the Filipino flag and cleats decorated with elements from the Filipino culture like the sun and music notes. His cleats are currently up for auction, in which proceeds will go to charity. Bynum has organized several outreach efforts taking place in the Philippines. Click here to learn more or donate to the campaign.  

3. Keith Ismael | Offensive Lineman, #67 San Francisco 49ers 

Keith Ismael is of Samoan, Filipino, African American and Native American descent. He is a Bay Area native, hailing from Oakland, California. Ismael comes from a football family – His father and a couple of his uncles played on the collegiate and pro level. Ismael’s father played center at Florida A&M, and never went pro due to injury. Ismael’s  uncle, Tavita Pritchard, former Stanford quarterback, is now the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator. His uncle, Wilson Faumuina, played defensive end in the NFL for five years.

Ismael graduated from Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco. He attended San Diego State University from 2016-2019, where he started in 38 games and earned All-Mountain Honors in three consecutive seasons. Following the 2019 season, he announced he would be forgoing his senior season by entering the NFL draft. Ismael was originally drafted by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round,156th overall, of the 2020 NFL draft. After two years with the Commanders, he was placed on the injured reserve list and was released in September 2022. He is currently signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. 

4. Josh Jacobs | Running Back, #28 Las Vegas Raiders 

Josh Jacobs attended McLain High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He committed to the University of Alabama. The Oakland Raiders selected Jacobs in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After finishing a strong season with 1,150 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. He became the first in Raiders' history to rush 1,000 yards in his rookie season. In 2020 and 2021, he was ranked by his fellow players on the NFL Top Players. Despite having the best season of his career, and one of the best running-back seasons in the league, the Raiders did not pick up the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ contract. With the salary cap situation, let’s see what Jacobs’ NFL future holds as a free agent in the 2023 offseason.   

ABS-CBN journalist, Stevie Angeles, had the opportunity to interview Josh Jacobs at the Pro Bowl. Jacobs touched upon his FIlipino roots: “Growing up, my grandma and dad always kept us along with the culture and let us understand where we come from.” Jacobs also talked about what it means to be Filipino in the NFL: “It’s huge! Not a lot of us are in professional sports, so it’s good to be a prominent advocate for who we are, what we do, and what we believe in”. In a couple of months, Jacobs will head to the Philippines to meet with his family in Angeles City. 

5. Curtis Weaver | Defensive End, #59 Minnesota Vikings 

Curtis Weaver is another SoCal native from Long Beach, California. His mother, Carla, is Filipina. Weaver committed to Boise State University in 2016. In his final year of eligibility, Weaver entered the NFL draft. Weaver was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round, 164th overall of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was waived by the Dolphins in August 2020, and picked up by the Cleveland Browns where he spent a couple years until he was released in October 2022. In January 2023, Weaver signed a reserve/future contract with the Minnesota Vikings.   

Unlike me, kids are now able to see ordinary folks who look like them, doing extraordinary things – like these football players. Growing up, I did not see Filipino-American athletes on TV or in the mainstream. Although the list of Filipino-Americans in the NFL is very short, it’s important to recognize that they’re there! They’ve made it, and they’re representing in a very big way – whether that’s through the Filipino inspired tattoo art on their bodies or the charity outreach events that they choose to support. Either way, they’re proud to be Filipino, and we’re proud to support and cheer them on! 

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Written By Jennifer Redondo

Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose

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