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Obi Egekeze
No. 39
Date of birth (1985-11-08) November 8, 1985 (age 39)
Place of birthAugusta, Georgia
Career information
Position(s)Placekicker
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
US collegeMaryland
High schoolWestside High School, Augusta, Georgia
Career history
As player
2006–2008Maryland

Chukwuemeka Obi Egekeze (born November 8, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the University of Maryland from 2006 to 2008. He was the team's starting placekicker in 2007 and 2008, scoring 164 points, kicking 32 field goals, and converting 68 consecutive extra points without a miss during the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons. He ranks tenth in scoring in the 100-plus-year history of the Maryland Terrapins football program.

Early years

Egekeze was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1985.[1][2] He attended Westside High School in Augusta, where he was a three-year starter in football, basketball and soccer. A placekicker and punter for the school's football team, he was selected as an all-state player as a senior. Egekze also maintained a high school grade point average of 3.86 and was recruited to play college football by several major universities, including the University of Georgia, Ohio State University, University of Texas, and Penn State. He accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland.[1]

University of Maryland

During the 2006 season, Egekeze handled kickoffs for the Maryland Terrapins after competing with Dan Ennis for the starting job as placekicker.[1][3][4] He became the Terrapins' starting placekicker both in 2007 and 2008.[1][5] Egekeze started all 26 games for the Terrapins in 2007 and 2008, scoring 164 points on 68 extra points (68-of-69 converted)[6] and 32 field goals (32-for-47 converted).[1][2] He ranks tenth in scoring in the history of the Maryland football program.[1]

Egekeze suffered a slump early in the 2008 season that included five consecutive missed field goal attempts (three of which hit an upright). In late September 2008, a writer for The Baltimore Sun wrote: "Here's a bad sign. I Googled 'Egekeze' and 'crossbar' and came up with 986 hits."[7] As word of the slump spread, Egekeze received advice and encouragement from kickers across the United States, including Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Nick Novak and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud.[8] Egekeze said at the time, "It is completely different talking to another kicker who has had those up-and-down days. We all watch each other's stats and know how everyone is doing. We all know."[8] Egekeze regained his form and converted several key field goals that led to important wins for the 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team,[9] including a game-winning kick in the rain during the closing seconds against North Carolina State,[10][11][12][13] another game-winning kick against North Carolina to move Maryland into first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference,[14][15] and four field goals in a single game against #21 ranked Wake Forest.[16]

The slump and Egekeze's comeback after receiving support from fellow kickers was the subject of extensive press coverage in 2008 and 2009.[8][10][17][18][19][20][21]

Egekeze received his undergraduate degree in finance in May 2008, but remained at the University of Maryland as a graduate student in international business.[1][10] He was twice selected as an Academic All-ACC player.[1]

Later years and family

Egekeze subsequently signed to play professional football for the Omaha Nighthawks as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Egekeze completed his MBA at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013. During his time at Illinois he started the U of I chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a national nonprofit organization aligning college football with rare diseases and raising them as a national priority through outreach, research, education and advocacy.

His brother Ndu Egekeze played basketball for Penn State from 2000 to 2004. Another brother, Nkem Egekeze, played soccer at Mercer University.[1][22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Player Bio: Obi Egekeze". University of Maryland.
  2. ^ a b "Obi Egekeze". ESPN.com.
  3. ^ "Egekeze unseats Ennis as Terps' starting kicker". The Sun (Baltimore, Md.). August 20, 2006.
  4. ^ "Terps' Ennis, Egekeze seek job". The Washington Times. August 20, 2006.
  5. ^ "To win job, Egekeze reboots; Kicker revamped game, landed position on his third try". The Washington Times. Sep 11, 2007.
  6. ^ Egekeze converted 68 consecutive extra points during the 2007 and 2008 regular seasons before missing an attempt in the Humanitarian Bowl following the 2008 season.
  7. ^ "Egekeze being shadowed and Googled". The Baltimore Sun. September 20, 2008.
  8. ^ a b c "Terps' Egekeze Stays Positive: After Missing First Five Kicks, Senior Has Made Five in a Row". The Washington Post. Oct 4, 2008.
  9. ^ "Atlantic Coast Conference Report". Los Angeles Times. November 16, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c "Giving slump the boot: After 0-for-5 start to begin season that nearly cost him his job, kicker Egekeze finds footing, gets back in groove for Terps". The Sun (Baltimore). Nov 6, 2009.
  11. ^ "Late field goal carries Maryland over NC State". USA Today. October 25, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  12. ^ "Egekeze lifts Terps". The Augusta Chronicle. October 26, 2008.
  13. ^ "Drive in the rain: Terps roll 89 yards in final 5 minutes; Egekeze kicks game-winning field goal". McClatchy-Tribune Regional News (USA). October 26, 2008.
  14. ^ "Egekeze's big kick moves Terrapins into first place". The Augusta Chronicle. Nov 19, 2008.
  15. ^ "Terps trip up Tar Heels: Maryland's late drive sets up a game-winning field goal for Egekeze". McClatchy-Tribune Regional News (USA). November 16, 2008.
  16. ^ "Turner leads Maryland to rout of No. 21 Wake Forest". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 28, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  17. ^ "For Maryland kicker Egekeze, it's now all good". The Washington Examiner. Nov 5, 2008.
  18. ^ "Egekeze's misfires concern Terps". The Washington Times. September 19, 2008.
  19. ^ "Egekeze is Alive and Kickin'". Testudo Times. Sep 18, 2008.
  20. ^ "Q&A With Place-Kicker Obi Egekeze: Special teams leader discusses academic success, the mentality of being a kicker and The Masters Golf Tournament". Maryland Football. July 1, 2008.
  21. ^ "Egekeze misses out on the misses". The Baltimore Sun. November 17, 2008.
  22. ^ "Ndu Egekeze". ESPN.com.
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