Wikipedia

Larry Ogunjobi

Olumide Larry Ogunjobi (born June 3, 1994) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Charlotte, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Larry Ogunjobi
refer to caption
Ogunjobi with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023
No. 99 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1994-06-03) June 3, 1994 (age 30)
Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:305 lb (138 kg)
Career information
High school:Ragsdale
(Jamestown, North Carolina)
College:Charlotte (2013–2016)
NFL draft:2017 / round: 3 / pick: 65
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:320
Sacks:26.0
Forced fumbles:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life and college

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Ogunjobi was born in Livingston, New Jersey, to Yoruba parents who had immigrated from Nigeria. He attended Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, North Carolina.[1] From 2013 to 2016 he played college football at Charlotte, recording 217 tackles and 13 sacks.[2][3][4] At Charlotte, he double-majored in computer science and biology,[5] graduating with a degree in computer science in December 2016.[6]

Professional career

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Pre-draft

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Coming out of college, Ogunjobi was ranked as the 15th best defensive tackle in the draft by CBSSports.com and was projected to be a fifth or sixth-round pick. He received an invitation to the 2017 Senior Bowl, practiced well throughout the week, and played defensive tackle for the North who lost 16–15 to the South. Ogunjobi raised his draft stock after showcasing his talent in the Senior Bowl.[7] He participated at the NFL Combine and completed all the required combine and positional drills. About a dozen or more scouts and representatives attended Charlotte's Pro Day to scout Ogunjobi as the feature prospect and two other teammates.[8] NFL draft experts and analysts projected him to be a second or third-round pick. He was ranked as the third-best defensive tackle in the draft by ESPN, was ranked the fourth-best defensive tackle by NFLDraftScout.com, was ranked the fifth-best defensive tackle by NFL analyst Mike Mayock, and was ranked the sixth-best defensive tackle by Sports Illustrated.[9][10][11]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+5⁄8 in
(1.90 m) 		305 lb
(138 kg) 		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m) 		10 in
(0.25 m)		 4.97 s 1.76 s 2.90 s 4.75 s 7.55 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)		 26 reps
All values from NFL Combine[12]

Cleveland Browns

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Ogunjobi makes a tackle during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills on August 17, 2018

The Cleveland Browns selected Ogunjobi in the third round (65th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft.[13] Ogunjobi signed his contract with the Browns on May 17, 2017,[14] a deal which totaled $3.9 million.[15] He went on to play in 14 games, recording 17 solo tackles and a sack during his rookie season with the Browns as the team finished with an 0-16 record.[16]

 
Ogunjobi with the Browns in 2018

In 2018, Ogunjobi finished the season making 33 solo tackles, 19 assisted tackles and 5.5 sacks.[17]

On November 14, 2019, near the end of a game against Pittsburgh Steelers, teammate Myles Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph got tangled up and began fighting, ending with Garrett hitting Rudolph with a helmet. As other teammates began running towards the two, Ogunjobi hit Rudolph, who was still without his helmet, from behind knocking him onto the ground. He was later suspended for one game without pay and fined.[18]

Ogunjobi made his playoff debut on January 10, 2021 when the Browns defeated the Steelers 48-37. He recorded three assisted tackles in his only playoff victory.[19] He only recorded one solo tackle during the Browns' AFC divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[20]

Cincinnati Bengals

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On March 19, 2021, Ogunjobi signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.[21] He started 16 games in 2021, recording a career-high seven sacks, 49 tackles, and a team-high 12 tackles for loss. In the wild card playoff game with the Las Vegas Raiders he suffered a season ending foot injury that required surgery.[22]

On March 14, 2022, Ogunjobi was reported and expected to sign with the Chicago Bears, but failed the conditional physical, resulting in the offer being rescinded.[23]

Pittsburgh Steelers

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On June 21, 2022, Ogunjobi signed a one-year deal with the Steelers.[24] He started 16 games in 2022, recording 48 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

On March 17, 2023, Ogunjobi signed a three-year, $28.75 million contract extension with the Steelers.[25] In 2023, Ogunjobi finished the season with 21 tackles, three being for a loss, and a forced fumble. He made two tackles in the Steelers' Wildcard playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills in January 2024.[26]

In 2024, he recorded his first sack of the season on New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the Steelers won 37-15.

References

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  1. ^ James, Pat (November 18, 2016). "Charlotte 49ers' Larry Ogunjobi tries to live up to his Nigerian name". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "When Larry Ogunjobi first stepped on a football field, some laughed. Now? NFL awaits". Charlotte Observer. March 13, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Traylor, Grant (July 1, 2024). "Herd focused on 49ers' nose tackle Ogunjobi". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "NFL hopeful Ogunjobi looks forward to football draft". Jamestown News.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Andrew Gribble (April 28, 2017). "5 things to know about Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi", Cleveland Browns. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  6. ^ Justin Melo (February 27, 2017). "Exclusive Interview with Charlotte DL Larry Ogunjobi", Draft Breakdown . Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Ogunjobi's NFL Draft Stock Rising After Senior Bowl". Charlotte49ers.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  8. ^ "Football hosts 2017 pro day". charlotte49ers.com. March 16, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  9. ^ Chris Burke (April 22, 2017). "2017 NFL Draft Rankings: Top Prospects by Position". si.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  10. ^ Jeff Legwold (April 22, 2017). "Ranking the 2017 Draft's Top 100 Players". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Mike Mayock (April 12, 2017). "Mike Mayock's 2017 NFL Draft position rankings 3.0". NFL.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  12. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Larry Ogunjobi". NFL.com. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  13. ^ Gribble, Andrew (April 28, 2017). "Browns select UNC-Charlotte DT Larry Ogunjobi with 65th pick in 2017 NFL Draft". ClevelandBrowns.com.
  14. ^ Labbe, Dan (May 18, 2017). "Browns sign third-round pick Larry Ogunjobi". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  15. ^ "Larry Ogunjobi". OvertheCap.com. 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  16. ^ "Larry Ogunjobi 2017 Game Log". StatMuse. December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  17. ^ "Larry Ogunjobi 2018 Game Log". StatMuse. December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  18. ^ Trotter, Jake and Brooke Pryor (November 15, 2019). "Browns' Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely; Steelers' Maurkice Pouncey gets 3-game ban". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  19. ^ "Browns 48-37 Steelers (Jan 10, 2021)". StatMuse. January 10, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  20. ^ "Browns 17-22 Chiefs (Jan 17, 2021)". StatMuse. January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  21. ^ "Bengals Sign Five Free Agents". Bengals.com. March 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  22. ^ Marcum, Jason (January 18, 2022). "Larry Ogunjobi opens up after season-ending foot injury that will require surgery". Cincy Jungle. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  23. ^ The Athletic Staff. "Bears no longer signing DT Larry Ogunjobi after failed physical". The Athletic. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  24. ^ "Ogunjobi signed to one-year contract". Steelers.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  25. ^ Varley, Teresa (March 17, 2023). "Ogunjobi signed to three-year contract". Steelers.com.
  26. ^ "Larry Ogunjobi 2023 Game Log". StatMuse. January 15, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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