CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It was early March and the clock was ticking. Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Efe Obada had to decide quickly whether to leave his home in London and return to the United States so he could begin training for the 2020 football season. If he stayed, it could have been indefinite because of an impending travel ban caused by the coronavirus.

Complicating the situation further: His wife has a systemic autoimmune disorder that makes her more susceptible to COVID-19.

There was a lot of praying, a lot of anxiety.

Ultimately, Obada chose to return to Charlotte, North Carolina, to continue his pursuit of an NFL career he hopes will give him and his family long-term financial security. His wife, however, stayed behind.

“It was tough," Obada said of his decision. “Honestly, tough. ... Not a lot of people have the option to say, ‘I’m going to opt out or not be a part of something.’ They have to go to work.

“There are a lot of people out there on the front line doing amazing things. I’m just happy I have a job."

Obada's amazing journey to the NFL has been well documented. He and his sister were abandoned by their mother at a young age. They were victims of human trafficking, traveling from Nigeria to the Netherlands and ultimately to London. They were homeless in London, then shuffled between 10 foster homes.

Football became the family's way out six years ago when Obada, at age 22, went with a friend to a semipro team practice, and the rest was history. In 2017, the Panthers made him the first player from the NFL's International Player Pathway Program to make an NFL roster.

Last year, he was an honorary captain when the Panthers defeated Tampa Bay in London.

Returning to the United States during a pandemic is just another chapter.

“I’ve missed my wife a lot," Obada told ESPN.com. “It’s a unique situation we’re in right now. I feel grateful and blessed to be able to play in the NFL. We all sacrifice. I’m sure other people are in much worse situations. I’m just grateful I have the opportunity to protect my wife."

New coach is a fan

First-year Panthers coach Matt Rhule and general manager Marty Hurney didn’t decide to re-sign Obada in January to a one-year, $750,000 deal because of his personal story.

They kept him because they believe after bulking up 10 pounds to 275 he can play tackle as well as end, where he has played almost exclusively.

“He’s a really good player," Rhule said. “We’re trying to carve out and find a great role for him where he can make an impact on the game. He’s the kind of guy that helps you have a good defense."

Obada was humbled by Rhule’s words, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. He has been that way since arriving, appreciative of the opportunity former Carolina coach Ron Rivera gave him. He never takes anything for granted.

“I don’t think you can ever have a comfort level in the NFL," Obada said. “It’s such a revolving door. Anybody can get anybody’s job, from injuries to having COVID. Every year you have to keep proving yourself. Every session you have to prove yourself.

“For me, regardless of a new coaching staff, I work hard. I don’t want to feel like my success was based on [my last] coach. I want them to know I can stand on my own feet."

That’s why it was important for Obada to return, despite the unknowns.

“He understands the pro football life is a relatively small window, and he’s trying to make the most of it," said Ryan Hoover, a martial arts expert who began working with Obada during the offseason.

“He was a big advocate of the league playing this year. He doesn’t have a long contract the way a lot of players have, and he got a late start to this. In his mind, maybe it would have been a wasted year."

Helping the homeless

Obada doesn’t waste opportunities to help others.

In heat that could surpass 90 degrees, Obada would always make the 15-minute walk to Hoover's home instead of accepting a ride.

At first, Hoover thought it was because Obada wanted the exercise. Then he discovered the walk took Obada past homeless people. He discovered Obada stopped to talk to them, share his infectious smile with them.

They were a reminder of how far he’d come from the streets of London.

“He told me how one day [a homeless man] ran up to him and shared he’d just gotten a job," Hoover said. “He seemed to look forward to the walk."

Obada was introduced to Hoover by Carolina defensive tackle Kawann Short. They spent time working on engaging Obada’s lower body with his upper body, focusing on technique that would help him be more efficient at tackle.

It’s hard work. Short called Hoover's techniques one of the hardest workouts he has ever done because he uses muscles he hadn’t before.

Obada makes it look so easy that Hoover could see him as an ultimate fighter if football doesn’t work out.

“Honestly, I think this is easy for him because of all he went through as a child," Hoover said.

The shoulders of the 5-foot-7 Hoover took a beating during punching drills with Obada.

“I always knew when we were getting a good work in because around the second segment, he’d take off his shirt," Hoover said with a laugh.

“To me, he looks like he stepped off a cover of a Marvel comic." Hoover quickly found out the 6-foot-6 Obada has a heart to match his size, particularly when he talked about his wife and London.

“He definitely talked about missing being able to go home," Hoover said. “You could tell that’s taken its toll, not being able to go when he wanted to go."

Two quarantines

I've only seen my Queen once since March due to Covid & the travel ban. She has an autoimmune disease and is shielding. I worry about her daily! Please wear a mask & socially distance even if you're not at risk. Do it to protect our elderly & vulnerable 💙 Stay safe everyone!

— Efe Obada (@EfeObadaUK) July 19, 2020

Obada got a chance to visit London earlier this summer when the Panthers and NFL pulled a few strings.

It came at a cost. Obada had to quarantine 14 days when he arrived in London and another 14 days when he returned to Charlotte. That further complicated how he could train before camp.

Obada didn’t care.

“It was kind of a reset," he said.

Plans are in the works for his wife to join him in Charlotte in time for the regular season, if not to attend games but to be there when Obada gets home. Game days have become special.

Obada also misses his wife’s cooking, which he calls "amazing," and that she’s not there to wash his socks. The latter he joked about on Twitter, writing how he was wearing the same pair of free socks he got on the airplane and his jersey “because I forgot to do laundry."

“I depend on her for a lot," Obada said.

If his wife can’t join him, Obada will adjust as he has to every obstacle in life. He’ll continue with the daily FaceTime calls that have made the separation somewhat tolerable.

“Every moment I can," he said of the frequency of those calls. “Every break, every opportunity. We talk in the morning, before I go to bed, during my break, just to make sure she’s OK.

“I’ve been very blessed. I have the means to put her in a situation where she’s safe. In the long run, we’ll be OK."