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Okuayinonu’s hellacious motor creates perfect 49ers D-line marriage originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Sam Okuayinonu had the game of his NFL career on Sunday, but when given an opportunity to relish in the spotlight, the veteran defensive lineman immediately highlighted his teammates’ efforts rather than soak in the glory of his outstanding individual performance.
“It feels good, man. It feels good,” Okuayinonu told NBC Sports Bay Area after the 49ers’ 30-13 win over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium. “I don’t just feel good with myself, I feel good about the whole D-line. I love how we came out there to play. I feel like we were thrashing, flying around having fun. Seeing guys on the sideline, just excited … it felt great.”
Okuayinonu wasted no time making an impact after being promoted to San Francisco’s active roster over the weekend, forcing a fumble on the first play of New England’s second drive, seizing early momentum and setting the tone for what would be a dominant display from the 49ers’ defensive front.
Okuayinonu quickly is earning goodwill amongst the 49ers’ fanbase due to his hellacious motor, but San Francisco’s brass long has been impressed with the consistent effort the 26-year-old made behind the scenes before his promotion from the 49ers’ practice squad.
For Okuayinonu, it doesn’t matter if it’s scout team work or chasing quarterbacks around in front of 70,000 screaming fans — he approaches every play as if it’s his last.
“Man, honestly, when I come to practice — you can ask anybody about Sam O — I come to work,” Okuayinonu said. “Even giving looks on the scout team, on offense they be mad at me, like, ‘slow down,’ but that’s just how I approach the game. I approach every game, every practice, every snap with the mindset of it might be my last, so I try to go as hard as I can. And lineup and do it all over again.”
Okuayinonu’s relentless mindset is beyond impressive — it’s inspirational, as his journey to the NFL, which makes any adversity he faces on the gridiron pale in comparison to the obstacles he has overcome in his life.
“My whole life really has been adversity,” Okuayinonu said earlier at his locker. “I grew up in Liberia, on the west coast of Africa. I was born during the civil war out there. Me and my mom immigrated to America at the age of 12. Started playing football my senior year in high school. Went to a couple junior colleges because I was fresh to the game. I’m very new to football. I’m still learning the game of football. Got to Maryland, had to wait. Even coming out the league, I felt like I should have been a draft pick. But God had other plans for me.
“Then getting signed to Tennessee, getting cut, and being here. Just kind of grinding my way through the rotation. But I love it all, man. Because at the end of the day, it makes a great story man. I’m the guy who kind of prides himself on facing things head on and just attacking adversity, coming out the other side victorious.”
Okuayinonu’s incredible path now has him firmly placed in a rotation on the 49ers’ defensive line, a selfless unit that thrives off seeing each other succeed.
San Francisco entered Week 4 with just eight sacks in three games, but nearly matched that total on Sunday alone with four players combining to bring down New England quarterback Jacoby Brissett six times Sunday’s win.
Okuayinonu detailed how the 49ers’ defensive line feeds off each other, and how that energy quickly spreads to the rest of the team on the sideline.
“It’s very contagious, it’s very contagious. All it takes is one person,” Okuayinonu said. “One person makes a play, then they Okuayinonu to the sideline and everybody is like ‘What did you do? How did you get that play?’ And then it’s like, ‘I want to get one too,’ the next guy is like, “I want to get one too!’ “
San Francisco successfully made New England one dimensional in Sunday’s win, shutting down the Patriots’ running game — forcing plenty of obvious passing situations that allowed the 49ers’ defensive line to tee off on Brissett.
“When you know for sure they have to pass the ball, man, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to pin my ears back, fly off the ball, man,’ ” Okuayinonu said. “Just see if I can get this quarterback pressure or sack or whatever it is man, it feels good. If you can stop a team and make them one dimensional, it feels great.”
While Sunday’s performance was excellent by any measure, Okuayinonu remains confident the 49ers’ defensive line still is nowhere close to hitting its ceiling.
“I feel like we’re just scratching the surface,” Okuayinonu said. “If you see some of the guys in our room and what they can do, man it’s like, ‘Woah.’ I’m watching these guys in practice everyday like, ‘Man, I’m playing with some legends. So to be in that room with those guys, man. You’re going to see more during the season, we’re just scratching the surface.”
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