Ollie Ogbu facts for kids

Ollie Ogbu, born on May 18, 1987, is a coach for American football. He currently coaches the defensive line at Lake Erie College in Ohio. Before this, he coached at other colleges like Wagner College, where he helped train a great player named Titus Leo. Ollie used to play professional football as a defensive end. He was a team captain and played for four years at Penn State before joining the Indianapolis Colts in 2011.

Early Life and High School Football

Ollie Ogbu grew up in Staten Island, New York. He went to St. Joseph by the Sea High School. While playing football there, his amazing speed and strength caught the eye of a coach from Penn State. This coach, Brian Norwood, invited Ollie to play for Penn State.

After high school, Ollie spent a year at Milford Academy. He was named an All-American by PrepStar Magazine, which means he was one of the best players in the country.

College Football Career

Ollie started at Penn State in 2006. His coach, Joe Paterno, gave him the nickname "The Staten Island Ferry." In his first year, Ollie "redshirted," which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. This allowed him to have an extra year of college eligibility.

In 2007, Ollie played in almost every game and was a starter for most of them. He made 18 tackles, which are plays where he stopped an opposing player. He also had 10 tackles-for-loss, one sack, and forced one fumble. Because of his great performance, he was named to the Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten team. In 2010, as a senior, he was named All-Big Ten again.

Ollie was chosen to play in the 86th East-West Shrine Game on January 22, 2011. This is a special game where top college players get to show off their skills.

Ollie studied hard in college too. He earned two degrees from Penn State in 2010: one in Crime, Law & Justice, and another in Sociology.

Professional Football Journey

After college, Ollie Ogbu was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on July 29, 2011. He joined them as an undrafted free agent, meaning he wasn't chosen in the NFL draft but was still picked up by a team.

In 2012, the Colts traded Ollie to the Philadelphia Eagles. Later that year, he joined the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in three games for them, making 7 tackles and recovering a fumble.

Ollie also played in the Arena Football League (AFL). In 2014, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kiss. He continued to play football for teams like the Hudson Valley Fort until 2016.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Ollie Ogbu became a football coach. He has coached the defensive line at several colleges, including The University of New Haven, Blinn College, and Montana State University-Northern. Most recently, he coached at Wagner College, where he helped develop Titus Leo, who later became a professional player. Today, Ollie is the defensive line coach at Lake Erie College.