Where is Nate Randleman from? Hometown, college and more on Rams LB’s Zimbabwean roots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
There’s nothing more valuable to an NFL defense than a consistent tackler. Linebackers who can compete with the league’s fastest talents are worth their weight in gold.
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Rams linebacker Nate Landman breaks away from that tradition. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound force is an intimidating prospect for opposing runners meeting in open space. He felt worse and was punished every time he made contact with the ball carrier.
Randleman is physically strong but agile, possessing tremendous strength and quick feet. That’s no coincidence; Randleman owes many of his traits to his father, who was an accomplished athlete in his own right.
Randleman’s pedigree is notable, especially compared to the average NFL player. Here’s a little background on him, including notes about his surprising hometown.
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Where is Nate Randleman from?
Landman is from Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital and largest city. He is one of two players to emerge from the city’s shores, along with Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba.
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Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Africa. With a population of 16.9 million, it is the 26th most populous country on the African continent. Zimbabwe declared independence in 1980 after revolutionaries launched a 15-year guerrilla war against the white-minority-led Rhodesian government.
Randleman’s parents grew up in Zimbabwe, where his father, Sean, was a star player on the country’s rugby team. The family lived in Zimbabwe until Landman was four years old. After Landman’s father found work, they moved to San Francisco. The Landmans eventually settled in Danville, a small town in the San Ramon Valley.
“No one would believe it,” Randleman told The Athletic in 2026. “For an 8-year-old kid to say he’s from Africa in America, people just wouldn’t believe it.”
The Randleman family has no shortage of athletic talent. His brother Brendan became a tight end at Arizona State University, while his sister Ocean became a standout swimmer at Oregon State.
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Randleman found his calling on the court and embraced the camaraderie in the locker room. He was a three-star recruit at Monte Vista High School and then earned a scholarship to Colorado State.
Randleman’s roots are not easy to discover. He admitted as much in a 2023 interview with The Athletic.
“Most people don’t believe me,” Randleman said. “I either have to have someone vouch for me or they have to Google it.”
Still, he still has his heritage on his skin. He has elephants and lions on his arms and an African outline tattoo on his chest.
“There’s a sense of pride in knowing where you come from,” Landman said.
More: Why did Rams star Pukana Kua fall to the fifth round in the 2023 draft?
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Where did Nate Randleman go to college?
Randleman was a standout at Colorado, recording 100 tackles in a row in 2018 and 2019. His college career was derailed by COVID-19 and two injury-plagued seasons. But he is still missed in Boulder.
“I love it. I love being the leader of a team – I always saw that first hand when I first came here [and] “I want to prove myself, and I feel like I’m doing that,” Randleman told the CU Independent in 2019. “It’s my defense and I want to control it. I want to win with these guys and I’ve won with these guys and I know what we’re capable of.”
Randleman’s efforts weren’t enough to hear his name called in the NFL draft. He signed a deal with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and became a full-time starter in 2023. In March 2025, he signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles. Eight months later, he agreed to a three-year, $22.5 million contract extension with the Rams.
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Nate Randleman College Statistics
Randleman was healthy during his first three seasons in Boulder. He became a starter as a sophomore and finished with 105 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. His junior season proved to be just as productive, with Randleman once again eclipsing the 100-tackle mark.
|
Year |
game |
Tackle |
sack |
intercept |
by deflection |
forced to drop the ball |
|
2017 |
11 |
14 |
0.0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
2018 |
12 |
105 |
4.0 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
2019 |
12 |
114 |
2.0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
2020 |
5 |
53 |
4.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
2021 |
8 |
63 |
0.0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
What nationality is Nate Randleman?
Randleman is Zimbabwean-American. He holds dual citizenship, becoming a U.S. citizen during his sophomore year in college.