Everything about Emeka Egbuka’s parents

Emeka Egbuka’s parents played an important role in their journey to the NFL.

Henry Egbuka and Ronda Ogilby welcomed their son Emeka in October 2002. From an early age, Emeka showed extraordinary talent in sports that excel in both baseball and soccer. At just eight years old, he won the 2011 Major League Baseball Pitch Hit and Run Competition, according to the Seattle Mariners.

Ultimately, he decided to focus on football. There, his skills and dedication earned the distinction of being a first-place wide receiver prospect in the 2023 high school recruitment class. Emeka committed to Ohio State and led the Buckeyes to the 2025 College Football Championship, before he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

At a press conference in April 2025, Emeka said reaching the NFL is an equally shared achievement with her parents.

“They did incredible work, raised me and set what it was a person of high personality and high consistency,” he said. “They sacrificed so much to make sure I could reach this point.”

Everything you need to know about Emeka Egbuka’s parents, Henry Egbuka and Rhonda Ogilvie.

Henry is from Nigeria.

According to Emeka’s LinkedIn, Henry moved from Nigeria to the US when he was about 20 years old. Strongly believes in education, he earned a Masters degree in Engineering from St. Martin University and has the same expectations for his son.

“The deal with what he went to Ohio was that he had to get his degree before he went to the next level,” Henry told the Big Ten Network in October 2024.

Emeka’s father currently works as a project manager for the US Army, according to LinkedIn.

Rhonda works with data and analysis

According to LinkedIn, Rhonda received a Master’s degree in Information Systems Management from Saint Martin’s University and spent more than 10 years at Kaiser Permanente.

While talking to a Columbus temporary in October 2021, Emeka said his favorite thing about his mom was that she is “a very happy person.”

“It’s hard to be sad or angry around her because she’s always laughing,” he added.

They welcomed Emeka in 2002

Henry and Ronda welcomed Emeka on October 14th, 2002.

They followed his Ohio bio to raise Emeca in Steilacombe, Washington. It is unknown when the pair was split.

Ronda is married to Eric Ogilby

Emeka was also raised by his stepfather, Eric Ogilby. He worked overtime in August 2025 and said one of the many things he learned from Eric is how to cook.

“I was really blessed and raised. My stepfather is a chef. He would pull it (in the kitchen) every day,” Emeka said.

Emeka has three brothers

Ronda and Eric share two children, a son named Keenan and a daughter named Eva, according to Bio of Ohio.

While talking to a Columbus temporary in October 2021, Emeka described her younger brother as “a really sweet kid with a really big heart” and her younger sister as “the most competitive person I know.”

“I’ll say the most important thing I have to model for them is that I’m just living like Christ,” he told the outlet. “Just set up an example of that. You can become the light in other people (lives).

Henry is also the dad of her daughter Zayna, who she welcomed in 2024, according to Instagram.

Henry has always encouraged Emecha to pursue “excellence.”

Early on, Henry had high expectations for Emeka. “I wasn’t trying to push him intentionally…it was my nature. It was everything I knew,” he told the Big Ten Network.

The NFL player has since adopted his father’s standards of excellence, telling the outlet that he strives like Henry, who has “high integrity, high personality, high work ethic.”

“We are called to do everything to the best of our abilities,” Emeka continued. “(My father would always say) ‘Your last name is Egbuka. It means something.’ It’s like a mentality that I’ve had forever. ”

They are very supportive of Emeka’s soccer career

When Emeka promised to play football in Ohio State in December 2020, Ronda showed her support on Facebook.

“Emeka, you worked so hard to make today’s dream come true. To say we are proud of you is an understatement. You are made for greatness. We all support you and we love you,” she wrote.

Fast forward to the 2025 NFL Draft, Ronda, Eric and Henry all witnessed Emeka being selected 19th overall in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“These results belong to them as much as mine,” Emeka said at a press conference with Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht.