Amongst the numerous NFL players in history, only a few are Nigerians, and Nelson Agholor is one of them. The wide receiver joined the league in 2015 as the 20th overall pick in the first round of that year’s NFL Draft, and since then, it has been a bag of mixed fortunes for his nascent career.
While he has already experienced the zenith of winning a Super Bowl ring so early in his career, Nelson has also struggled with confidence and inconsistent form issues. This has affected his performance on the field of play, and consequently, his paycheque. As the wide receiver joins a new franchise, he would be hoping that this move would rejig his career and get him back on track.
Migration to America and Emergence as a High School Football Star
Born as Nelson Efamehule Agholor on May 24, 1993, this chap was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, for five years before moving to the United States of America with his family (comprising of his parents, two brothers, as well as two sisters). In America, the family settled down in Tampa and Nelson’s parents found minimum wage jobs. His father, Felix, worked as a janitor while his mother, Caroline, worked as a nursing care home assistant.
Both jobs didn’t pay much and the family had to make do with a three-bedroom apartment. They were often siblings’ squabbles over borrowing of items and lack of space, but they also had so much fun in the form of games and the likes. Nelson thus grew up to be wiser than his years, and this was a trait that would come in handy when he started playing football.
Records have it that Nelson Agholor first took interest in football during High school, and he played as a wide receiver, running back, and defensive back for Berkeley Preparatory School. Having much zeal for the game, he was rated as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and was also the third-best wide receiver in his class.
His Days at USC and Declaring for the NFL after Three Years
With so much excellence while in High school, Nelson Agholor became one of the most sought-after players when it was time for college. He got offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Southern California, Florida, Florida State, and Alabama, and after much deliberations, he settled for the University of Southern California. As a freshman in USC, Nelson played in 13 games as a backup wide receiver and recorded 19 receptions for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In his second year, he improved to 56 receptions, 918 yards, and six touchdowns in 14 games. For his third year in 2014, Nelson returned a brilliant 104 receptions for 1313 yards and 12 touchdowns. Such a magnificent feat earned him the respect of fans and generated much buzz around him. The young man, therefore, decided to strike while the iron was hot and forego his fourth year of eligibility to go pro in 2015.
Nelson’s decision to leave the NCAA division a year early may not be unconnected with his background. His parents worked themselves to the bones, often doing undignifying jobs, just to take care of him and his siblings. It, therefore, stands to reason that he would have jumped at any opportunity to be able to make a decent living and take the burden off their shoulders.
His Super Bowl Winning Run with the Philadelphia Eagles
Nelson Agholor’s dreams of joining the NFL became a reality after he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft as the 20th overall pick. He would later seal a pact with the side in a $9.4 million contract. The deal also handed him $5.1 million as a signing bonus, and he went on to spend a total of five years with the franchise.
Nelson’s first two seasons with the Eagles was largely average. As a rookie, he played in a total of 13 games and accumulated 283 receiving yards and a touchdown. By his second season in 2016, he played 15 games, pulling off 365 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
The wide receiver became more skilled in the game in the 2017 season. He recorded 62 receptions, 768 yards, and 8 touchdowns as the Eagles made it to Super Bowl LII. In the championship, Nelson also contributed 11 targets and nine catches as the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots, 41-33, to win their first Super Bowl championship.
Yes, there were some rough patches… But let’s remember that Nelson Agholor played a big role in bringing us our Super Bowl Championship. That is something that can never be looked over, and should be placed high above any low-points.
Best of luck to Nelson in Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/eqtOyi7KTo
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) March 21, 2020
The Dramatic Fall in his Contract Earnings
Following Nelson Agholor’s Super Bowl heroics, the Eagles unsurprising decided to take up the fifth-year option on his contract. At that time, the wide receiver was still on his rookie four-year contract, which was worth $9.4 million and paid him $2.3 million each year. Upon picking up the fifth-year option, he got to spend one more year with the franchise and received an extra compensation of $9.3 million for that fifth year.
All these helped him to build up a small fortune, and he went on to reward his employers by giving a superb 2018 season (64 receptions, 736 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns). The USC alum was poised to replicate his impressive form in 2019, but some minor injury issues hindered his capabilities. This resulted in diminished confidence, and he went on to return a poor 39 catches for 363 yards.
This left the Eagles disgruntled, and they decided to cut him after his 5th year. Agholor now plies his trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, having joined them on a one-year contract worth $1.047 million. The deal will pay him about $910,000, an amount considered to be a minimum wage for a five-year veteran of the league. It also represents an 89% decrease from what he earned in 2019. Such realities are quite grim, and one can only hope that Nelson will seize the new opportunity with the Raiders to revamp his career and gain improved contracts.
Raiders signing WR Nelson Agholor to one-year deal. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/cNEx67IXXT
— NFL (@NFL) March 21, 2020
See Also: Josh Allen – Career Stats, Scouting Report, and Girlfriend
Living it up with the Gorgeous Viviana Volpicelli
As Nelson Agholor looks to revamp his career, one person that would surely be supporting him all the way is his long-term girlfriend, Viviana Volpicelli. Viviana is popularly known as a beauty blogger and an Instagram model. She was born on May 8, 1995, in Los Angeles to her parents – Diane and Anton U. Volpicelli. Her dad is a doctor while her mom works as a Realtor.
Viviana attended Palos Verdes High School before moving to the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a degree in Real Estate Development. The beauty blogger currently has no use of her certificate but has made a lot of fortune from her blog and website, where she posts tips on fashion, makeup, and natural products.
Nelson and Viviana predictably met while they were both students of USC in 2013. They later commenced a romantic relationship and have grown stronger with each passing day. They never shy away from expressing their love for each other and regularly post sappy tributes to one another online.
Viviana also makes time to attend her man’s games, and on the occasion that she can’t, she celebrates him on social media. Before Nelson Agholor’s relationship with Viviana, there is no record of the NFL star dating any other person. This does not come as a surprise given that he and his girl have been together since college, which therefore means that he has not had much chance to build up an extensive dating history save for maybe a few relationships in high school.
