LEAVING HIS MARK

AS HIS CAREER AT TEXAS COMES TO A CLOSE, ALEX OKAFOR IS FAR FROM FINISHED.

Sometimes Alex Okafor seems like a teddy bear with his wide smile, rounded edges
and bigger-than-life laugh. But the people who take a stance across the line of scrimmage from the senior defensive end see him in a different light — instead of a welcoming teddy bear, they see a 6’4,” 265-pound grizzly.

On the field, he’s menacing. Off the field, he’s warm and fuzzy. Okafor is a dichotomy of cold steel versus warm water. During his first ….

[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]

three seasons on the 40 Acres, Okafor became a selfless and seldom vocal team leader. He racked up a number of postseason awards after a junior campaign that saw him amass 58 tackles (14 of which were for a loss), seven sacks, three pass breakups, 17 quarterback pressures, two caused fumbles and a fumble recovery.

His efforts garnered him a spot on the AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-American team and convinced the league’s coaches to grant him a unanimous position on the All- Big 12 Conference first team. He was named to the 2012 Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and CFPA Defensive Lineman of the Year Trophy watch lists, all which recognize excellence in the line or linebacker position.

Through the Longhorns’ 2012 12-game regular season, Okafor became a force to be reckoned with on the field. He’s fourth on the team with 60 tackles — including 37 solo stops. He also recorded 12 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and a blocked kick. And although Okafor stands out, he tries to avoid the spotlight. He often defers to the improvements made by the younger Longhorn players rather than call attention to his own success.

“You hear Alex say a lot of things about how good someone else is doing, but he never talks about himself,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “But don’t be fooled; Alex Okafor is a crucial part of our defense and a lead-byexample guy in our locker room.” The senior only steps into the spotlight behind closed locker room doors — specifically when he needs to remind his younger teammates about what they need to accomplish out on the field.

“My time is winding down — I can’t sit back and wait anymore,” Okafor explained. “I have to tell the younger guys what I want out of them, and I have to go out there and do it myself so they can see how it’s done. I want to set a great example for the young guys.” Like many Texas players, Okafor signed as a highly regarded prep prospect and saw immediate playing time as a freshman. In his first college season, he registered
22 tackles, including two for a loss and a forced fumble while serving as a backup defensive end and special teamer.

Despite his lack of interior lineman size, the Texas coaching staff moved him inside to defensive tackle as a sophomore. The change
didn’t help his stat-line (30 tackles, four for a loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble), but the move did push Okafor to improve his strength, hand usage and refine his ability to keep his feet in traffic. He also took away several other lessons from the 2010 season. “When we went 5-7, the team was young,” he said. “The young guys — including myself —didn’t
prepare and didn’t have the right mentality. We let the seniors down that year. That’s one thing I wish I could take back … not just for me, but for those seniors.”

Okafor earned his horns.

Texas defensive ends coach Oscar Giles knows a thing or two about great players on the edge. Giles played defensive end for the Longhorns in 1987-90, as well as in the NFL and CFL. Over the years, he coached players such as Tim Crowder, Brian Robison, Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle.

He says Okafor earned his horns and belongs in the same group as the players he coached in the past. “Alex created his own niche,” Giles said.
“When he was a freshman, we talked about him leaving his own mark here at Texas. That’s something he has continued to do, and he’s not satisfied by what he’s done so far. So to me, that’s a sign. That’s character. And that’s something all those other guys have done.”

Going 5-7 in 2010 may mark a point of dissatisfaction in his career, but Okafor simply worked harder to prepare for the following season. “I came in when we went to the [2009] national championship game, so I’ve been at the top,” Okafor said. “Then we went 5-7, so I’ve been at the bottom. It’s a roller coaster ride, but I am tougher, mentally.”
Okafor’s character has never been up for debate, but his decision-making came into
question last May.

Before his senior season, Austin police detained Okafor, along with two
other Longhorns, after a disturbance outside of a Sixth Street nightclub. Texas kept any disciplinary action surrounding the circumstances in-house, but Okafor came out of the situation more determined than ever. “I faced a lot of adversity this summer and it helped me grow as a person and become a better man,” Okafor said. “Honestly, it made
the bond with my team stronger. They helped me get through the situation.”
Okafor will shine on Sundays.

Okafor decided to not enter the NFL Draft at the end of the 2011 season, even though he would’ve been an early-round choice. Thanks to his breakout season and his performance during the first two-thirds of 2012, many experts consider him the top defensive end for the 2013 draft. He relies on the counsel from former Longhorns as he begins to consider playing in the NFL.

“They tell me that you have to bring it every single day,” Okafor said. “The players that last in the NFL aren’t necessarily the most talented guys — they’re the guys that want it more, the ones that go out to practice and play hard every single down. I try to play like that now and that’s going to be crucial for me going into the NFL.” Giles, who watched Okafor over the past four years, said he appreciates how he’s grown. “Alex took the next step of actually leading by example and he’s done a good job working his tail off on the field,” he said. “When kids see that, they learn that you have to work hard to get where you want to be.”

Okafor is a coachable player — a key quality that allows him to continuously improve his
game. He’s played in several defensive packages, first with former Texas defensive coordinator and current Florida coach Will Muschamp, and now with Diaz. He excelled in both. “Each year, he gets better,” Giles said. “He listens. He’s smart enough to understand what we’re trying to do on defense. He’s able to make transitions from the board to the field. To me, that’s important.”

When things got tough for the Texas defense, Okafor responded by ramping up his play. In the Longhorns’ 21-17 win at Kansas Oct. 27, Okafor lined up on 64 of the Jayhawks’ 65 defensive snaps and had a team-high 13 tackles, as well as a forced fumble. “Because of the injury to [defensive end] Jackson [Jeffcoat], we have a rotation that’s not as active as it was in the past, so Alex stepped up,” Giles said. “He’s accepted the challenge of standing in and playing alone, or playing more plays.

In that game, he had one of the best games since he’s been here. It just showed that he wanted to pick up his side of the ball.” Okafor claimed that one of the biggest things he learned while playing for Texas was about life. “Everything here and with this team is about accountability and ownership,” he said. “There’s no such thing as excuses around here. Taking that with me will be very beneficial.”

 [/s2If]
[s2If current_user_is_not(s2member_level2) OR current_user_is_not(s2member_level3) OR current_user_is_not(s2member_level5) OR current_user_is_not(s2member_level6)]


The rest of this article is available to Digital Subscribers only. Login or Subscribe to continue reading.
[/s2If]