# Amobi Okoye
**Amobi Okoye** (born 1987) is a Nigerian-American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league) from 2007 to 2012, chiefly with the [Houston Texans](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-texans). Drafted 10th overall by Houston in the 2007 NFL Draft out of the [University of Louisville](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-louisville), he became the youngest player ever selected in the modern NFL draft at 19 years, 322 days old, after a record-accelerated academic path that took him from Nigeria to an American high school at age 12 and into college football at 16.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) • [2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987, Anambra, Nigeria; 6 ft 2 in, 302 lb as a player[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) |
| Draft | 1st round, 10th overall, 2007 NFL Draft, Houston Texans, out of Louisville[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) |
| Age records | Youngest player drafted in the modern NFL draft (19 years, 322 days); youngest NCAA Division I player at 16; youngest NFL player at 20[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) • [3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922) |
| Education | Graduated Lee High School, Huntsville, Alabama, at 15; psychology degree from Louisville in three and a half years[4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/) |
| NFL career | 87 games, 59 starts, 16.0 sacks over six seasons (Houston 2007–2010, Chicago 2011–2012)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) |
| Rookie honors | PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team, 2007; NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, September 2007[5](https://www.footballdb.com/players/amobi-okoye-okoyeam01) |
| Later life | Recovered from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis after a lengthy coma; signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 but placed on Reserve/Non-Football Illness[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/amobi-okoye-i-am-a-walking-miracle-for-cowboys-0ap3000000381834) • [7](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/o/okoy00100.html) |
| Foundation | Founded the Amobi Okoye Foundation, a 501(c)(3), in 2007, with the Kickoff 4 Kids and C.A.T.E programs[4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/) |
## Early life and accelerated schooling
Okoye was born in Anambra, Nigeria, and moved to the United States with his family as a 12-year-old, settling in [Huntsville, Alabama](https://www.edgepedia.org/huntsville-alabama), where he was placed in middle school.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) • [3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922) He tested directly into the ninth grade at age 12 and took up football the following year, a sport he knew nothing about; he quickly became an all-state offensive and defensive lineman at Lee High School, which he graduated at 15.[3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922) • [4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
His academic record was strong enough that he was offered a scholarship to Harvard University, which he turned down in favor of a football scholarship to the University of Louisville, citing a desire to play for a strong football program.[4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
## College career at Louisville
Enrolling at Louisville in 2003, Okoye became the youngest player in [NCAA Division I](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i) college football at age 16.[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) • [3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922) He switched his major from biology to psychology to help plan his football future, and earned his degree in three and a half years while playing four seasons.[3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922) • [4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
As a senior he was a unanimous first-team All-[Big East Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-east-conference) choice, starting all year at strong-side defensive tackle and finishing with 55 tackles and eight sacks, second on the team.[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) His collegiate career covered 48 games with 24 starts, 121 tackles, and 10.5 sacks.[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) At the 2007 Scouting Combine he measured 6 ft 2 in and 302 lb, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.06 seconds (electronic time), and recorded 29 bench-press repetitions at 225 lb.[8](https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?DraftYear=2007&PlayerId=13143)
## NFL career
The Houston Texans selected Okoye with the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the fourth consecutive year the team had used a first-round pick on a defensive lineman.[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) At 19 years, 322 days old on draft day he was the youngest player drafted in the modern [NFL draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-draft), and he opened the 2007 season as the youngest player in Texans history to start a season, at 20 years, 91 days.[2](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884) Defensive coordinator Richard Smith projected him as a "three technique" interior lineman, pointing to his 34.5-inch arm length, quickness, and balance.[9](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-and-richard-smith-address-the-media-2681798)
