Jeff Okudah

Last updated

Jeff Okudah
Jeff Okudah 2022.jpg
Okudah with Lions in 2022
No. 11 – Houston Texans
Position: Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1999-02-02) February 2, 1999 (age 25)
Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school: South Grand Prairie
College: Ohio State (2017–2019)
NFL draft: 2020  / round: 1 / pick: 3
Career history
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:168
Forced fumbles:1
Pass deflections:13
Interceptions:2
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jeffrey Chidera Okudah (born February 2, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2019 before being selected by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Okudah was born in Grand Prairie, Texas to Nigerian parents. [1] He attended South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas. [2] [3] A five-star recruit, he committed to Ohio State University in January 2017. [4] [5]

College career

As a true freshman at Ohio State in 2017, Okudah played in all 14 games and had 17 tackles. [6] [7] As a sophomore in 2018, he played in 13 games, recording 32 tackles. As a junior in 2019, he recorded his first career interception against the Miami Redhawks. [8] As a junior in 2019, Okudah had 34 tackles, 9 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions. For his performance that season, he was unanimously named to the 2019 College Football All-America Team and was also named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. [9] Okudah decided to forgo his senior year by declaring for the 2020 NFL draft. [10]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+18 in
(1.86 m)
205 lb
(93 kg)
32+58 in
(0.83 m)
9+18 in
(0.23 m)
4.48 s1.60 s2.65 s41.0 in
(1.04 m)
11 ft 3 in
(3.43 m)
11 reps
All values from NFL Combine [11] [12]
Okudah playing against the Washington Football Team in 2020. Jeff Okudah Antonio Gibson WFT vs Lions NOV2020 (cropped).jpg
Okudah playing against the Washington Football Team in 2020.

Detroit Lions

Okudah was considered to be the best cornerback prospect in the 2020 NFL draft, [13] [14] where he was selected third overall by the Detroit Lions. [15] He signed his four-year rookie contract with the team on July 13, 2020. [16] The contract was worth a fully guaranteed $33.528 million, including a $21.944 million signing bonus. [17] He suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and missed the opening season game. He returned in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, where he allowed three completions for 4 yards. [18] The following week, he recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. [19] Okudah was placed on injured reserve after he underwent surgery to resolve a core muscle injury on December 15. [20] [21]

During the Lions' 2021 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Okudah ruptured his Achilles tendon and was placed on injured reserve. [22]

Atlanta Falcons

Okudah was traded to the Atlanta Falcons on April 13, 2023, in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. [23]

Houston Texans

On March 15, 2024, Okudah signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. [24] He was placed on injured reserve on September 11. [25]

NFL career statistics

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckPDIntYdsAvgLngTDFFFRYdsTD
2020 DET 96474160.0213636.03600000
2021 DET 114310.01000.0000000
2022 DET 15157359140.0712020.02011000
2023 ATL 1394434100.03000000000
Career 3831168137310.01325628.03611000

Related Research Articles

Aaron Devone Glenn is an American professional football coach and former cornerback who is the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 and also served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Orlovsky</span> American football player and analyst (born 1983)

Dan Orlovsky is an American football analyst for ESPN and former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily as a backup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Case Keenum</span> American football player (born 1988)

Casey Austin Keenum is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he became the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. In the 2008 college football season, Keenum ranked first nationally in total offense and second in total passing yards.

Allen Ray Aldridge Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker and long snapper in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft and later won Super Bowl XXXII with the team over the Green Bay Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnthan Banks</span> American football player (born 1989)

Johnthan Shuntay Banks is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he received All-American honors. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Driskel</span> American football player (born 1993)

Jeffrey Matthew Driskel is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Driskel has played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley Roby</span> American football player (born 1992)

Bradley Roby is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He has also played for the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Fuller</span> American football player (born 1994)

William Vincent Fuller V is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Fuller was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He also played for the Miami Dolphins.

