Who is this unknown fan favorite and what’s his story?
NFL Week 1 is finally upon us, and it’s time to take a deep dive into this Bengals roster.
As you scroll through this 53-man roster, you will stumble upon Maema Njongmeta, an undrafted free agent who had one impressive training camp.
Njongmeta, born in Cameroon, moved to the United States in 2004.
He committed to Wisconsin out of high school. He had a slow start in college, not getting much playing time, but when he did, he proved his worth, claiming third-team All-Big Ten.
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Bengals picked him up about a month after the draft. He’s made waves since being in the Queen City.
He came in like any other undrafted player and fought tooth and nail to make a name for himself, and his work paid off by beating out other veteran players and making the 53-man roster.
#Bengals rookie LB Maema Njongmeta makes the 53-man roster.
He was truly impressive and got better as the preseason went on. He was consistent and did his assignments with a high motor. Filled gaps, forced plays into traffic and made tackles at the LOS or in the backfield while… pic.twitter.com/D03px87Cm6
— • Colton Edwards • (@cedwardsNFL) August 27, 2024
Unlike many other players, Njongmeta doesn’t have the easiest name, but lucky for him and now his fans, it has an interesting meaning behind it, which helped give him the fire, passion, and motivation to land a spot on the active roster.
“You gotta show me.”
What’s in a name? Maema Njongmeta’s name defines every day for him and his last name shows why he made the team.
His backstory in part of my chat with him today. #Bengals @fox19 pic.twitter.com/tcBQ7isqln
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) August 29, 2024
One thing he didn’t do in preseason was hold back. From day one, he was there to prove a point…to be a Bengal. He certainly achieved that. After week one, he had the second-highest grade among defenders.
PFF’s highest graded rookie defenders so far in preseason week 1@SSN_Saints Rico Payton: 91.7@SSN_Bengals Maema Njongmeta: 91.4@SSN_LVRaiders Amari Gainer: 90.6@SSN_Bengals Josh Newton: 90.5@SSN_Steelers Jacoby Windmon: 90.0 pic.twitter.com/hGaBI5qIVN
— Sidelines Sports Network™ (@Sidelines_SN) August 11, 2024
That early success continued throughout camp as he continued to work and polish his skills.
When coaches and parents tell kids “practice makes perfect,” they aren’t just words, especially to some people. They mean something. Njongmeta took that phrase to a whole new level. He would consistently stay behind at practice and work on his skills.
One of the great, unexpected stories of Bengals camp is Maema Njongmeta.
He’s currently tied for the most tackles of any player in the preseason and is tough to outwork.
He did this for a good 15 minutes after practice. pic.twitter.com/fhwVJqVqh8
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) August 19, 2024
The last undrafted linebacker the Bengals snatched was another fan favorite, Vontaze Burfict. He was well-known for his aggressiveness…sometimes too aggressive. But when you watch Njongmeta, you can see some glimpses of Burfict. He’s a hard-nosed player, simply playing football.
I’m sure there’s a thought process of some sort, but at the same time, there isn’t, if you know what I mean. Obviously, you have to be able to study the offense and decipher run or pass or where the ball is going, but that’s not what I’m talking about. He has a knack for finding the ball and attacking it.
If you go back and look at the clips of him, once the ball carrier has the ball, Njongmeta is there taking him down. He will be in the league for a while, and he will continue to make a name for himself. Hopefully, he gives Bengals fans just another reason to love this team.
