Christian Okoye on growing up in Nigeria, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and his Top 5 Big Running Backs

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Christian Okoye on growing up in Nigeria, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and his Top 5 Big Running Backs

Christian Okoye was born in Enugu, Nigeria and grew up playing soccer and running track despite his dad not wanting him to play sports. Okoye excelled in track and field but when the Nigerian government declined to put him on the 1984 Olympic team, he focused on football which he saw for the first time when he moved to United States in his early 20s. Okoye combined speed with his 6'1" and 260-pound frame to become a force in his new sport at Azusa Pacific University in California. Kansas City drafted Okoye in the 2nd Round in 1987 and he embarked on a 6-year career with the Chiefs. Under coach Marty Schottenheimer, Okoye led the NFL in rushing in 1989 and was named First Team All-Pro, AFC MVP and a Pro Bowler that year. Nagging injuries forced Okoye to retire following the 1992 season as Kansas City's all-time leading rusher. In 2000, he was named to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. Okoye, known as the "Nigerian Nightmare", shares his incredible story with us including the impact Schottenheimer had on his career, the NFL running backs he studied to learn the game and whether or not he could play in today's NFL. He also gives us his Top 5 (or 6) Big Running Backs. Okoye also tells us about his memoir "The Nigerian Nightmare: My Journey Out of Africa to the Kansas City Chiefs and Beyond" available November 7 published by Triumph Books.