Comedian Druski acknowledged Thursday that he crossed a line when he intentionally mispronounced Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s name during the NFL Honors ceremony earlier this month, turning what should have been a celebratory moment into controversy.
Appearing on “CBS Mornings,” Druski, whose real name is Drew Desbordes, reflected on the incident where he presented Smith-Njigba with the Offensive Player of the Year award. Video footage shows Druski stumbling over the pronunciation, repeatedly saying variations that sounded like “Njigba” with an offensive slur embedded, prompting backlash for disrespecting the athlete’s achievement.
“I went too far trying to be funny,” Druski said in the interview, adding that he had reached out to Smith-Njigba to apologize but received no response.
Druski speaks on the people who were outraged because he pronounced Jaxon Smith-Njigba name wrong via @CBSMornings pic.twitter.com/GoRqfwZmDm
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) February 19, 2026
The Feb. 5 event in San Francisco was meant to honor Smith-Njigba’s standout season, where he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards. Instead, Druski’s attempt at humor — which he later posted on Instagram with laughing emojis and the caption “NOBODY TOLD ME HOW TO PRONOUNCE ‘Jaxon Smith Njigba'” — drew sharp criticism for making the moment about himself. Co-presenter and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders corrected him on stage, but the damage was done.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho, now a sports analyst, was among the most vocal critics. On his show “Speakeasy,” Acho lambasted Druski for the stunt: “Quit playing with other people’s name… Know the time and the place.” He argued that the joke overshadowed Smith-Njigba’s accomplishment, noting Druski pronounced the name correctly initially before exaggerating for laughs.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald also weighed in during a post-Super Bowl press conference, saying, “Put some respect on that man’s name,” in an apparent jab at Druski. Sports commentator Jon Root called the pronunciation “crude” and demanded apologies from both Druski and the NFL, labeling it “inexcusable” during such a special moment.
Reactions on X, formerly Twitter, echoed the sentiment, with users expressing frustration over the perceived disrespect. One post from @JonnyRoot_ garnered nearly 800 likes, stating the NFL and Druski “should be embarrassed.” Another from @BenBrownPL, with over 285,000 views, questioned if the mispronunciation was deliberate: “Druski mispronounced Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s name on purpose, right? This was worse than Mike Verbal.”
Not all feedback was negative; some defended Druski’s comedic style, but the consensus highlighted a growing fatigue with his antics. A BroBible post noted the “sports world getting tired of Druski” after similar behavior at NBA All-Star Weekend. Replies to a viral clip shared by @2Cool2Blog included one user calling it “highly disrespectful” and another labeling Druski a “cornball.”
Smith-Njigba, who helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory days after the honors show, addressed the joke indirectly in a post-game interview to Robert Littal of BSO, emphasizing the cultural significance of his Nigerian heritage and why his name matters. He has not publicly commented on Druski’s outreach.
I asked world champ Ohio State Buckeye Jaxon Smith-Njigba if he could tell the world why his name means so much to him. Just take a listen and make this go as viral as when they make a joke out of it #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/YSsSpIasLw
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) February 9, 2026
Druski, 31, rose to fame through viral social media sketches and has collaborated with artists like Drake and Jack Harlow. The incident underscores the fine line between humor and insensitivity in high-profile settings, especially involving athletes’ personal identities.
