The first thing I try to do every day is smile.
Then I pray, both when I wake up and before I go to sleep. Everything in between is a blessing, because I know not everybody gets the opportunities I’ve been given. I get to play football on green grass under blue skies, surrounded by people I call my brothers.
Coming from Nigeria, I understand how special that is.
My journey here wasn’t something I could have planned. When my family moved to Texas in 2019, we were looking for more resources and opportunities, especially in education and sports. We spent our first month in a motel, then stayed with cousins before eventually moving to Lewisville.
I was still playing soccer, the sport I grew up loving, and I thought that was probably where my athletic future would stay.
Then football found me.
I went to a high school tryout on the last day, knowing almost nothing about the offensive line. I was 6-foot-2 and about 280 pounds, so they gave me a chance. I started at left tackle with my right hand down and figured things out from there.
Somehow, that unexpected beginning brought me to Oklahoma.
And now, every day, I’m grateful I get to keep finding out where this game can take me.
Finding the Game
What pulled me into football was the love of the game. I loved the physicality. I loved having an excuse to get in the weight room. I loved that football could build me as a person, not just as an athlete.
There were days when I would go out on the field by myself, or bring my cousins, and just practice. I wanted to learn. I wanted to get better. The recruiting attention came, but I never wanted that to become the most important thing about me.
Eyes can be on you, but the work ethic and the kind of person you are matter even more.
That became part of why Oklahoma stood out. I had options, but when my family and I looked at everything, we kept coming back to trust, brotherhood, relationships and discipline.
Oklahoma just stayed connected with my family—my dad, my mom, my siblings. That meant something to us. There was no doubt. This was the place I wanted to be.
When I arrived, I understood quickly that being prepared matters. I knew how hard I had worked, and I trusted that God would put me in the right situation. The work in practice, walkthroughs, meetings and treatment prepared me for whatever came next.
Learning to Lead
Being thrown into the fire didn’t feel completely different because I had already been in the fire every day at practice.
You practice against good players. You learn their tendencies. You learn to communicate. Then you get into a big stadium and realize the assignment is still the assignment.
When we played in those SEC environments, I wasn’t thinking about how many people were in the stands. I was thinking about my brothers, my assignment and executing.
My favorite play last season came against South Carolina. It was a mid-zone run to the right, and I knocked the guy inside, climbed to the linebacker and helped create a touchdown. I loved every part of it.
Now, as I take on more of a leadership role, I think about influencing other people to be great. When we make each other better, it makes the team better, too. One guy can set the huddle, the huddle can set the team, and the team can set the whole stadium.
That positive energy is something I feel like I have to bring. Not everybody gets this opportunity, and I never want to act like it’s ordinary.
Becoming Better Together
Coach Venables’ tenacity and passion mean a lot to me. He treats everyone the same, whether you’re a freshman or a veteran, and you feel his love for the game and for his players.
Coach Bedenbaugh pushes us toward an elite standard. He reminds us that football is life—love the game, love improving and stay consistent on and off the field. I’m grateful to have both of them in my corner.
My family is at the center of that gratitude, too. My parents made the decision to move because they wanted something better for their children. My brothers and sisters have been part of this journey, and my parents have been able to come to pretty much every game. Seeing them there means the world.
That’s why personal accomplishments don’t mean much to me if my guys aren’t succeeding, too.
I want to improve everything about my game. Hands, eyes, feet, communication, physicality, strength. I want to become the best offensive lineman I can be. It starts with the fundamentals and I want that growth to help the people beside me.
The Opportunity in Front of Us
I don’t want to put a ceiling on what this team can become. I see the brotherhood we’re building. I see the discipline, the practice habits, the physicality and the coachability. Those things show up every day in meetings, at practice, during treatment, and when guys are taking care of their bodies.
For me, the individual goal is simple: be the best I can be every single day.
If I’m doing my best, I believe my guys are going to do their best, too. That’s how I think about leadership. It’s about taking the focus off yourself, setting a standard, and helping everyone around you reach it.
I came from Nigeria with my family looking for opportunity. Football became an unexpected part of that opportunity. Oklahoma became the place where I found trust and brotherhood.
I don’t take any of it for granted.
I pray. I work. I try to smile. I try to bring good energy wherever I go.
And then I get to step onto that field with my brothers and keep getting better. That’s more than enough reason to be grateful.
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