This NFL star proudly embraces his Filipino roots, loves adobo and sinigang
Photo from andreiiosivas/Instagram
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas has been proudly connecting with his Filipino roots.
With his diverse heritage, the Filipino Romanian athlete is redefining what it means to be an NFL star.
He was born in Tokyo to a Filipino mother, Evelyn, and a Romanian father, Mihai.
When losivas was 4 years old, his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he grew up embracing Asian and Pacific Islander culture.
At 17, he earned his US citizenship, which added another layer to his multicultural identity.
His father, Mihai, talked about his passion for the sport at age 5: “Football is his first love. He only wanted to run track to get faster as he started playing football.”
View this post on Instagram
While football was his primary passion, the Princeton University alum also excelled in heptathlon.
Competing for Princeton, he achieved impressive feats in track and field, including setting an Ivy League record in 2022 with a score of 6,209 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
You may also like: Meet the Yankees’ Fil-Am player who made World Series history
Andrei Iosivas’ NFL journey with the Bengals
Thriving in high school football in Honolulu, losivas clinched a spot for the Princeton Tigers. Struggling to pronounce his last name, former teammates gave him the nickname, Yoshi.
“When I was a freshman in college, people actually called me Yoshi for two weeks. And I was like, don’t call me that. I wanted people to call me Andrei,” Iosivas recalled.
Fast forward to 2023, Andrei entered the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his second season, the 25-year-old wide receiver has racked up 309 yards, an impressive 13.4 yards per catch and five touchdowns.
Beyond football, losivas has proudly embraced her Filipino heritage, sharing his love for Filipino cuisine. His mom, Evelyn, cooks Filipino dishes that have remained close to his heart.
View this post on Instagram
“My mom makes great sinigang. It’s like a soup. You can put any type of meat in it… I can literally eat that every day of the week. When I’m sick, I need sinigang,” Andrei shared in a video posted by AMZN HQ.
In another Instagram post, he shared his love for Filipino breakfast that included spam, rice and eggs.
One commenter remarked, “Filipino breakfast right there 🙌 rice is life 🤭🤭👌🏼.”
In addition to these Filipino favorites, the Bengals star also loves adobong pusit (squid), pork adobo and pancit.
His Filipino fans often celebrate his heritage. One of them commented, “I can make Filipino food for you, Yoshi! Proud to be Filipino!”
Want stories like this delivered straight to your inbox? Stay informed. Stay ahead. Subscribe to InqMORNING
