Amobi Okoye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Amobi Okoye during the 2007 NFL season. |
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| Houston Texans — No. 91 | |
| Defensive Tackle | |
| Date of birth: June 10, 1987 [1] | |
| Place of birth: Anambra State | |
| Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | Weight: 302 lb (137 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 2007 for the Houston Texans | |
| Career history | |
| College: Louisville | |
| NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2007 NFL season) |
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| Tackles | 32 |
| Sacks | 5.5 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Amobi Okoye (born June 10, 1987) is an American football player for the Houston Texans. He played defensive tackle at the University of Louisville from 2003 to 2006. The Houston Texans drafted Okoye as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
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[edit] High school career
Amobi was born in Anambra State, Nigeria[2][3] (ESPN The Magazine, however, identifies Lagos as the place of his birth).[4] He moved to Huntsville, Alabama, 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.
[edit] College career
At age 15, Okoye chose the University of Louisville over Harvard, which had reportedly offered him an academic scholarship,[5] privileging the strong football program of the former over the academic reputation of the latter. He, though, plans to attend graduate school at Harvard eventually.[6]
At Louisville, Okoye majored in biology. He later switched his major to psychology in order to graduate 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 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.
[edit] Pro career
Amobi Okoye was drafted by the Houston Texans as the tenth pick of 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 is the highest draft pick to come out of the University of Louisville since the AFL-NFL merger.[7]
Okoye signed a 6 year deal with the Texans on July 26th, 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]
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Amobi Okoye, Stats, News, Photo. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ "Texans Sign Top Pick Okoye, Free Agent McCardell", Sports Network (via KFOXTV.com), 2007-07-27. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
- ^ Amobi Okoye. NFLDraftScout.com (via Sportsline.com). CBS. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
- ^ a b c d Huge for His Size. ESPN The Magazine (2007-04-15). Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ Manfull, Megan. "Texans select Louisville DT Amobi Okoye", Houston Chronicle, 2007-04-28.
- ^ Crouse, Karen. "N.F.L. Prospect Is a Prodigy in Helmet and Pads", New York Times, 2007-02-26.
- ^ NFL Draft History. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ "Williams recovers fumble for TD, has two sacks in win - Game Notes", ESPN.com, 2007-09-09. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
- ^ Okoye named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month - HoustonTexans.com
[edit] External links
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