Christian Okoye facts for kids
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Okoye in 2023
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| No. 35 | |||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | August 16, 1961 Enugu, Nigeria |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 253 lb (115 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College: | Azusa Pacific | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1987 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Christian Emeka Okoye (born August 16, 1961) is a former professional football player. He was a fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). He played from 1987 to 1992. People called him "the Nigerian Nightmare" because he was a very strong runner. He was great at breaking away from defenders.
Okoye had an amazing six-season career in the NFL. He led the league in rushing yards in 1989. He was also named an All-Pro player twice. He played in two Pro Bowl games. He helped his team reach the playoffs three times. Christian Okoye had to stop playing football because of many injuries. In 2000, he was added to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. It's pretty cool that he didn't play football until he was 23 years old. Yet, he still became an NFL rushing leader at age 28!
Contents
College Days and Early Life
Christian Okoye was born in Enugu, Nigeria. He is a member of the Igbo people. He came to the United States when he was 21. He didn't start playing American football until he was 23. That's when he joined the team at Azusa Pacific University in California.
Before football, Christian was a talented track and field athlete. He won seven college titles in events like the shot put, discus, and hammer throw. The first time he watched an American football game, he thought it was boring!
The Nigerian government didn't pick Okoye for the Olympics in track and field. So, he looked for other sports. That's how he started playing American football. At first, he didn't like how rough the game was. He even thought about quitting. But his friends told him to keep going. Christian was very fast for his size (6 feet 1 inch tall and 260 pounds). This rare mix of speed and strength made him special. The Kansas City Chiefs picked him in the second round of the 1987 NFL draft.
Playing in the NFL
In his first year, Okoye ran for 660 yards. The next year, he hurt his thumb. This meant he only played in nine games. He finished that season with 473 yards.
The year 1989 was Christian Okoye's best season. He led the entire league in rushing attempts (370) and rushing yards (1,480). He was the first Chiefs player ever to lead the NFL in rushing. Even though the Chiefs didn't make the playoffs, Okoye was chosen as the best offensive player in his conference. He also got to play in the Pro Bowl game in Hawaii.
After 1989, Christian Okoye dealt with a knee injury. This injury bothered him for the rest of his career. In 1990, he ran for 805 yards. In 1991, he had another great year with 1,031 rushing yards. This earned him his second trip to the Pro Bowl. By 1992, he mostly played in short-yardage situations, like near the goal line. His very last run in professional football was an 8-yard touchdown.
On August 25, 1993, the Chiefs put him on injured reserve. This was before the season started, because of his knee problems. He had surgeries on both knees. He later decided to retire from football. He said he was tired of practicing and saw football as a job.
Christian Okoye retired as the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher. He had 4,897 total rushing yards. He also had 14 games where he ran for at least 100 yards. Other great Chiefs players like Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson later broke some of his records. Okoye was the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1989. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000.
Many video game fans know Christian Okoye from Tecmo Super Bowl (1991). In that game, he was almost impossible to tackle!
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | KC | 12 | 12 | 157 | 660 | 4.2 | 43 | 3 | 24 | 169 | 7.0 | 22 | 0 |
| 1988 | KC | 9 | 9 | 105 | 473 | 4.4 | 48 | 3 | 8 | 51 | 6.4 | 12 | 0 |
| 1989 | KC | 15 | 14 | 370 | 1,480 | 4.0 | 59 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1990 | KC | 14 | 13 | 245 | 805 | 3.3 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1991 | KC | 14 | 12 | 225 | 1,031 | 4.6 | 48 | 9 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 13 | 0 |
| 1992 | KC | 15 | 5 | 144 | 448 | 3.1 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career | 79 | 65 | 1,246 | 4,897 | 3.9 | 59 | 40 | 42 | 294 | 7.0 | 22 | 0 | |
Life After Football
After his NFL career, Christian Okoye became an investor in the Golden Baseball League. He also owned a company called Okoye Health and Fitness, which sold healthy supplements.
He appeared on a TV show called Celebrity Boxing. He also started the California Sports Hall of Fame and is its president.
Christian Okoye was on the CBS reality show Pirate Master. He was voted off early in the show. He also appeared on Pros vs Joes.
The Christian Okoye Foundation helps local after-school sports programs. They do this by sponsoring races like the Ontario Mills 5K and 10K.
Okoye is also part of the ownership team for the Kansas City Goats. This is an indoor football team that plays in The Arena League.
Personal Life
When Christian Okoye was a child in Nigeria, he became good friends with an Olympian named Innocent Egbunike. When Egbunike went to Azusa Pacific, he told the track and field coaches about Okoye's discus skills. This led to Okoye getting a scholarship.
