Texas Football: Former Longhorn Alex Okafor Looking to Bounce Back From Injury
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Drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Okafor recently became a part of an exclusive group of Longhorns to have won a Lombardi trophy. As an Austin-area native, Okafor played high school ball at nearby Pflugerville before his time with the Longhorns. At the 40 Acres, he was a featured player under coach Mack Brown’s leadership from 2009-12. The local standout finished his 2011 junior season with 46 tackles and seven quarterback sacks, in addition to winning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.
In his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals, the 6-foot-4 defensive end had just one special teams tackle before a bicep injury ended his season. In 2017, Okafor took his talents to New Orleans where he started for the first ten games of the season, recording a career-high 43 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four passes defended. The recurring theme continued when he suffered a torn Achilles in the team's Week 11 win over the Redskins and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Fast forward to this past season, Okafor signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Lining up opposite of Pro Bowler Frank Clark, Okafor was able to record 22 tackles and five sacks. This came prior to a devastating torn pectoral muscle in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos, an injury that cost him the rest of the year. From the sidelines, Okafor witnessed a historic playoff run led by Superbowl MVP Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led Kansas City to their first Lombardi in 50 years.
In a recent interview promoting his youth football camp, Okafor stated that he will “definitely be ready by next season”. Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was also confident that Okafor will be able to make a successful recovery and return for the 2020 NFL regular season.