Getty Defensive back Jeff Okudah looks on during the 2020 NFL Combine.
Jeff Okudah will star in the secondary for the Detroit Lions this season, and his journey to that point was helped by a video game.
Okudah was a fan of the Madden series growing up, and as he detailed in a recent piece by ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the game was a huge reason he was able to connect with football, understand the game and get to love it. As he explained, the game was the introduction to the game.
As Rothstein wrote:
“I had never watched football before,” Okudah said. ” … My thing at the time was more winning and losing. I loved games that I could win. So playing it, I was losing at first to the computer and I didn’t understand the rules. “But the competitor in me just wanted to keep getting better at the game.”
He rented it as often as he could, five days at a time, throughout the spring and summer. Then one day he turned to his father and told him he wanted to play football in real-life, too. It never would have happened had he not grabbed that game off the shelf.”
As is explained in the piece, Okudah would rent the game constantly, then shifted to asking for his own copies every year as his interest grew. Okudah didn’t just play the game though, he studied it and used it as a teaching tool. That makes sense given the intense, focused way he views football and how seriously he takes the sport.
Playing video games isn’t always a waste of time. In the case of Okudah, it helped him discover what would become his career.
Jeff Okudah Has Never Been To an NFL Game
The fact that Okudah learned football through Madden is not surprising. Interestingly enough, when Okudah suits up and sets foot on the field in Detroit, it will be the first time he has ever been to an NFL game. Recently, Okudah revealed on Twitter that he has never been to an NFL game in his life.
Random Thought: I have never been to an NFL Game.
Along the way, one would have thought such a football nut like Okudah would have made his way to a game somewhere at some point. When he does play for the Lions, it will only serve to make the experience that much more special for the cornerback when he runs on the field for the first time.
Not many can say they will play the first NFL game they are set to attend, but it’s yet another amazing wrinkle for Okudah.
Jeff Okudah Shares Motivation With Lions Fans
When he does make his firs NFL game, Okudah wants to make it count for his new city. Recently, he tweeted out a photo of himself in his new Lions colors, and if that wasn’t enough, he also revealed a promise. According to the cornerback, he’s going to give his all for the team he was just drafted to join.
Give You My All.
It’s one thing for a player to say he plans on giving his all, but it’s another for him to do so publicly and make it a mindset. That’s what Okudah appears to be doing here.
For most, this will be the first time anyone has gotten a look at what Okudah will look like in his new Detroit uniform. Okudah will wear his collegiate No. 1 when camp starts, and after that, will have to pick a new jersey number to wear when he starts in the NFL.
Regardless of what number he wears, it’s nice to see Okudah understands the most important thing is playing hard for his new city.
Jeff Okudah Stats
Okudah ended up being the best player on the board when the Lions selected with the No. 3 pick. As also explained elsewhere, evaluators love his length and size. It could be a winning combination for a needy Detroit pass defense that has been exposed in a major way this season on the back end.
At Ohio State, Okudah has put up some excellent numbers in a short time. He’s collected 78 tackles, 3 interceptions, 16 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries. Perhaps better than that for the Lions, he didn’t allow a completion over 50 yards this season.
That paints the portrait of a player who can be a potential lock down defender at the next level. Okudah was also a popular selection in mock drafts for Detroit, and that was proven right when the team selected him.
Now that he’s a member of the Lions, Okudah can bring passion to the field and can see himself in Madden now. It’s a journey that will have started when he was a child.
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