Amobi Okoye was told by his buddies in the NFL not to believe what he'd hear leading up to this year's draft. Still, it was hard for him not to get wrapped up in the hype.
Four out of the top five teams in the draft told him they would select him. His college coach at Louisville, Bobby Petrino, was hired by the Atlanta Falcons and said if Okoye were available at No. 8, he would be a Falcon.
On draft day, Okoye waited and waited. Finally, at No. 10, a team that never spoke to the defensive tackle leading up to the draft picked him.
"It sunk in that day that this was the NFL," the Texans rookie said. "It's a business, and heart is not really involved in it. There are no hard feelings."
If the Falcons hadn't needed a defensive end so much, Okoye might have been lining up across from the Texans in Atlanta on Sunday. But after veteran Patrick Kerney left via free agency in the offseason, the Falcons drafted Arkansas' Jamaal Anderson to fill the void.
"I loved Amobi," Petrino said. "He was a fun guy to coach. He always came to work with a big smile on his face and a great attitude. He's not only a great football player, but he's a great person."
Okoye (6-2, 302 pounds) is off to a strong start this season, leading all rookies with three sacks. He also has eight tackles and one forced fumble.
Petrino has watched hours of film on Okoye, and it has only reaffirmed what he figured would be true.
"I didn't sleep well last night because I'd been watching video of him all day yesterday," Petrino said Wednesday. "He's certainly playing well. He's been very active and has done a nice job rushing the quarterback.
"You can see his understanding of the game, and the thing that I'm impressed with is he is not in awe of anything. He's just playing extremely fast and real well."
At Louisville, Petrino was the one who joked that Okoye couldn't start until he needed to shave. When the two met, Okoye was a 15-year-old high school senior. Petrino, who had just been hired away from Auburn, was struck by Okoye's maturity but still planned to redshirt the freshman.
Ten days into his career at Louisville, however, Okoye emerged as the team's third-best tackle, making it impossible for Petrino to sit him.
"I have a daughter the same age, and I couldn't imagine that I would send her off to college at 15 years old and she would be able to handle it," Petrino said. "He did. Obviously, he had some maturing to do, but it was fun to watch him grow."
The Texans are now enjoying watching Okoye mature into an NFL player. He has already tasted success, but players laugh when asked if any of it has gone to the 20-year-old's head.
"He's just somebody living up to the hype," Texans defensive end N.D. Kalu said. "The pressure is not getting to him. He's a physical specimen. He's 300-and-some pounds, but he moves around with cat quickness.
"(And he acts) like he doesn't have any sacks, like a rookie. He's doing all his rookie duties, as far as bringing all our energy drinks, paying for dinner. He's doing everything with a smile on his face, like a guy you can truly be happy for when he succeeds."
Texans coaches say they still see much ahead for Okoye, who they don't believe is done growing yet.
They are impressed with how far along he is in run defense, since his strength is in the pass rush. And they are pleased with how quickly he picks up tips in team meetings and transfers them onto the practice field and then into games.
Now, they want to see him continue to hone his technique and fundamentals.
"I think the last few weeks he's everything we looked for," defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. "Number one, he has great body balance, lower body balance. He has great quickness. Matter of fact, he's pleasantly stronger at the point of attack than I thought he was going to be at this time in his career. That has impressed me with him.
"I like his demeanor. I like his presence. I like everything about him right now."
So does Petrino. That's what worries him about Sunday.
