Ravens first-round draft pick Jayson Oweh wants to be known as Odafe Oweh moving forward

Oweh is going back to using his birth first name

The NFL draft marks the beginning of a new chapter for those lucky enough to be selected with one of the 250-plus picks, and one of those players is even undergoing a name change as he enters the league. Former Penn State pass-rusher Jayson Oweh is going back to his birth name of Odafe Oweh.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Oweh with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday. After the conclusion of the first round, Oweh told reporters that Odafe is his legitimate first name, and that he only used his middle name of Jayson because people had trouble pronouncing it. 

"Jayson is my middle name," Oweh said, via Pro Football Talk. "My first name is Odafe. I'm of Nigerian descent. People were having trouble pronouncing Odafe, so I went to Jayson my earlier years, but I don't care anymore; you're going to have to learn how to pronounce it."

O-dah-FEH is the correct way to pronounce Oweh's name. Oweh recorded 63 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks during his time in Happy Valley, and was named First Team All-Big Ten in 2020. He was the Ravens' second selection of the first round after wide receiver Rashod Bateman was taken at No. 27 overall, and is an athletic defender who is both quick and powerful off of the edge. Oweh certainly has nothing left to prove after becoming a first-round pick, and is going back to his roots.