**Rookie season.** Okoye started from preseason onward and recorded two sacks in his second regular-season game, against the [Carolina Panthers](https://www.edgepedia.org/carolina-panthers).[3](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922)
**Houston years.** Okoye was a four-year regular for the Texans, appearing in 62 games and starting all but four of them, with 11.0 sacks in a Houston uniform.[10](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/texans/draft/ranking-first-round-picks) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm) His production declined after the rookie year: 1.0 sack in 2008, 1.5 in 2009, and 3.0 in 2010.[11](https://www.nfl.com/players/amobi-okoye/stats/career) When defensive coordinator [Wade Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/wade-phillips) installed a 3-4 alignment in 2011, Okoye was not a fit for the system and left in free agency.[10](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/texans/draft/ranking-first-round-picks)
**Chicago.** Okoye spent 2011 and 2012 with the [Chicago Bears](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bears), where his former Texans position coach [Rod Marinelli](https://www.edgepedia.org/rod-marinelli) used him at all three interior spots in the 4-3 front, best as the three technique.[12](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/scouting-report-taking-closer-look-at-dt-amobi-okoye-349291) He played 16 games with 4.0 sacks in 2011, then 9 games with 1.0 sack in 2012, his final NFL season.[11](https://www.nfl.com/players/amobi-okoye/stats/career) His six-year career totals were 87 games, 59 starts, 16.0 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm)
## Illness and attempted comeback
Okoye missed the 2013 season after being diagnosed with anti-[NMDA receptor](https://www.edgepedia.org/nmda-receptor) encephalitis, a rare autoimmune syndrome that put him in a lengthy coma and left him with a 145-day memory gap. Speaking publicly for the first time after his recovery, he called himself a "walking miracle" and said the condition was so rare that he was the first adult male to suffer from it.[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/amobi-okoye-i-am-a-walking-miracle-for-cowboys-0ap3000000381834)
The [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-cowboys) signed him in 2014, reuniting him with Marinelli, but placed him on Reserve/Non-Football Illness on August 26, 2014, and he never appeared in another NFL game.[7](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/o/okoy00100.html) • [12](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/scouting-report-taking-closer-look-at-dt-amobi-okoye-349291)
## Amobi Okoye Foundation
Okoye founded the Amobi Okoye Foundation, Inc. in 2007, while a Texans player, as a 501(c)(3) organization. Its stated mission is to provide hope to kids and communities around the world, using athletics to promote academics.[4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
The foundation's programs fall into two groups. **Kickoff 4 Kids** is the domestic division, a series of youth-centered activities including Kickoff 4 Kids Play 60, Tackle Hunger, and Movies & [Motivation](https://www.edgepedia.org/motivation), which provide motivation, self-esteem, and academic scholarships, with college scholarship partners including the [University of Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-houston), University of Louisville, and Alabama A&M University. **C.A.T.E (Changing Africa Through Education)** is the international division, based in Nigeria, West Africa, with a mission to provide hope to needy children in impoverished communities through education and community building; other initiatives include Books Abroad.[4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
## Assessment
Okoye's career is defined by the collision of his precocity with ordinary NFL timelines. Draft-day observers such as Peter King projected him as "a steal at No. 10 to Houston," while later evaluations placed him 14th among Texans first-round picks, noting that he was a four-year regular who did not last long enough to make a larger impact.[13](https://www.battleredblog.com/2007/5/1/111726/0019) • [10](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/texans/draft/ranking-first-round-picks) His 5.5-sack rookie season remained his best, and his career ended at 25 with the encephalitis diagnosis, before a foundation career built on the same athletics-to-academics pathway that carried him from Anambra to the first round.[11](https://www.nfl.com/players/amobi-okoye/stats/career) • [4](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
## References
1. [Amobi Okoye Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OkoyAm99.htm)
2. [Texans sign first-round draft pick Okoye, HoustonTexans.com, July 27, 2007](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-sign-first-round-draft-pick-okoye-2674884)
3. [Okoye not getting complacent, HoustonTexans.com, September 20, 2007](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-not-getting-complacent-2670922)
4. [The Amobi Okoye Foundation: Building Hope and Unity for Children Worldwide](https://www.amobiokoyefoundation.net/)
5. [Amobi Okoye Stats, The Football Database](https://www.footballdb.com/players/amobi-okoye-okoyeam01)
6. [Amobi Okoye: I am a 'walking miracle' for Cowboys, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/amobi-okoye-i-am-a-walking-miracle-for-cowboys-0ap3000000381834)
7. [Amobi Okoye, Pro Football Archives](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/o/okoy00100.html)
8. [2007 Draft Scout Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville](https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?DraftYear=2007&PlayerId=13143)
9. [Okoye and Richard Smith address the media, HoustonTexans.com, 2007](https://www.houstontexans.com/news/okoye-and-richard-smith-address-the-media-2681798)
10. [Ranking Houston Texans' first-round draft picks, Houston Chronicle](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/texans/draft/ranking-first-round-picks/)
11. [Amobi Okoye Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/amobi-okoye/stats/career)
12. [Scouting Report: Taking Closer Look at DT Amobi Okoye, DallasCowboys.com, May 17, 2014](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/scouting-report-taking-closer-look-at-dt-amobi-okoye-349291)
13. [Grading The Texans' Draft, Battle Red Blog, May 1, 2007](https://www.battleredblog.com/2007/5/1/111726/0019)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Defensive tackles › Retired defensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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