CJ Uzomah has been in the NFL since 2015 and he has had quite a successful career. He has been garnering lots of praise for his gameplay and the discipline he displays on and off the field. And we believe part of the credit goes to his parents who have played the greatest role in his career and have been his biggest cheerleaders.
Keep reading to learn more about the Jets’ star’s parents and their relationship with their son.
CJ Uzomah’s Parents are an Interracial Couple
The NY Jets tight end was born to parents Xavier and Stephanie Uzomah who come from interracial backgrounds. His father, Xavier Udodiri Uzomah was born in 1968 in Nigeria. Whereas, his mother, Stephanie Fleischer was born in July of 1974, in Georgia, USA.
Although there is not much information available about his father’s side of the family, CJ is often seen hanging around with his mother’s side of the family. He is also close with his uncle, Joe Fleischer.
Christopher’s Parents are Well Educated
CJ’s dad is an experienced financial analyst. He got his undergraduate degree in business administration from Southern Mississippi in 1997. Later, he got his Executive MBA (EMBA) degree from Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business in 2014. Professionally, he has worked with companies like the Southern Company, and SunTrust.
Talking about his mother, Stephanie has a master’s degree in Education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. She also has an EdD in Teacher Leadership. Presently, she is a teacher at McKendree Kindergarten.
CJ and His Father Were Fellow Students
You may have heard of siblings being college alumni, but in the case of the Uzomah family, it’s the father and son. Yes, indeed. CJ and Xavier went to Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business.
CJ was a senior marketing major student when his father pursued an Executive MBA degree at Harbert College. This father-son duo pursued their academics together while sharing the same lecturers and some of the same classes.
The NFL star once said that being fellow students at the college, they had a sense of competition for who could do better. As a parent, Xavier was often told that his son was a bright kid and that he had a passion for schoolwork and triumph, which is also the reason that drove him to pursue an EMBA.
Likewise, seeing his father work hard and get his degree, CJ was also inspired to further pursue his education like his dad.
During an interview with the Auburn Villager, he shared:
Seeing him going through the process – getting his picture taken in front of the Auburn University sign and getting his diploma, inspires me to not only get my undergraduate degree but hopefully to be able to get my MBA from Auburn. It really was a fun experience – hearing his name called, and next year it should be me.
CJ and His Father Share a Common Love For Sports
It may come as a surprise but Christopher wasn’t always driven towards football. Neither he nor his parents thought of him playing for the NFL. However, sports weren’t new to them. Being a Nigerian by birth, Uzomah’s father loved soccer from a young age and so did Uzomah.
Xavier had a love for soccer and wanted him to pursue it as a career as well. When CJ was just 5 years old, his parents signed him up to play. The parents even hoped that it would be their son’s sport. Without disappointing his parents, he played it till he was in the seventh grade.
On the other hand, he started playing football when he turned six. Even though he wasn’t that great initially, he was hooked on the sport. Chris even gave a funny reason for his interest in the sport – he said that he enjoyed releasing energy and hitting people was fun.
Despite his current pursuit of football, CJ and his father are still soccer fans. CJ even has a whole collection of jerseys and supports Chelsea. Whereas, his father is an Inter Milan fan. Besides this, Chris also loves playing FIFA video games.