Browns defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah is heading back to Houston for a game against the Texans and some "home cooking" this weekend.
"I'm excited about that," the second-year defensive lineman said Wednesday.
Ogbah, whose family moved to Houston from Nigeria when he was 9 years old, estimated he'll have roughly 30 family and friends in the stands for Sunday's game at NRG Stadium, which sits roughly a half an hour east of his high school.
It also marks the first time Ogbah returns to his hometown since Hurricane Harvey devastated the region in late August. Though he made clear his focus is on the Texans, Ogbah has been active in helping support ongoing recovery efforts in Houston.
Last month, he led a group of Browns players that collected more than $24,000 that will go toward Team Rubicon, which provides relief to those affected by natural disasters by paring the skills of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions. The Browns matched that donation to bring the total to more than $90,000.
"That's what I love about Houston. Us Houstonians, we stand together. We help out each other, we do whatever we can to help each other out," he said last month. "We all come together as one. We have to strive, we have to do whatever we can to help the less fortunate and get them out of those situations."
Ogbah said he'll visit the city after the season in an effort to keep giving back. But right now, he said, his focus is on the task at hand.
"This really is a business trip," he said. "All I'm focused on is the game right now."
