Amobi Okoye

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Amobi Okoye
refer to caption
Okoye with the Bears in 2011
No. -- Free agent
Position: Defensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1987-06-10) June 10, 1987 (age 36)
Place of birth: Anambra, Nigeria
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Career information
High school: Huntsville (AL) Lee
College: Louisville
NFL draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • NFL Def. Rookie of the Month (9/07)
  • Youngest player to be drafted by an NFL team
Career NFL statistics as of 2014
Tackles: 177
Sacks: 16.0
Forced Fumbles: 3
Player stats at NFL.com

Amobi Okoye (born June 10, 1987) is a Nigerian football player who plays as a defensive tackle, who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans tenth overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.

Early years

Okoye was born in Anambra State, Nigeria,[1][2] a member of the Igbo ethnic group.[3] He moved to Huntsville, Alabama in the United States when he was 12 years old.[4] After only spending two weeks in middle school, he tested into the 9th grade.[4] He first started playing football as a sophomore at Lee High School, knowing virtually nothing about the game before his high school coach suggested he go play Madden NFL football to learn.[4] By the time he was a senior, he won first-team All-State honors as both a defensive lineman and offensive lineman. Because he shares the same surname as former Kansas City Chiefs fullback Christian Okoye, some sources have claimed that the two are related. Amobi says they are not related, but the two families live on adjoining land in Nigeria.[5]

College career

At age 15 Okoye chose the University of Louisville over Harvard,[6] citing a desire to play for a strong football program.

At Louisville, Okoye majored in biology. He later switched his major to psychology and graduated a semester early, thereby completing his degree in three and a half years. At 16, he became the youngest player in the NCAA. Okoye played in all 13 games as a true freshman at defensive tackle and was credited with 17 tackles and a sack. He recorded then-career-best three tackles against Tulane and recorded his first career sack against UTEP.

As a sophomore, Okoye appeared in 11 of 12 games, recording 26 tackles and a sack. Okoye's only missed game was against East Carolina, because of a shoulder injury. Okoye also made his first collegiate start against Army, recording a career-high seven tackles.

In his junior season of 2005, he recorded 23 tackles and four tackles for a loss. In the biggest game of the year, against the West Virginia Mountaineers, Okoye recorded four tackles. He missed the Florida Atlantic matchup due to a foot sprain. Against Kentucky, Okoye registered two tackles and a fumble recovery. Okoye also totaled three tackles against South Florida.

As a senior in 2006, Okoye finally started all 13 games. In those 13 games, he registered 55 tackles, eight sacks, and recovered three fumbles. Okoye garnered Associated Press Second-Team All-American honors and first-team All-Big East honors. As the NCAA's youngest senior at 19 years old, Okoye garnered first-round draft status during the season.

During the Senior Bowl, Okoye's stock rose dramatically with strong practice and game performances.

Professional career

File:Amobi Okoye - Houston Texans.jpg
Okoye doing drills in 2010

2007 NFL Draft

Okoye was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He is the youngest player to ever be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft at only 19 years old. He was the highest draft pick to come out of the University of Louisville since the AFL-NFL merger.[7]

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt Arm length Hand size 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic
6 ft 2 in 302 lb 33½ in 9 in 4.85 s 1.65 s 2.87 s 4.44 s 7.46 s 30 in 9 ft 3 in 29 reps X
20-ss from Louisville Pro Day. All others from NFL Combine

Houston Texans

File:AmobiOkoye.jpg
Okoye in 2007 while with the Texans

Okoye signed a five-year deal with the Texans on July 26, which allowed him to begin training camp with his teammates the next day. With his first start, Okoye became the youngest player to appear in an NFL game since 1967.[8]

Okoye was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for September 2007 after leading the AFC with four sacks. He is the youngest player ever to receive the award.[9]

On July 30, 2011, after four seasons in Houston, he was released.

First stint with Bears

Okoye signed with the Chicago Bears on July 30, 2011.[10]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Okoye signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 7, 2012.[11]

Second stint with Bears

Okoye returned to the Bears on August 31, 2012.[12] He later signed a one-year contract on September 3.[13] He was waived on November 27, 2012,[14] but was eventually brought back on December 12.[15]

Dallas Cowboys

After having missed the 2013 NFL season due to what was referred to at the time as an "undisclosed medical issue", Okoye signed with the Dallas Cowboys on May 16, 2014.[16] On August 14, 2014, more details were revealed regarding his medical situation. Okoye had been diagnosed in March 2013 with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and had been placed in a medically induced coma to stabilize recurring seizures. He was cleared by doctors to play again, and is the first football player to attempt to come back from the disease.[17]

On April 8, 2015, Okoye was released by the Cowboys.[18]

NFL stats

Year Team GP COMB TOTAL AST SACK FF FR FR YDS INT IR YDS AVG IR LNG TD PD
2007 HOU 16 32 23 9 5.5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008 HOU 14 24 15 9 1.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
2009 HOU 16 38 26 12 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
2010 HOU 16 44 27 17 3.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011 CHI 16 27 18 9 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
2012 CHI 9 12 9 3 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 87 177 118 59 16.0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6

[19]

Key

  • GP: games played
  • COMB: combined tackles
  • TOTAL: total tackles
  • AST: assisted tackles
  • SACK: sacks
  • FF: forced fumbles
  • FR: fumble recoveries
  • FR YDS: fumble return yards
  • INT: interceptions
  • IR YDS: interception return yards
  • AVG IR: average interception return
  • LNG: longest interception return
  • TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
  • PD: passes defensed

References

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External links

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