On this episode of “Listen In With KNN” sports talk radio show and podcast presented by Fox Sports Radio 1340 AM/96.9 FM, executive producer and host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed former NFL and USFL player Christian Okoye Jr. to the show.
Today, Okoye Jr. is an author, philanthropist, and businessman. He grew up in Novi, Michigan, a small suburb outside of Detroit. After playing high school football, Chris went on to star at Ferris State University where he played on the defensive side of the ball.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018 before signing a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2021, Okoye Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. In 2022, he joined the USFL, playing for the New Orleans Breaker, and then the Pittsburgh Maulers.
His journey has been a testament to his work. Okoye Jr. faced a lot of adversity during and after his time with the Chargers. He saw first-hand how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the NFL’s structure in 2021.
“When COVID first started, it was either you were in or you weren’t in,” he said. “If they signed you, they kept you. If you weren’t signed, you were at the crib that year.”
Physical exams were shut down and opportunities became scarce. So the only way for Okpoye Jr. to showcase his talent and availability is by playing in The Spring League (TSL) where athletes are not paid.
“After it was over, I remember every team was calling. So I’m like ‘All right, we took care of business.’ My agent’s like ‘All right, we’re gonna be good to go,’” said Okoye Jr.
But as the summer grew on, he didn’t hear from his agent or other football teams. Okoye Jr. spent the next two months practicing and working on himself, waiting for the next opportunity. One day, he got a call from an unknown number about his agent.
“I get a mysterious call from an unknown number basically like ‘Hey, we wanted to let you know that your agent passed away.’”
At that point, he felt lost on what to do next, whether to hang up the jersey or keep going. He saw offers from teams under the NAL (National Arena League), but he didn’t see himself playing indoor football.
“Growing up for me, that wasn’t really what I envisioned for myself, like no shade to it. I remember telling God, ‘Hey. If this is where the journey ends, you blessed me with the opportunity to make it to the league playing games. My mom was able to come to games and buy her jersey. Boom! We were able to do it. I appreciate it. But, before I take this path, I’m okay.’”
Okoye Jr. was driving home from a doctor’s appointment when he received a call from an Orange County, California number. It was a representative for the LA Chargers.
“They said, “We want to bring you in and work you out in the morning. We just had someone go down and we’ve been trying to contact you; we wanted to get you in earlier.’ So I come in off of multiple stops so I could get there in the morning.”
So Okoye Jr. took the earliest flight to LA he could find. Once he got there, he received a one-year deal for the defensive tackle position. From there, he read the defense playbook before his first game.
Okoye Jr. said he’s always played in a 4-3 defense since college. Learning a whole new playbook threw me off, but he took it as a learning experience.
He got drafted in the USFL for their inaugural season for the New Orleans Breakers and later to the Pittsburgh Maulers. He’s still eager to keep playing football.
Nelson asked Okoye Jr. his thoughts on the XFL-USFL merger, now called UFL. He said it’s all about extreme gratitude to maximize opportunities. He also thinks the same thing about the conversation around extending the season to 18 games.
“It provides an opportunity for more players to come in and get those opportunities,” he said. “At the end of the day, you know you’re gonna play the game of your dreams. When you sign up for it, you know your body’s gonna hurt. It’s kind of expect it,”
As a follow-up, Nelson asked what the NFLPA offers for football players who are looking for the next step in life after football. Okoye Jr. shed light on the fact that the NFLPA provides yearly scholarships, internships, job opportunities and life insurance.
Okoye Jr. talked about his family and growing up in Novi. The suburban town is roughly 30 minutes from downtown Detroit and 30 minutes from the country. He said suburban life introduced him to football, but he started late.
One of those reasons is the fact that he exceeded the weight limit for youth football in elementary school. “I think the weight limit was 160-180, and I was probably 260 in elementary school. A lot of times, you’d see players in the trash bags trying to lose a couple of pounds, but I was always like 50, 60, 70, 80 pounds overweight. So I never really got to play as a youth.”
Another reason is that sports weren’t promoted in his household. Okoye Jr.’s family was more academically inclined. But he went the entrepreneurial route by working at iCare and as a DEI consultant at schools.
Outside of football, Okoye Jr.Chris is the vice president of iCare Home Healthcare, an independent living healthcare home company specializing in people spectrum disorders.
“We interview clients, get their cases and set them up with the entire living plan, housing, CNA, making sure they’re getting to and from school or doctor’s appointments,.” said Okoye Jr.
He’s also the Director of Diversity, Student Engagement, and Community Outreach at his former high school, Detroit Catholic Central. Multifaceted, he has also authored two books, with his latest book being “Extreme Gratitude Leads to Happiness” which is available on Amazon.
To hear the whole conversation, listen to the episode below!
