Getty Arik Armstead and Charles Omenihu celebrate a sack on January 14, 2023 in Santa Clara.
The first words typed out by Charles Omenihu when he found out who his San Francisco 49ers will play next: “Playing my home team love it.”
Omenihu is a native Texan; growing up in the Dallas suburb of Rowlett and being surrounded by Dallas Cowboys fans including his own family. Now, the versatile and valuable defensive lineman is relishing the fact he can play the role of dream crusher for the Niners.
“Your family and everybody supports them, and then you’ve got to go against them and crush their dreams,” Omenihu said via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I like that aspect of it.”
Omenihu Has Proven Value Once the Playoffs Start
The towering 6-foot-5, 280-pound defender has emerged as one rare golden findings for the 49ers one year ago — and during a time the franchise needed to make one last major decision to solidify their roster.
Omenihu arrived as a little-known edge defender — who first entered the league as a fifth rounder out of the University of Texas and started in a combined seven games in nearly three years with the Houston Texans. His best season was a four sack campaign with 16 quarterback hits in 2020.
But since the 2021 trade, Omenihu has proven to be valuable when needed for a loaded 49ers defensive line. One year ago in the playoffs and facing the team he grew up near, Omenihu delivered 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in the 23-17 road win to eliminate the Cowboys.
And in the Super Wild Card Weekend opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, January 14, it was Omenihu who crushed the Seahawks’ momentum on this drive with the strip followed by recovery from Nick Bosa:
Charles Omenihu strips Geno and Bosa recovers!
Huge @49ers takeaway in the red zone. #SuperWildCard
📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/96NMtTe9OX
The 49ers, particularly renowned defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, have found ways to use Omenihu’s length and strength combination. That forced fumble came through a “stunt overload front” involving the 49ers lining up four defensive ends in the trenches. Omenihu and fellow defensive end Samson Ebukam are aligned next to each other, but it’s Omenihu attacking the inside shade of the right guard to create the turnover as he described it to NBC Sports Bay Area.
Charles Omenihu walks the postgame crew through his momentum-changing strip sack 💪
That play proved to be the turning point of the 41-23 romp of the ‘Hawks as the 49ers turned their six-point lead into 18 unanswered points. Omenihu’s heralded pass rushing teammate Bosa has recognized the major contributions from Omenihu when he steps onto the field.
“He’s really revamped his preparation,” Bosa said to reporters after the Seahawks win. “He was more of a big interior guy when he came in. The time that’s he’s been here, he’s really bought into the scheme. He’s a really good player for us.”
Omenihu Knew What he was Getting Himself Into When he Arrived to the Bay Area
While his arrival to the Bay Area came with half of the 2021 season already passed, Omenihu knew what he was getting himself into after the trade.
“I knew I was coming to a very good organization,” Omenihu said. “I was coming to a D-line that had a reputation of being very, very good. You can’t tell the future, but I’m glad I was traded here, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to come here and be a Niner. It’s a combination of new environment, great coaching, great players around you and just seizing the moment when it comes.”
With one more sack, Omenihu will surpass the seven that he got while with the Texans. He’ll soon face a Cowboys front line that has surrendered 28 sacks in 18 games. He’s likely to cross paths with the eight-time Pro Bowl duo of guard Zack Martin and tackle Tyron Smith especially with how the 49ers, Kocurek and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans like to move Omenihu to draw matchup advantages off his size and length.
Omenihu will soon have his second round against his family’s team in the postseason. He even was hoping Dallas would come to Levi’s Stadium instead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I was hoping they would win,” Omenihu said to Chan while smiling.