Joel Heath is an American former professional football defensive end who played for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) from 2016 to 2019. He was a three-year starter at Mount Healthy High School in Mount Healthy, Ohio and earned first-team All-State honors twice. He was also named the Associated Press All-Ohio Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year his senior season in 2010. Heath played college football at Michigan State, where he was a three-year letterman. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference his senior year in 2015. He played in 39 games, starting 24, during his college career, recording 60 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Heath signed with the Texans after going undrafted in the 2016 NFL draft. He played in 32 games, starting 16, for the Texans from 2016 to 2019, totaling 34 tackles and three sacks. He was also a member of the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions but did not appear in any contests for either team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gareon Conley</span> American football player (born 1995)

Gareon Conley is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played for the Houston Texans and DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Skipper</span> American football player (born 1994)

Dan Skipper is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Skipper is currently the tallest active player in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Montgomery (American football)</span> American football player (born 1997)

David Montgomery is an American professional football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darius Phillips</span> American football player (born 1995)

Darius Phillips is an American football cornerback for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Western Michigan and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Charles Nicholas Bawden is an American professional football fullback who is a free agent. He played college football at San Diego State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beau Benzschawel</span> American football player (born 1995)

Beau Benzschawel is an American football guard who is a free agent. He played college football at Wisconsin and signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He has also played for the Houston Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Ford (cornerback)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Michael Ford is an American professional football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Moore</span> American football player (born 1995)

Calvin J. "C.J." Moore is an American professional football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Ole Miss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quintez Cephus</span> American football player (born 1998)

Quintez Cephus is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He played college football at Wisconsin and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidan Hutchinson</span> American football player (born 2000)

Aidan Joseph Bernardi Hutchinson is an American professional football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Hutchinson was a unanimous All-American for the Michigan Wolverines, and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2021. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, and named to the All-Rookie Team in 2022. Hutchinson was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.

Ryan McCollum is an American professional football center for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M.

References

  1. Rogers, Justin (October 28, 2020). "'It's right there, right at home': Nigerian unrest hits close to home for Lions quartet". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  2. Davenport, Richard (October 4, 2015). "Texas defensive back impresses off the field, too". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  3. Zaleon, Avi (February 3, 2016). "Say hello to the new No.1 recruit in DFW: South Grand Prairie's Jeffrey Okudah". Dallas News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  4. Olson, Max (January 7, 2017). "Five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah commits to Ohio State". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  5. "Ohio State lands commitment from five-star athlete Jeffrey Okudah". SI.com. January 7, 2017. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019 via Scout.com.
  6. Rabinowitz, Bill (April 4, 2018). "Ohio State football | Jeffrey Okudah has persevered through pain". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  7. May, Tim (September 15, 2018). "Ohio State-TCU | Buckeyes' Jeffrey Okudah has history with Horned Frogs QB". Buckeyextra. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  8. Baird, Nathan (September 22, 2019). "Ohio State football's Jeff Okudah relishes first career interception against Miami of Ohio". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  9. Hooley, Bruce (January 9, 2020). "Chase Young, Jeff Okudah Likely to go 2–3 in NFL Draft". SI.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  10. Wells, Adam (January 1, 2020). "Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah Declares for 2020 NFL Draft After Loss to Clemson". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  11. "Jeffrey Okudah Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  12. "2020 Draft Scout Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  13. Hanson, Kevin (March 15, 2020). "2020 NFL Draft Rankings: Cornerbacks". SI.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  14. Kartje, Ryan (April 7, 2020). "A top pick in NFL draft? Ohio State corner Jeff Okudah has it covered". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  15. Birkett, Dave (April 23, 2020). "It's official! Detroit Lions take Jeff Okudah with No. 3 pick in 2020 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  16. Patra, Kevin. "Lions agree with No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah on rookie contract". NFL.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  17. "Jeff Okudah's Contract Details Revealed". SI.com. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  18. "Jones' big day helps Packers beat Lions 27–14 in home opener". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 20, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  19. "Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals – September 27th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  20. Alper, Josh (December 15, 2020). "Jeff Okudah says core muscle surgery went well". ProFootballTalk. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  21. Schlitt, Erik (December 16, 2020). "Detroit Lions officially place Jeff Okudah on IR". USAToday.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  22. Woodyard, Eric (September 13, 2021). "Source: Lions' Okudah (Achilles) out for season". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  23. "Lions trade CB Jeff Okudah to Atlanta Falcons". DetroitLions.com. April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  24. "Houston Texans Transactions (03-15-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. March 15, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  25. "Houston Texans Transactions (09-11-2024)". HoustonTexans.com. September 11, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.