African Sports Blog snagged an interview with the youngest player ever drafted in the first round of the NFL draft and the youngest to start an NFL game since 1967, Houston Texans Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye. Amobi sat down with us prior to the Texans final game of the season versus the Chicago Bears.
Here's what went down.
A.S. What are your fondest memories of living in Nigeria?
A.O. Fondest memories would have to be Christmas. Christmas in Nigeria is different man. You get to go to the village and the whole family comes together, more than likely at the Grandma's house. It's kinda like here but you go to the village. As a kid I was just always looking forward to Christmas and going to the village,interacting with all my cousins whether it be on my Mum or my Dad's side.
A.S. Are there any things you remember as a kid, like snacks etc that you miss?
A.O. Of course man, Gala, Okin biscuits, pure water, roasted corn, Boli, Groundnut. I'm going back in the offseason man.
A.S. How many times have you gone back to Nigeria since you moved to the States?
A.O. Once, just went this past year with Osi(Umenyiora) and
Wale(Adewale Ogunleye).
A.S. How was the transition for you, first as a foreigner coming to America then as a Sophomore in High School playing a sport you'd never really watched?
A.O. It was a tough transition but it kinda was like a challenge. Everything I've been put up against with in my life, I've just tried to you know, overcome it. The transition was hard but it was what I was looking forward to because when I was in Nigeria I used to always want to come on trips with my dad to the United States. So when we finally moved here, I didn't know we were gonna move for good but it was a move I'd been looking forward to. I didn't know when I was in Nigeria that there would ever come a time when we would move to America for good, I thought I would always just go visit with my Dad but then Abacha just messed up the economy so my Dad had to move us to a better situation.
A.S. What sports did you play growing up?
A.O. Man, track has always been my first love. Break time in Nigeria that's what everybody goes to do. I remember we also used to play the one with Coke covers and use sugar containers as goal posts on a table and just flick it around. Between that and actually going between break time and playing Soccer, Soccer and Track. Track was my first love because in Nigeria we had the Inter-House Sports and I used to always run track.
I went to Molly International in Ajao Estate.
A.S. How was life in Huntsville Alabama and then in Louisville Kentucky?
A.O. Life was great. It was very different because it was quiet. Moving from Nigeria to Huntsville it wasn't like moving from Nigeria to New York where you move to a big city. What I thought was trouble in Huntsville was nothing compared to what trouble can be in other places like Louisville and Houston. So it's like I've grown in city size ever since I got here, from Huntsville to Louisville and now to Houston. I enjoyed it, it's still home to me.
A.S. Are your folks still living there?
A.O. No they moved to Houston, to be closer. As soon as I got drafted by Houston my dad got crunk, he was so excited because he went to TSU and Prairie View.
A.S. What's it like playing and living in Houston? How do you like the city?
A.O. I love it, I love the city. I underestimated the heck out of the city before I got drafted here. I came to Houston once on a family trip just visiting and I liked the weather but we didn't do much.
I didn't know much about Houston but now trust me, I don't think I'd rather be any other place in the world.
A.S. How would you assess your second season in the NFL so far?
A.O. I'll say my second season definitely wasn't what I or we expected but life is full of surprises. I felt like I didn't start off right and as soon as things kinda started getting rolling that's when my injury occurred and so it was like back to square one as far as trying to get back to the level of play I was at.
A.S. What are you hoping for next season?
A.O. It's definitely a bounce back season. I think play wise I got better but just statistically it wasn't there. Without a doubt I feel a difference between now and my rookie season mentally. I feel a whole lot better, a lot more comfortable but statistically it's just not there.
A.S. What do you think the Texans need to have or do to get to the next level, a winning season and then the playoffs?
A.O. I think we just gotta simplify and not do to much of ourselves. It's hard to explain what we have to do, it's more of an action kinda deal. I think we just gotta use our talent a whole lot more.
A.S. What's your favorite thing to do after practice, like right now when you get home?
A.O. Man, just to go home and hang out with my brother and cousins and family. I'm a family and friends type of guy. Anytime I get the chance to just hang out is cool with me.
A.S. Do you watch any TV Shows?
A.O. I watch a couple but just not consistently. I really wanna watch Entourage. I used to watch The Wire a lot. I'm gonna put it on my Ipod or my computer and just watch it. Especially when I'm on flights, especially for that trip to Nigeria.
