Being the Vietnamese sports guy that I am, this article means a lot to me. After all, my dream was to always play football at the college level and in the NFL. But, writing about the NFL and sports around the world is something I enjoy doing. So, I decided to look up if there were any players that have played in the NFL and were Vietnamese. I came across someone named Dat Nguyen.
Nguyen’s story is one of resilience, dedication, and triumph over adversity. Born in a refugee camp in Arkansas to Vietnamese parents fleeing war, Nguyen’s path to NFL glory was anything but ordinary.
His Early Life and Football Beginnings
Dat Nguyen was born on September 25, 1975, in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. His family lived a rough life, having to leave South Vietnam when Saigon was falling during the Vietnam War.
He was born at a refugee camp and would live most of his childhood in Rockport, Texas. He began playing the game of football at Rockport-Fulton High School, where he handled the duties of being a middle linebacker. Nguyen was also a punter, and received All-State honors playing that position.
For college, he received scholarships to big-name schools like Michigan, UCLA, and Texas. But, he decided to stay close to home and play at the University of Texas A&M.
Becoming A Star As An Aggie
When he arrived at the University of Texas A&M, the 5’11”, 238 lb linebacker was a star from the start. He was a tackling machine, recording 517 tackles through four years on the team while making 51 starts in a row.
The only Aggie to lead the team in tackle for four straight years, he was recognized with a few accolades during his college career. He won the Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award in 1998, both honoring the nation’s best defensive player of the year and outstanding defensive lineman, respectively.
Nguyen also won the Defensive Player of the Game for his performance in the 1998 Cotton Bowl. 12 tackles (3 TFLs) and an interception is well-deserving.
After an outstanding career at Texas A&M, he was off to the NFL. The question was: which team would select him?
Joining America’s Team
The Dallas Cowboys would be the one to take a chance on Nguyen, drafting him in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. With that accomplishment, he became the first Vietnamese-American to play in the NFL.
He appeared in all 16 games during his rookie season, recording 43 tackles and a sack. His second year was better, as he would eventually become the team’s starting middle linebacker.
2001 was his breakout year. Starting in all 16 games, he had 113 tackles and nine tackles for a loss.
Nguyen would play seven seasons in the NFL, leading the team in tackles in three of them. He was second-team All-Pro in 2003 and played a total of 92 games in the league.
Neck and knee problems led to his retirement in 2006. But, that didn’t mark the end of his football journey. He would be an assistant linebackers coach with Dallas from 2007-2010, and was the inside linebackers coach for his alma mater for a year.
These Days
Nguyen is doing pretty well for himself these days. After dabbling in coaching and also a job in the media (hosting a show in San Antonio), he became the owner of a Chick-Fil-A franchise located in Fort Worth, Texas in 2016
He is currently married to his college sweetheart Becky, who he shares five kids with.
In the end, his journey from a refugee camp to the pinnacle of professional sports serves as a powerful testament to hard work and perseverance. Nguyen’s success as a Vietnamese-American player paved the way for future generations of Asian Americans in the NFL.
Hope we could see more Vietnamese-Americans in the league sooner rather than later. It may not be me, but it could be you.
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Featured Image: Jeff Cross/Getty Images
