| Bobby Okereke | |
| Current Team: | New York Giants |
| Number: | 58 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Birth Date: | 29 July 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 1 |
| Weight Lb: | 235 |
| High School: | Foothill (Santa Ana, California) |
| College: | Stanford (2014–2018) |
| Draftyear: | 2019 |
| Draftround: | 3 |
| Draftpick: | 89 |
| Pastteams: |
|
| Status: | Active |
| Statseason: | 2023 |
| Statlabel1: | Total tackles |
| Statvalue1: | 569 |
| Statlabel2: | Sacks |
| Statvalue2: | 4.5 |
| Statlabel3: | Forced fumbles |
| Statvalue3: | 8 |
| Statlabel4: | Fumble recoveries |
| Statvalue4: | 5 |
| Statlabel5: | Interceptions |
| Statvalue5: | 5 |
| Statlabel6: | Pass deflections |
| Statvalue6: | 27 |
| Pfr: | OkerBo00 |
Robert Nnanna Okereke (;[1] born July 29, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.[2]
Okereke was born in Santa Ana, California to parents who emigrated from Nigeria.[3] He attended and played high school football at Foothill High School.[4]
Okereke attended and played college football at Stanford. He redshirted as a freshman in 2014.[5] He contributed on the field from 2015 to 2018. He recorded 227 total tackles (20.0 were for loss), 10.5 sacks, one interception (a 52-yard pick-six), eight passes defensed, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles.[6] He was named Pac-12 Honorable Mention in 2017[7] and 2018.[8]
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF | |||||||
| 2015 | Stanford | Pac-12 | SO | LB | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Stanford | Pac-12 | JR | LB | 12 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Stanford | Pac-12 | SR | LB | 13 | 56 | 32 | 88 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 1 | 52 | 52.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2018 | Stanford | Pac-12 | SR | LB | 13 | 52 | 42 | 94 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Career | 44 | 122 | 105 | 227 | 20.0 | 10.5 | 1 | 52 | 52.0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||||
Okereke was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round (89th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.[9] The pick was announced by former Colts punter Pat McAfee. He made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.[10] He earned his first career start in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons.[11] In Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans, Okereke recorded a strip sack on Ryan Tannehill which was recovered by teammate Justin Houston in the 31–17 loss. This was Okereke's first career sack in the NFL.[12] In the 2019 season, he recorded one sack, 65 total tackles, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[13]
In Week 5 of the 2020 season against the Cleveland Browns, Okereke recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Baker Mayfield during the 32–23 loss.[14] In the 2020 season, he recorded 72 total tackles, one interception, and six passes defended.[15]
In the 2021 season, Okereke started in all 17 games. He finished with one sack, 132 total tackles, two interceptions, and four passes defended.[16]
In the 2022 season, Okereke started in all 17 games. He finished with 151 total tackles, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[17]
On March 16, 2023, Okereke signed a four-year contract with the New York Giants.[18] [19] In the 2023 NFL season, he recorded 149 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 10 passes defensed.[20] Okereke, along with teammate Xavier McKinney, were the only defenders in the NFL to not miss a snap in the entire season.[21]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | QBHits | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |||
| IND | 16 | 8 | 65 | 48 | 17 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IND | 14 | 8 | 72 | 57 | 15 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | ||
| IND | 17 | 17 | 132 | 89 | 43 | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IND | 17 | 16 | 151 | 99 | 52 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NYG | 17 | 17 | 149 | 92 | 57 | 2.5 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 62 | 31.0 | 55 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career | 81 | 66 | 569 | 385 | 184 | 4.5 | 26 | 10 | 27 | 5 | 89 | 17.8 | 55 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
Okereke was the subject of a sexual assault investigation at Stanford in 2015. Three members of the university's five-person investigative panel concluded Okereke committed sexual assault, but the ruling didn't cross the 4-1 threshold necessary to pursue further punitive action.[22] Okereke has maintained that the allegations are untrue.[23]