A.S. What's playing on your Ipod right now?
A.O. Anything Lil Wayne, Jay-Z. I'm a believer that he(Lil Wayne) is on Jay's level. I think he is right there with Jay to me. I watched him grow from the beginning, I never was a Jay fan until the Black album but when I went back and listened to his other albums I became more of a Jay fan. With Wayne I've been listening since 500 Degreez.
A.S. What video games do you play?
A.O. Madden, Fifa. I'd play Fifa before I play Madden to be honest. I always use Chelsea, that's my favorite. Drogba. If I don't use them then I use Barcelona.
A.S. Last book you read?
A.O. I'm still on a book that Osi gave me man. I've been reading this book for a while. I'm more of a Math and Science, analytical kinda guy. He gave me this book since March and I haven't even gone through one-fourth of it. They used to be on me all the time in the locker room cause they'd see me with the same book and say "Damn, you still haven't finished that yet"?
A.S. Three favourite movies?
A.O. You know Scarface has gotta be on there but before I say Scarface, City of God is my first. City of God, Scarface and probably American Gangster.
A.S. Favourite Nigerian meal?
A.O. Probably plantains with Jollof Rice.
A.S. Did you guys have a big Christmas meal?
A.O. Yeah man, I chop belleful.
A.S. Favorite athlete outside of Football?
A.O. I'd probably say Lebron James. The guy is one heckuva athlete, swagger and all.
A.S. Favorite American football player, past or present, any position?
A.O. I'd have to go with John Randle, he played my position with the Minnesota Vikings.
A.S. Most difficult team in the NFL to play against?
A.O. I have to say every team, just look at us last week(The Texans loss to the Oakland Raiders). I have to say the NFL in general.
A.S. Toughest tackle/guard you've faced?
A.O. It's a tough one but I'll go with the whole Tennessee offensive line. They're dirty and yet still pretty good.
A.S. What was your first purchase after signing with the Texans?
A.O. My first purchase was my mother's car. I got her a White Benz, that was one of my motivating factors in college. I said if I make it I'd get her a white Benz. It was a surprise for Mother's day, she was asking who's car was parked out there and I'm like it's your car. She kinda like broke down for a little bit and cried, she was just excited.
A.S. What's your favorite type of car?
A.O. I just got me an old school, a '79 Monte Carlo for my 21st birthday. That's my baby right there. I'm growing to be a big fan of old schools.
A.S. Anything you dislike about Houston?
A.O. The traffic. It's so widespread, to go from one place to another is at least 25 minutes.
A.S. How did you fare during Hurricane Ike?
A.O. Fortunately for me Hurricane Ike didn't hit me hard. My family we all stay on the same side of town. I wasn't shaking, I was outside when it was windy that's a fact but let's say that wasn't the best sleep ever. We dealt with it though and it wasn't that much to me but when it came to the community and other people, my foundation and the Texans stepped up and did what we could to help out.
A.S. How did you decide on the five points of your foundation?
A.O. It's pretty much just from stemming up ways that we can always help Children and the community. My thing is helping kids first. I wanted to be a pediatrician. When I think about it I may go back when I'm done if not I might just continue with the foundation because I'll still be able to help.
A.S. What advice would you give to other young Nigerians deciding on playing American Football?
A.O. I would tell them this, the easiest thing to do is to quit. That would be my best advice. If you want the easy route then take the easy route. There's gonna be plenty of opportunities to quit especially after you think that it is what you want and after you know it's what you want to do. The easiest part about Football is quitting. If you know the easiest thing is to quit then you gotta fight. If you think to yourself the whole time that the easiest thing to do is to quit then you're not going to quit. I was in that situation plenty of
times because (1) you're new to it and (2) you might get laughed at because you're not doing the right thing. There's a lot of negativity when you just start playing especially at the High school level but starting at that level is what I would encourage.
A.S. What are your impressions of Nigeria after your last visit?
A.O. It was better than what I thought. I'll be honest I didn't know what to expect going back for the first time since I moved to America. I never went to Abuja before I left, it was on the come up back then and now I'm impressed but I won't necessarily say I'm satisfied with the country. There's still a long way to go especially for the kind of country we are and what we have. There's too big of a gap between the rich and the poor.
A.S. Thanks Amobi.
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