We're all from somewhere. Our home, our heritage, it shapes us, for better or for worse, and no matter where life takes us, that tether holds; sometimes faint, sometimes like a siren, but always present.

The NFL invites players to celebrate that heritage with flags on the back of their helmets, representing countries where they were born, if other than America, or have ancestors tracing back two generations. They are a reminder that players come from all around the world, with threads of stories that circle the globe. And as the NFL continues to grow its brand in new countries, sharing the sport with the world, it's crucial to remember that with each new country ventured, the world is also sharing itself with us. It's vital we listen.

The Carolina Panthers boast 11 players who display their history with the Heritage Helmet stickers. These are their stories.

"I have a tattoo that is an outline of the continent of Africa, and inside of it, it spells proud," he shares. "And then just on a day-to-day basis, I probably eat Nigerian food, I probably try to get some in like once a week. I found a good place down here, and when I'm back home, I eat it every day.

"I think my favorite part of the Nigerian culture is probably the huge personalities or the food."

For years, though, Umanmielen had been planning a very special way to honor his Nigerian heritage. Always a talented football player, he knew a day would come when he would likely be drafted to the NFL. It is, for many in the league, the most special day of their life, barring a wedding or a child's birth.

When Umanmielen imagined that day as a kid, then a college student, then an NFL prospect, there was always one constant: the dress.

On his draft day, when the Panthers took him in the third round, Umanmielen, his parents, his brothers, and his entire family were in traditional Nigerian dress, with colors and patterns that honored his tribe.

"Oh yeah," Umanmielen smiles, picking up the photo lying on the Nigerian flag in front of him. "Me and my dad are wearing Agbara, and my mom is just in a traditional Nigerian type of dress. I decided months, probably years, before the draft that I was going to wear my cultural attire.

"Just because I was raised within it, I was born there, raised within it. Everybody in my whole family is Nigerian, so I think it was just really important to show off my culture and show where I came from, where my parents came from, just to show other people, you could do anything no matter where you're from."

As someone born in Nigeria, he has a chance to compete for his country in flag football at the 2028 Olympics. It's a possibility the pass-rusher has been mulling for a while, knowing it would be a chance to represent his home on the highest level, combining his birthplace with his present passion.

"I think that would be really cool, actually, you know, I'm actually a really big fan of the Olympics," he grins. "I do a lot of Olympics research and history and things like that, and I just find myself watching random old Olympic videos and things like that.

"So if I were able to join the flag football team in the Olympics and represent Nigeria, I think that would be a big deal for me, and it would mean the world. It would mean a lot to have the country I was born in, and my parents were born and raised in, to have that on my body and represent it would be amazing."

For now, Umanmielen uses a small but powerful way of keeping his heritage a part of himself. The Heritage Helmet sticker on the back of his helmet, the two flags proudly displaying the two countries that raised him, and—his hope—that the Nigerian one is boldly telling the world what they need to know about his home country.

"I think it's really important for me," preaches Umanmielen. "I think about giving back over there just because I have so many people and so much family that my parents are close with, and things like that that are still back there.

"I think something that I would want fans to know about Nigeria is probably how educated the youth are there. I think the youth in Nigeria is very, very educated. It's almost underrated."

Then, a pause, and a smile.

"And I would also want them to try the food one day."