Players such as Jakob Johnson, Efe Obada and most notably Jordan Mailata have been produced by the International Pathway Program. Despite garnering buzz and a must-see highlight in his first game, Okoye remains grounded in the reality that a long road lies ahead.
“I don’t think I’m a celebrity yet, it’s just my story,” Okoye said. “I have never played football, just magically got a sack. I won’t lie, it’s an awesome feeling but you don’t go too high, you don’t go too low just stay in the middle and do your thing. For me, it’s just learning the most I can do, go out there and learn because we have the best D-line in the entire league. I want to learn more plays and learn more techniques.”
Okoye, who got nine snaps on Saturday, remains an underdog for the Chargers’ 53-man roster, but with his raw ability could project as a practice squad addition who could develop.
Perhaps Okoye is a natural. Or maybe he’ll just be a preseason footnote. Only the autumns ahead will tell, but for now he’s a feel-good story as the Chargers zero in on the regular season.
“I don’t even know if I’m going to play the next snap,” he said, “so every opportunity I get, I go 100 percent.”