Christian Okoye
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Okoye in Iraq, 2006 | |||||||||
| No. 35 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | August 16, 1961 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Enugu, Nigeria | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 253 lb (115 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Azusa Pacific | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1987 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Christian Emeka Okoye (/oʊˈkɔɪeɪ/; born August 16, 1961), is a Nigerian-American former American football fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. Nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," Okoye was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles. Okoye's six seasons in the NFL saw a league rushing title in 1989, two Pro Bowl appearances (1989, 1991), and three playoff appearances. He voluntarily ended his NFL career due to multiple injuries.[1]
College career
A member of the Igbo ethnic group, Okoye was born in Enugu, Nigeria and did not play American football until 1984, when he joined the squad at California's Azusa Pacific University. He excelled in track and field, winning seven college titles in the shotput, discus, and hammer throw. The first time he attended an American football game he thought the game was boring.[1]
After the Nigerian government failed to select Okoye for the Olympics, he sought something else to do besides track and field and went out for American football. Initially, Okoye did not enjoy the roughness of football and thought about quitting but friends convinced him to continue playing.[1] His speed was unusual for someone his size (6'1" and 260 lb), and this rare combination of talents led to his selection in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Professional career
In his rookie year, Okoye rushed for 660 yards on 157 carries. The following year, a thumb injury limited him to nine games, and he finished the season with 473 yards.
In 1989, Okoye enjoyed his best NFL season by far, leading the league in both rushing attempts (370) and rushing yards (1,480). Though the Chiefs missed the playoffs, Okoye was selected by UPI as the American Football Conference's Offensive Player of the Year and earned a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.
The remainder of Okoye's career was marked by a nagging knee injury, one which limited him to 805 yards and a 3.3 yard average per carry in 1990. Though his 1991 performance (1,031 yards, 4.6 yards per carry) earned him his second Pro Bowl appearance, Okoye's carries in 1992 were largely limited to goal-line situations.
On August 25th, 1993, Chiefs placed Okoye on injured reserve before the regular season began due to knee injuries. [2] He underwent surgeries on both his knees and was released on an injury settlement that September. He went home to California to continue rehabilitating his knee. He intended to work out for other teams before ultimately retiring. [3]
Okoye's last carry as a professional football running back was an 8-yard touchdown.
Okoye has stated that he ended his NFL career because he became tired of practice, and that he considered football to be a job.[1]
Okoye retired as the Chiefs' all-time rushing leader, having amassed 4,897 yards, 1,246 attempts, and 14 games with at least 100 yards rushing, in his six seasons. Those team records have since been surpassed by Priest Holmes. His 40 career rushing touchdowns as a member of the Chiefs trail only Holmes and Marcus Allen. His Chiefs records for carries in a game and rushing attempts in a season were surpassed by Larry Johnson. Okoye was the team MVP in 1989, and was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000.
Among videogamers, Okoye is well known for his performances in Tecmo Super Bowl (1991), in which he's nearly impossible to tackle, but is easily injured.[4][5]
Statistics
Note: GP = Games played; Att = Rushing attempts; Yds = Rushing yards; Avg = Average yards per carry; Long = Longest rush; Rush TD = Rushing touchdowns; Rec = Receptions; Yds = Receiving yards; Avg = Average yards per reception; Long = Longest reception; Rec TD = Receiving touchdowns
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | Long | Rush TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Kansas City Chiefs | 12 | 157 | 660 | 4.2 | 43 | 3 | 24 | 169 | 7.0 | 22 | 0 |
| 1988 | Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 105 | 473 | 4.5 | 48 | 3 | 8 | 51 | 6.4 | 12 | 0 |
| 1989 | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 370 | 1,480 | 4.0 | 59 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1990 | Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 245 | 805 | 3.3 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1991 | Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 225 | 1,031 | 4.6 | 48 | 9 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 13 | 0 |
| 1992 | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 144 | 448 | 3.1 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career Totals | 79 | 1,246 | 4,897 | 3.9 | 59 | 40 | 42 | 294 | 7.0 | 22 | 0 |
- Stats that are highlighted show career high
Post-NFL career
Okoye was an investor in the Golden Baseball League and owned Okoye Health and Fitness, a company that sells nutritional supplements. He made an appearance as a boxer on the FX Network's Celebrity Boxing special. He also founded the California Sports Hall of Fame of which he is president.[6]
He appeared on the CBS reality show Pirate Master and was voted off by his shipmates on the second episode for his slow speed in the Expedition. He went home with no gold from Expeditions.[7] Okoye appeared on Pros vs Joes in its third season.
The Christian Okoye Foundation offers young men and women the opportunity to develop and refine the essential skills in their respective areas of interests. One event, which was started in 2012, is the Ontario Mills 5K and 10K race. The proceeds of the race benefit local after school athletic programs in the inland empire.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Radio interview on the Phoenix-based sports talk show "Gambo & Ash" on KTAR 620, April 10, 2008
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/25/sports/nfl-training-camp-report.html
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/02/sports/sports-people-football-chiefs-and-okoye-reach-injury-settlement.html
- ↑ Chiefs legend Christian Okoye discovers his Tecmo Super Bowl dominance
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ddO5ENtus&feature=related
- ↑ "State's Hall of Fame to induct first class". Retrieved 2007-01-01.
- ↑ Warner, Tyrone (June 8, 2007). "Ex-NFL running back cut adrift from 'Pirate Master'". CTVglobemedia. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christian Okoye. |
- The Christian Okoye Foundation
- Christian Okoye profile at IAAF