Samuel Okadigbo
| Samuel Okadigbo | |
|---|---|
| (Miami Tropics, Defensive End) | |
| Player ID #1713 | |
| Miami Tropics | |
| Jersey # | 55 |
| Gender | Male |
| Species | Okapi |
| Details | |
| Born On | May 17, 1997 |
| Height | 6.25 feet (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 261 lb (118 kg) |
| Throws | Right |
| Hometown | Pearland, TX, USA |
| College | Houston Herbivore |
| Career Info | |
| Draft | 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 20th |
| Drafted by Miami | |
| Years Pro | 1 |
Samuel Okadigbo is a Defensive End for the Miami Tropics in the UFFL.
History
Samuel Okadigbo is an okapi whose paternal grandparents emigrated from what is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early 1970s and settled near Houston, Texas. He was the oldest child of Edwin and Oyana, who found relative success in opening an African restaurant in their hometown, and was a happy-go-lucky young okapi.
His world would be turned upside down when he was 11, when Edwin Okadigbo was killed by a drunk driver coming home from the restaurant. From that point on, it seemed that Samuel's life turned for the worse as he could not cope with the loss, and would end up getting involved with kids that were negative influences. He was in and out of juvenile detention facilities for various offenses, mostly pertaining to theft and property damage, though at 14, he was indicted along with three others in an assault that left a mouse fighting for his life. Samuel was able to avoid being implicated and received probation, but Oyana was sick and tired of her son's behavior. So she gave him an ultimatum: find something constructive to do with his free time, or he would be sent to a military academy further north of where they were.
It so happened that Samuel's probation officer at the time had a brother who coached football at Pearland High, and so she suggested that Samuel try out for the team. He made it, but did not see any playing time in his first two seasons because his grades were not up to standard. The officer got involved and gave him her own ultimatum: if he didn't bring his grades up to an acceptable level, he would be forced to quit the team. So Samuel brought his grades back up and his coaches decided to play him as a defensive end. What they saw from him was astounding: he was getting to the ball quicker than they could have imagined from a kid who, at the time, weighed around 250 pounds. He didn't get any accolades or scholarship offers for football, but he still wanted to play after graduation. So he enrolled at nearby Houston Herbivore University with the intent to walk on and join the team.
Samuel made the team despite the objections his coaches had over his troubled past, but he convinced them those days were behind him. And he had a stellar start to his career, filling in for an injured starter and recording a sack and forced fumble against a much better Longhorn State. Eventually, he was given a scholarship under the condition that he stay out of trouble and keep his grades up, and that if he were to leave the team, the scholarship would go. Samuel would grow into a well-polished defensive end, though Houston Herbivore did not exactly play against stellar competition. But the UFFL scouts were paying attention throughout his senior campaign, where he would earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Lone Star League, a smaller league with schools based primarily in Texas. And as the UFFL Draft approaches, Samuel counts his blessings every day that he was able to find solace in football before he spiraled out of control and into a life of crime, going to high schools in his spare time and speaking about the importance of staying in school, keeping up on academics, and finding activities that keeps kids off the streets.
Contract Info
| Player Manager | Lazarus Otter |
|---|---|
| Salary (per year) | $1500000 |
| Exp. Date | May 1st, 2022 |
Statistics
Career
| Regular Season | Defensive Linefur Stats | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | G | W | L | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Saf | Pass Def | Int | Def TD | Forced Fum | Fum Rec |
| 2019 | MIA | 8 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | MIA | 14 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Records
| Game Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Season | Week | Team | vs. Team | Value |
| Tackles | 2019 | 6 | MIA | RIC | 4 |
| Sacks | 2019 | 15 | MIA | NOC | 1 |
| TacklesForLoss | 2019 | 16 | MIA | NSH | 1 |
| Playoff Records | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Season | Team | vs. Team | Value |
