The preseason game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angels Rams featured a historical and heartwarming moment.
Chargers DL CJ Okoye recorded a sack, which at first glance, is nothing special.
However, it wasn’t an ordinary sack by any means, as it happened during Okoye’s first-ever organized football game, and we’re not talking just about the National Football League (via Good Morning Football).
Why is this sack from @chargers DL CJ Okoye so special?
THIS WAS HIS 1ST ORGANIZED FOOTBALL GAME EVER.@Cj_dlion12 @OsiUmenyiora pic.twitter.com/1tuGft3DYs
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 14, 2023
That’s why his teammates on the sidelines went absolutely crazy when he managed to get to Rams’ rookie QB Stetson Bennett to log the sack.
The Nigerian player found his way to the U.S. thanks to the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, earning his spot after impressing in the NFL London Combine.
Needless to say, he’s still a ways away from making it to the 53-man roster.
Even so, it was an iconic and unforgettable moment for Okoye and his teammates, and a spot on the team’s practice squad should still be on the table.
Notably, Okoye is one of several Nigerian athletes that got a chance to prove themselves thanks to the International Player Pathway Program.
He joined the likes of Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi (Denver Broncos), Kenneth Odumegwu (Green Bay Packers), Roy Mbaeteka (Chicago Bears), Devid Ebuka Agoha (Las Vegas Raiders), and Chukwuebuka Jason Godrick (Kansas City Chiefs).
Props to the league for this remarkable initiative, and let’s hope the game keeps making its way all over the globe and we get to see more stories like this in years to come.
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