The Detroit Lions have plenty of players who have made an impact in 2021, not the least of which is cornerback Amani Oruwariye.
Though he will miss the rest of this season with a thumb injury, Oruwariye has already made his presence felt in a big way this season. His 6 interceptions leads the team, and is also good for a top-five ranking in the NFL. Better than that, Oruwariye has continued his development early in his career and is looking like a major force to be reckoned with in the league.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
In spite of that, Detroit’s top young cornerback isn’t shy about wanting more for himself. Recently, Oruwariye sat down with Pro Football Focus and writer Doug Kyed for an interview. As he told Kyed, his biggest goal is to become “a household name” at cornerback and a player who is referred to as one of the top players at his position and respected by the opposition. Additionally, Oruwariye told Kyed he knows what he must improve to get there, referencing consistency at the line of scrimmage, fluidity in technique with multiple kinds of receivers and doing even more film study to find ways to improve his craft. All of this, Oruwariye hopes, culminates in the team being able to reach the Super Bowl.
Every so often, a young player can get complacent with small hints of success. It’s obvious that isn’t going to be for Oruwariye, who has a clear set of goals he wants to accomplish for the team and knows what he has to do to get it done.
The fun part for fans? They will get to watch Oruwariye chase down these dreams and ambitions in the future while seeing how much he can improve.
Oruwariye Easily Best Lions Defender in 2021
Though his season was cut short, it doesn’t feel like a stretch to proclaim that Oruwariye was the team’s best defender overall this year. Right up until the end, he stayed healthy and was able to be on the field, a key component of improvement. Additionally, Oruwariye was making plays for the Lions routinely on the field and coming into his own as a verbal leader. Add it all up
It helped when the cornerback was able to turn in the occasional big play, just as he did in his final game against Arizona.
It’s safe to say with plays like this in mind tat Oruwariye is already looking great given his work this year, but to hear he wants to get even better is very exciting news for the Lions.
Oruwariye’s Career Stats & Highlights
During the 2019 season as he started into the league, Oruwariye didn’t do much statistically for the team early on as he battled a knee injury most of the early part of the year, and as a result, his stats weren’t that robust. Oruwariye finished 2019 with 2 interceptions and 19 tackles for the Lions, but has been a player who has delivered before given his work in college. During the 2020 season on the field, he has 53 tackles, 1 interception and 7 passes defended, meaning he was easily able to eclipse his statistical work from last season, setting him on a good trajectory for the future.
While playing for Penn State, Oruwariye put up 108 tackles and 8 interceptions while scoring 1 touchdown. Obviously, the Lions have to hope that as he comes along, Oruwariye can manage to become the ball hawk he was for the Nittany Lions for years. Here’s a look at some highlights:
Oruwariye may have only just scratched the surface as to what he can be in the league. If that ends up being the case, his mindset could be the biggest reason why he becomes a success in time.
READ NEXT: T.J. Hockenson Sends Lions Positive Message for 2022
Amani Oruwariye Reveals Impressive Career Goals in New Interview