Nineteen-year-old Okoye ready to be NFL's youngest player

INDIANAPOLIS  University of Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye is a 19-year-old prodigy who goes by the nickname "Phee." That's short for phenom.

Everything about this fast-tracking whiz kid seems to distinguish Okoye as this draft's anti-Maurice Clarett.

Okoye's impressive maturity at such a young age has caused general managers, coaches, scouts and media members to do a double take upon meeting him. Unlike Clarett, the former Ohio State running back and a poster boy for bad choices and wasted potential, Okoye appears a true pioneer who is admired for his beyond-his-years focus and accomplishments.

He's a defensive captain, earned his degree in psychology after three and a half years, started school at 2½, skipped sixth grade, was a high school freshman at 12 and is the buzz of the Indianapolis scouting combine.

"Amazing story," said Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick.

"To have a guy come into the league with that level of ability at that age is truly unique. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally it sounds like he's a young man who can handle it all."

And yes, Okoye still gets wise cracks from people wanting to see his birth certificate.

"It got to the point where I got tired of people asking me about it," Okoye said. "Then, I realized, it is my story.'

"I never really felt younger than anyone else. It was always how I carried myself."

Okoye, who is Nigerian but no relation to former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye, was recruited by and signed with former Louisville-turned-Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino as a 15-year-old out of Huntsville, Ala.

Okoye's family emigrated to Alabama from Nigeria when he was 12.

Okoye is 6-2, 302 after playing at the Senior Bowl at 287 pounds. He is among the top defensive tackle prospects in this draft along with Michigan's Alan Branch and could be a top 15 pick.

He fits the en-vogue Tampa 2 defense as a three-technique, one-gap tackle who lines up shaded between the center and guard. With an explosive first step, Okoye had eight sacks and 55 tackles last season for Louisville.

"It's a pretty exciting story," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "I have a 16-year-old son and I can't imagine him going to college as a freshman. The fact that that kid was a 16-year-old college freshman blows me away.

"He came to the Senior Bowl and was the quickest tackle there. He helped himself immensely. I think he played himself significantly into the first round."

Clarett's sad saga is the flip side of Okoye's tale. The former Ohio State running back, best known for challenging the NFL rule that players must be out of high school three years prior to joining the draft, is currently serving 3½ to seven years in a Toledo, Ohio, prison after pleading guilty to chargers stemming from two 2006 arrests.

After playing one season at Ohio State and helping the Buckeyes to the 2002 BCS title, Clarett was barred from playing in 2003 after accepting improper benefits from a family friend and then lying about it to NCAA investigators.

He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2005 draft but reported to training camp 20 pounds overweight and was released in August before ever taking an NFL snap.