Kudos to 3 Penny Films for seeking out the great story that is Sonny Odogwu, a freshman offensive lineman out of Hargrave Military Academy, but by way of Georgia, West Virginia and originally, Nigeria.
When interviewed back in January, Coral Gables-bound as an early enrollee, Odogwu was “jacked” to get to UM, rolling south with very little in terms of possessions, simply appreciative to start college and needing more than an opportunity.
“I’m the kind of person that travels with very few things because it’s basically a new life so everything will be new,” Odogwu said. “I went to military school so I don’t have a lot.”
This current CanesAllAccess piece centers around the start of the U Tough offseason workout and the attitude displayed by the 6-foot-7, 270-pound offensive lineman, who could bring a wonderful dose of heart, perspective and the opposite of the sense-of-entitlement that is part of the culture of today’s athlete in America.
Some great ‘Sonnyisms’ from the segment below:
– “I heard a lot of things about U Tough, that is started getting me mad. Like yesterday when I was eating dinner, people would walk by and ask, ‘Are you ready for U Tough?’ Oh my gosh, why are you talking about it like you’re climbing Mountain Kilimanjaro with no rope?
It’s just U Tough. You know you’re going to step out alive. Matter of fact, you’re stepping out alive and walking out on something better in your lives. So are you tough? That’s how I put it, I put a question mark at the end of it, are YOU tough?”
– “Education is really, really important to me because back home, my parents, I know for a fact, they can’t even afford me going to college in my country … going to school here, in the US and in Miami, the University of Miami, no, that’s a no-no, I don’t think my family could do that.”
Odogwu keeps it all in perspective, realizing that he’s the only one from his village that has an opportunity to receive an education like the one he’ll get at Miami, as well as the fortune to play a high level of college football in the process.
His attitude regarding the opportunity is reminiscent of head coach Al Golden in his press conference a few Decembers back when asked, “Why Miami?” and that, “Are you kidding me?” type response.
Both player and coach have that sort-of “pinch me” reaction to the opportunity in front of them, which is why Golden has raved about Odogwu’s attitude and work ethic since January.
“As you build a team, you need guys like Sonny Odogwu in your locker room,” said Golden. “For us to go out there, I think it was the second or third U Tough, and he’s in the middle of the team, and he’s talking to the entire team, and he means is sincerely.
There would be a lot of instances in my twenty-three years in college football, where one of the older guys who had started forty games or thirty games, would’ve said, ‘No Sonny, we got this’, but because it was sincere, because of his attitude every day, because of the perspective he has on life and because it was truly an honest moment for him, they let him lead, and I think we’re all better because of it.”
Check out the Canes’ next great team leader in the video below:
So incredibly refreshing to see a player like that. That should be the norm. EVERYONE should feel like that when an opportunity is presented.