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New Jersey – It’s no secret the New York Jets need to land an edge pass rusher in the upcoming draft. How about this guy?
Q)How do you use your power in your pass rush?
Emmanuel Ogbah – Oklahoma State: It comes with my speed, too. I’m a pretty fast guy for a guy my size. I try to come off the ball as fast as possible and try to attack the offensive lineman before he can get his hands on me.
Q)What you love to go to a defensive scheme that allows you to focus on rushing the QB?
Ogbah: I would love that. Just give me a chance to rush the quarterback. That’s one of my favorite things to do, just rushing. It’d be a great thing
for me if I could just do whatever I want just to rush the quarterback. I’d be glad to do that.
Q)What do you need to improve?
Ogbah: I’ll say sometimes my pad level, I kind of get a little high sometimes. I’m working on that with Coach (Ray) Hamilton in Florida right, just getting better at it.
Q)What is your biggest strength?
Ogbah: I’d say my hands – I have pretty good hands, and also my reach kind of helps keep offensive linemen away from me.
Q)What was your first exposure to football?
Ogbah: It started in seventh grade. I saw my friends playing it, so I decided to try it.
Q)Have you been talking to Russell Okung through the process?
Ogbah: Yes sir. Just this process I’m going through. He’s been through this process, he knows where I’m at, he knows what I’m going through.
It’s great having somebody that’s been through what you’re going through. I’m grateful for that – a guy like that. He went to my high school too,
my college, now I’m about to be drafted. I’m grateful for that.
Q)Are you familiar with other Nigerian players to make it to the NFL?
Ogbah: Like Osi Umenyiora, Adewale Ogunleye – yeah I’m familiar. And Christian Okoye, the Nigerian Nightmare.”
Q)What does all of this mean to you?
Ogbah: Coming from Nigeria at the age of nine – the hard times, working hard, getting better every day, learning the sport of football starting in
the seventh grade. I just feel like I have a lot to prove. A lot of guys are looking up to me, too. I just have to be the best I can be.
Q)What inspired you to play football?
Ogbah: I didn’t know about it until I got here. My friends were playing it in seventh grade – that’s how I decided to join. I always played sports
when I was younger, and I just thought it was a new sport I had to try.
Q)How did you decide on football?
Ogbah: I just felt like my calling was in football and I have more passion for it.
Coming from Nigeria, I was just excited to come to a new country. I always played sports when I was back home, and I just tried to play a new sport and see how it goes. I just fell in love with it.
Q)Two-point stance, three-point stance?
Ogbah: I can rush the passer in any stance – I’m comfortable with either.
Q)Who do you try to emulate?
Ogbah: A guy I kind of watched a lot is Michael Strahan. I felt like we both have speed and power, and that’s who I try to make my game after.
Q)Who was the toughest offensive lineman you faced?
Ogbah: The toughest offensive lineman I faced would have to be Laremy Tunsil from Ole Miss. He’s a pretty athletic offensive lineman.
I didn’t get any sacks, but I felt like I put a lot of pressure on the quarterback and forced him to make some uncomfortable throws and got some hits on him.
March 29, 2016
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