Oshiomogho Atogwe facts for kids
Atogwe with the Washington Redskins in 2011
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | June 23, 1981 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Herman (Windsor) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Stanford | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 3 / Pick: 66 | ||||||||||||
| CFL draft: | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Oshiomogho Isaac "O.J." Atogwe (born June 23, 1981) is a Canadian former professional American football player. He played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL). After his playing career, he became a coach. He was a secondary coach for the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). The St. Louis Rams picked him in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal. Atogwe also played for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.
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Early Life and Sports
O.J. Atogwe grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He went to W.F. Herman Secondary School. He was a talented athlete in many sports. He played football, soccer, basketball, and ran track and field.
In basketball, he was chosen as an All-City player three times. He was also the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in his final year. For football, he played both running back and cornerback. He was named the Defensive MVP in 1999. He also earned All-Canada and All-Ontario honors. In track, he won a gold medal in the long jump and a silver medal in the triple jump.
College Football Career
Atogwe played college football for the Stanford Cardinal team. He also ran track for Stanford. In his college football career, he made nine interceptions.
He started playing in 2001 as a reserve safety. In 2002, he became the starting strong safety. He led his team with 71 tackles. He also had three interceptions and three forced fumbles.
In 2003, he was named co-MVP of his team. He led the team again with 90 tackles. He also had two interceptions and eight pass deflections. He was very good at recovering fumbles, leading the league with six. As a senior in 2004, he had 76 tackles and four interceptions.
He also competed in track and field for Stanford in 2001 and 2002. He studied Biological Sciences.
Playing in the NFL
O.J. Atogwe was chosen by the St. Louis Rams in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was the 66th player picked overall.
St. Louis Rams Years
In his first year (2005), he played in 12 games. He had 11 tackles, one sack, and one interception. The next year (2006), he had 72 tackles and three interceptions. He also forced five fumbles.
In 2007, Atogwe had a great season. He led his team and the NFC with eight interceptions. He also had 75 tackles and scored one touchdown. In 2008, he again led the Rams with five interceptions. He also made 83 tackles and forced six fumbles.
In 2009, the Rams kept him by using a special "franchise tag." This meant he got a one-year contract for over $6 million. He later signed a five-year contract with the Rams in 2010. However, the Rams released him in 2011.
Washington Redskins Years
In 2011, Atogwe joined the Washington Redskins. He signed a five-year deal worth $26 million. He made his first interception for the Redskins in Week 6. He played in 13 games and started eight of them. He finished the season with 60 tackles and three interceptions. The Redskins released him in March 2012.
Philadelphia Eagles Years
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Atogwe to a one-year contract in June 2012. However, he was released by the team before the season started in August.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Atogwe became a coach. In December 2018, he was hired as the secondary coach for the Memphis Express. This team was part of the new Alliance of American Football (AAF) league. He worked under head coach Mike Singletary, who is his father-in-law. The AAF league stopped playing in April 2019.
Life After Football
Since retiring from football, O.J. Atogwe has started boxing. He has competed in some amateur boxing matches.
See also
- List of Canadian sports personalities
