‘Can’t even script this.’ Inside Dolphins edge rusher David Ojabo’s journey to NFL
David Ojabo likely has one of the most unique journeys in the entire NFL.
He was born in Nigeria but primarily grew up in Scotland. He hooped for on the U-14 Scottish National team. And he didn’t touch a football until his late teens after moving to New Jersey.
That, however, didn’t stop Ojabo from being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, the Miami Dolphins edge rusher has a chance to prove that his choice of football wasn’t in vain after an injury-riddled start to his career.
“You can’t even script this up, all those stops, man,” Ojabo said. “It’s been a wild journey, the ups and the downs, but it just made me into the man I am. I’ve met a lot of cultures, a whole lot of people, and I just feel almost like ready to take anything on, because I feel like there’s nothing I really haven’t seen with the international background and coming to America and being kind of all over the place leading up to now.”
Football, it would seem, found the 25-year-old by mistake. Ojabo moved to America at 17 where he began to flourish as a soccer and track star, even running a 10.8 second 100-meter dash. He set a Blair Academy school record, something that first put him on the map.
“People were like, ‘Come on, man. Come play football,’” he recalled. “I was like, ‘I’m not sure, bro. I don’t know about just starting a whole new sport,’”
Then he saw how his classmate and Washington Commanders edge rusher Odafe Oweh had already picked up “like 20 offers.”
“He was playing football for the first time as well,” said Ojabo who was impressed that Oweh not only picked up the sport so quickly but was “about to go to college for free.”
Ojabo subsequently decided to give football a shot after his junior year track season. In an instant, everything changed.
“My first ever helmet was a Rutgers helmet,” Ojabo said. “That’s how quick traction picked up. I had to cut my summer short to go visit Rutgers, then I went up to Maryland to visit them, and then I put on my high school helmet. I was kind of thrown into the fire, a good fire honestly, and ended up getting 35 offers. It picked up quick, and it worked out pretty good.”
Ojabo ultimately committed to Michigan where he instantly struck up a friendship with fellow Wolverine and new Dolphins teammate Josh Uche. His career in Ann Arbor started slowly as he recorded just one tackle in his first two years on campus.
Similar to his high school days, an outstanding junior season put him on the map. Ojabo not only recorded 11 sacks, the ninth-highest total in the NCAA, he added 12 tackles for loss and a Big Ten-leading five forced fumbles. The success had him primed to be selected in the first round.
Then he tore his Achilles at his Pro Day.
“I hate reliving it,” Ojabo said, “but it’s life. There’s some things you don’t prepare for, but it’s just how you react. It’s how you bounce back, how you shake back. So for me, I went straight to work. I had surgery the next day and I worked my tail off to get back.”
Ojabo ultimately fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Again, his NFL career started slowly as he dealt with lingering complications from his Achilles injury as a rookie then tore partially tore his ACL and MCL just three weeks into the following season. He appeared in just five games during his first two years, racking up two sacks, two forced fumbles and seven total tackles.
Although Ojabo received more playing time during his final two years with the Ravens, appearing in 27 games, it didn’t necessarily translate to success. His combined tackles numbers rose to 25 across that two-year span as did his sacks (2.5) and quarterback hits (eight).
“When you’re out for so long, they can’t see you, can’t really evaluate you being down for two years,” Ojabo said. “Then of course, development too. We learned from the Harbaughs, you only get better football by playing football. I’m missing, what, 30-plus games, playoff experience, too, it definitely staggers you developmental wise, but we’re looking forward now. We’re looking forward, we’re healthy, keep pushing and there’s opportunity.”
That last piece, more than anything else, happens to be why Ojabo and Dolphins appear to be a perfect match. Miami needs talented edge rushers. Ojabo just wants an opportunity, something that he will likely have a lot of due to the Dolphins’ lack of depth at the position.
The former second-round pick just needs to show up.
“Freak accidents happen,” Ojabo said. “Now I’m here. Got to keep pushing forward. I know what I’m capable of. I’ve just got to prove it to myself.”
