That's the position 19 year old defensive end Amobi Okoye finds himself in these days. He just finished up his appearance at the NFL's annual meat market, also known as The Combine.
Okoye is used to the title of "youngest player" since, as a 16-year old college freshman at Louisville, he was the youngest college football player in the nation. His success on the field allowed him to become the youngest to play in the Senior Bowl last month.
He was pretty successful off the field, graduating with a degree in psychology.
Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, Okoye's coach at Louisville, said simply, "He's ready to play."
Click here to read about Okoye's journey from a child prodigy in Nigeria to the cusp of becoming a teenage millionaire in the Jacksonville Times Union's story "Age is odd stat for DT Okoye."
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There was another good story on Amobe in the New York Times that you can find here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/sports/football/26combine.html?ref=ncaafootball
Okoye was a pleasure to watch during his four years at the Ville and grew into a real team leader. He was the heart and soul of the defense his senior year and will be missed . It's amazing to think how a 19 year old became the leader of a team filled with much older players, but Okoye had a way about him that drew players and fans to him.
His apartment became the unofficial home for the entire defense, not just the defensive line, and it's that enveloping spirit and leadership that helped the Cardinal defense exceed expectations last year and will enable Amobi to be a great pro player. He may be young but he is wise beyond his years.
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