All About Emeka Egbuka’s Parents

Emeka Egbuka’s parents played a vital role in his journey to the NFL.

Henry Egbuka and Rhonda Ogilvie welcomed their son, Emeka, in October 2002. From a young age, Emeka showed exceptional talent in sports, excelling in both baseball and football. At just 8 years old, he won the 2011 Major League Baseball Pitch Hit & Run competition in his age division, per the Seattle Mariners.

Ultimately, he decided to focus on football, where his skill and dedication earned him the distinction of being the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the 2023 high school recruiting class. Emeka committed to the Ohio State University, and after helping lead the Buckeyes to the 2025 College Football Championship, he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During an April 2025 press conference, Emeka said reaching the NFL is an accomplishment he shares equally with his parents.

“They’ve done a phenomenal job raising me, setting the standard for what it is to be a person of high character and high integrity,” he said. “They’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to get to this point.”

Here’s everything to know about Emeka Egbuka’s parents, Henry Egbuka and Rhonda Ogilvie.

Henry is from Nigeria

Henry emigrated from Nigeria to the United States when he was about 20 years old, according to Emeka’s LinkedIn. A strong believer in education, he went on to earn a master’s degree in engineering from Saint Martin’s University and holds the same expectations for his son.

“The deal I had with him going to Ohio State was that he had to get a degree, regardless, before he went to the next level,” Henry told the Big Ten Network in October 2024. “Emeka, at a minimum, will get a master’s degree at some point. I don’t care about the NFL, he knows that.”

Emeka’s father currently works as a project manager for the U.S. Army, per LinkedIn.

Rhonda works in data and analytics

Rhonda earned a master’s degree in management of information systems from Saint Martin’s University and has spent more than a decade at Kaiser Permanente, where she serves as director of data and analytics, according to LinkedIn.

While speaking to The Columbus Dispatch in October 2021, Emeka said his favorite thing about his mom is that she’s a “very happy person.”

“She’s always smiling, so it’s hard to be sad or angry around her,” he added.

They welcomed Emeka in 2002

Henry and Rhonda welcomed Emeka on Oct. 14, 2002.

They raised Emeka in Steilacoom, Wash., per his Ohio State bio. It’s unclear when the pair split.

Rhonda is married to Eric Ogilvie

Emeka was also raised by his stepdad, Eric Ogilvie. He told Overtime in August 2025 that one of the many things he learned from Eric was how to cook.

“I grew up really blessed. My stepdad is a chef. He was hooking it up [in the kitchen] every single day,” Emeka said.

Emeka has three siblings

Rhonda and Eric share two children: a son named Keanan and a daughter named Eva, according to his Ohio State bio.

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

“The most important thing that I have to model for them is, I would say, just living Christ-like,” he told the outlet. “Just setting that example. You can be a light in other people’s [lives], and they see that, and they can take after that.”

Henry is also a dad to his daughter, Zayna, whom he welcomed in 2024, per Instagram.

Henry has always pushed Emeka to pursue “excellence”

Early on, Henry set high expectations for Emeka. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to push him … that was just my nature, that was all I knew,” he told the Big Ten Network.

The NFL player has since adopted his father’s standard for excellence, telling the outlet that he strives to be like Henry, a man with “high integrity, high character and a high work ethic.”

“We are called to do everything to the highest of our ability,” Emeka continued. “[My dad would always say,] ‘Your last name is Egbuka, and that means something.’ That’s kind of the mentality I’ve carried on throughout my entire life.”

They are very supportive of Emeka’s football career

When Emeka committed to play football at Ohio State in December 2020, Rhonda showed her support on Facebook.

“Emeka, you have worked so hard to realize the dream that is today. To say we are proud of you is an understatement. You are made for greatness. We are all rooting for you, and we love you,” she wrote.

Fast forward to the 2025 NFL Draft, Rhonda, Eric and Henry were all present to witness Emeka be selected 19th overall in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“This accomplishment is as much theirs as it is mine,” Emeka said during a press conference with the Buccaneers’ head coach, Todd Bowles, and general manager, Jason Licht.