David Njoku

Cultured and passionate are two words to describe David Njoku. As a standout tight end at the University of Miami, David had over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. David decided to forgo his remaining two years of eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft where he was drafted in the First Round by the Cleveland Browns. In his rookie year, David recorded 4 touchdowns, which were the most by a Cleveland Browns rookie tight end in franchise history. After signing a four-year extension with Cleveland this offseason, he's on pace for personal records across all stat categories. He was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate this season. During the 2022 season, Njoku was franchise-tagged by the Browns. David has been extremely active in the community by participating in several youth football camps, visiting children at local Cleveland hospitals, and volunteering with numerous non-profit organizations. David’s family moved to the United States from Nigeria where his father was a Chief; he then bestowed upon him the title Chief David Njoku. David is a huge gamer who also enjoys meditating and practicing Muay Thai during his free time. Following the season, David has signed a 4-year contract extension with the Browns who are going “all in” on the TE. The extension has paid off during the 2022 season where David posted single-season career highs across every stat category, finishing with his best season to date. Throughout the 2023/24 season, David became a main focus point of the Browns offense and one the favorite targets of whoever is lined up under center for the Browns. However, only 2 days prior to the Browns Week 4 game David suffered serious facial burns in a home fire pit accident. Despite all reports, he managed to play in the game, NFL players throughout the league commended the resolve that he showed playing through what must have been excruciating pain. David showed up to the stadium wearing a full mask over his face which sent social media into a frenzy. Garnering over 35M impressions on X (formerly Twitter) alone. He was able to turn his personal setback into an opportunity for positive change, by partnering with the American Burn Association he took his viral moment and created an apparel line with a percentage of proceeds going to benefit other burn survivors. Despite all of this, David had a career-best season where he was named to his 1st Pro Bowl while helping the Cleveland Browns explode onto the Playoff Scene. David recorded 64 catches for 505 yards and 5 touchdowns in the 2024/25 season. His top performance of the season came in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos, posting 9 catches for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku reveals severity of facial burns after fire pit accident Following in the footsteps of some of his idols, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Idris Elba who have been two big inspirations for David growing up. This led to him testing his acting chops in the upcoming motion picture, “The Wrecker” alongside Hollywood heavyweights Harvey Keitel and Tyrese Gibson. David Njoku to act in first national film featuring Harvey Keitel, Tyrese Gibson Please see the following articles that highlight David’s unique story and contributions to the community: David Njoku Is a Rare NFL-Bound Talent from a Rare Family Browns’ David Njoku reflects on becoming a Chief in Nigeria Browns TE David Njoku Rises From ‘Problem Child’ To Consummate Pro and Pro Bowler in 7 Years - AP Career Highlights and Awards: 1x Pro Bowl (2024)