Emmanuel Okoye’s ‘leap of faith’ led to Tennessee football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (BVM) – It’s been two years since Emmanuel Okoye traded a basketball for a football. In that time, he has gone from his home in Lagos, Nigeria to the NFL Academy in Loughborough, England and soon he will be in Knoxville, Tennessee as a member of the Volunteers Class of 2023 recruiting class.
“It’s been great,” Okoye said. “I mean it’s a lot of growth that has happened throughout the whole process so I’ve learned a lot from transitioning from living in Nigeria all my life to moving out of the country, switching sports, meeting new people, new environment, new cultures just learning a lot in the past two years. It’s been a lot and I’m grateful for it.”
It certainly has been a lot but Okoye doesn’t get overwhelmed. He understands the opportunity that has been presented to him and knows why he is doing what he is doing but above all else, his faith has kept him grounded over the last two years.
“My faith in God has helped me to stay in line with what I’ve been chasing,” Okoye said. “You know, stay in line with passion, stay in line with my dreams, my mentality, help me to always be locked in.”
Talking with Okoye, it’s clear he has a strong belief in himself. There is a deliberateness in everything he says and does. Had it not been football, there is no doubt that Okoye would be finding success in basketball or whatever path he had chosen for himself.
“I have that faith in myself that I’m going to be successful,” Okoye said. “I mean that’s what’s been driving me.”
It just so happens that the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Okoye was blessed with the kind of athleticism that would make any college or NFL scout drool.
He was discovered in 2021 while playing basketball, his first true love according to Okoye, by Olutobi and Iseolupo Adepitan. The two brothers ran a basketball program in Lagos but when they saw Okoye, they began to pitch the idea to him and his parents about playing football.
“It was really hard for me because I really love basketball,” Okoye said. “I really love basketball…Basketball was the love of my life at the time.”
“I had to take a leap of faith.”
That leap led to him participating in the NFL Africa camp in Ghana where he blew everyone away with his pure athletic talent. Okoye was quickly brought to the NFL Academy in Loughborough and he has been there ever since learning the game of football.
The transition from one sport to another, along with the rapid success and validation via college scholarships, has given the young man even more confidence in himself.
“Me switching (sports) has helped me to find out there’s no ceiling to what you can achieve as a person,” Okoye said. “I see myself as an athlete.”
Okoye even caught the attention of two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants Osi Umenyiora. The former NFL defensive end has taken him under his wing and has been a mentor to the budding football star as he learns the sport.
“It’s a huge blessing because it’s not something that happens often or all the time,” Okoye said. “Having someone like Osi as a mentor in my life is a really great one. Having to take knowledge, you know, from someone that’s been in the highest level of football, played for a long time and won championships. That championship mentality is what he has and, you know, for me to be able to gain from that is a really great start.”
Since picking up football, he has grown to love it. The intensity as well physicality have drawn him to it. Okoye feels he can use his athleticism to its full potential when he is out on the football field.
He is still learning the ins and outs of football but he isn’t rushing anything. Okoye is taking his time as he gets a well-rounded education in the sport, especially because he has the ability to play multiple positions.
When he first picked up football, he tried wide receiver but as he has gained some weight as well as muscle mass, the academy placed him at defensive end as well as special teams. However, Tennessee also can use the 6-foot-5 Okoye, who also has a 7-foot wingspan, as a tight end. To be honest, with Okoye’s athletic intangibles, the sky’s the limit.
“I’m just taking it slow,” Okoye said. “I’m not trying to rush. I know everything will come into place in due time. I’m just trying to put my head down and go to work and get as much knowledge as I can get so that’s what I’m doing.”
Now it’s up to Tennessee to help Okoye reach the next level of his football career. The three-star recruit also had offers from USC, Texas Tech and Georgia. The almost immediate attention from high-level Power 5 schools was a little surprising to Okoye but the recognition meant a lot.
In the end, Okoye chose the Volunteers because he felt that Knoxville was the place where he could be himself. It felt like home. And in a month, it will be his home.
“I feel like I can be there and be myself and do what I have to do,” Okoye said. “Everything is being provided for me to succeed. It’s going to be a great experience.”
In just two years, Okoye has gone from a basketball player in Lagos to a Division I football player at an SEC school. His belief in himself is inspiring and as he takes on this next challenge, it’s hard to think he will do anything but succeed.
