If Maurice Clarett was too young for the NFL, why isn 19-year-old Amobi Okoye?
For starters, the Louisville defensive tackle played four years with the Cardinals, and he’s not trying to enter the NFL before his collegiate eligibility is finished. Born in Nigeria, Okoye started school at 2, skipped sixth grade, and began high school at age 12. He was a captain for the Cardinals last season and already has earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He turns 20 in June. Unlike Clarett, everyone who has come into contact with Okoye raves about his maturity level, his character and his commitment to improve his game. Teams are intrigued by his upside, and by the fact that they’d be getting a guy who would be the same age as a college sophomore. His NFL career could be unusually long, and his collegiate coach, new Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, believes Akoye’s strength and quickness will continue to progress once he settles on his best possible NFL playing weight.
