NFL’s Youngest Player Has His Eyes Set on Graduate School at Harvard

This coming September, Amobi Okoye may become the youngest man to ever play in a National Football League game. Okoye, a native of Nigeria, graduated from the University of Louisville this past December at the age of 19. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology in three and a half years while playing defensive tackle for the football team. Okoye, who could walk when he was only seven months old, was selected as the first choice of the Houston Texans, and the tenth overall selection in the recent NFL draft.

Okoye’s mother was a school principal in Nigeria. Because she couldn’t find anyone to take care of her child during the school day, Okoye began school at age 2. After coming to the United States, he enrolled in high school in Alabama when he was 12. Not knowing a thing about football he joined the high school team at age 13 and learned the game by playing it at home on Sony PlayStation. He was named to the All-State team at age 14 and accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Louisville at age 15. He turned down an offer to play football at Harvard because he wanted to participate at the highest level of competition.

If Okoye plays in any of the Houston Texans’ first three games this fall, he will be the youngest player in NFL history. At some point Okoye plans to enroll in graduate school and he hopes to go to Harvard.

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