Jackson Smith-Njigba’s Memorable Night Takes Unexpected Turn

In a significant moment in Jackson Smith-Njigba’s NFL career, a name mispronunciation took center stage.

Seattle’s talented third-year wide receiver earned the AP Offensive Player of the Year award on Thursday after leading the league in receiving yards. NFL icon Barry Sanders and influencer Dorsky were there to announce the honor.

However, things went awry when Dorsky attempted to pronounce Smith-Njigba’s name. Instead of saying “Njigba,” he struck a particularly unfortunate note, using a racial slur instead. And then, embarrassingly, he repeated the mistake. Barry Sanders, hesitant yet determined, provided the correct pronunciation from the sidelines.

“The winner decided not to participate tonight, so I think in his place it’s Jackson Smith-N-ba. JSN,” Dorsky went on to say, clearly grasping the moment in a less-than-ideal way.

The Seahawks quickly pointed fingers at Dorsky for the blunder. Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu shared a post on X, expressing that “Dolsky is lame,” reflecting Seattle’s public relations team’s sentiment. They even mentioned it on Twitter, perhaps a bit harshly.

Barry Sanders, a Hall of Famer, certainly drew the short straw during the evening while clarifying Dorsky’s mistake. “Hats off to Seahawks WR @jaxon_smith1,” the PR team stated.

Smith-Njigba had an exceptional season, achieving 119 receptions for an impressive 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. At one point in November, he was on track to surpass Calvin Johnson’s historic record of 1,964 receiving yards.

He added 153 yards in the NFC Championship victory against the Rams and is now looking to complete his stellar year with a win in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Patriots.

Despite his achievements, Smith-Njigba wasn’t present at the ceremony—he was focused on preparing for the upcoming Super Bowl. Other notable awards were given that night as well: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford claimed his first MVP, Myles Garrett earned Defensive Player of the Year, and Tetaroia McMillan and Carson Schwesinger won Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.

The MVP competition was particularly intense this year—Stafford edged out Patriots QB Drake Maye by a single first-place vote, making it the closest race since 2003.

Additionally, Mike Vrabel was named AP Coach of the Year. There was another name mispronunciation at the ceremony, but it leaned more toward amusing than problematic. Tiffany Haddish called him “Verbal,” which went unnoticed as Dorsky approached the microphone.

Ultimately, Smith-Njigba has a chance to finish this chapter by winning the Super Bowl—a fitting way to respond to the evening’s events.