Just a few weeks ago, John Harbaugh decided to shuffle things a bit. The Baltimore Ravens waived undrafted rookie safety Reuben Lowery and gave that 53-man roster spot to nose tackle C.J. Okoye. And now Harbaugh couldn’t hide his excitement about Okoye’s progress. However, the real twist is that the first time Okoye played in an NFL game, he didn’t even know what a “sack” was.

“I played my first NFL game, I still didn’t know the rules. When coach talked about I had a sack, I didn’t know it was a sack that was true,” he said on The Lounge Podcast.

“I didn’t know it was a sack, I didn’t know what was going on, I thought it was a tackle for loss or something. It was my teammate that was like you got a sack, I didn’t even know. Like, what’s a sack? I didn’t know, I swear to God I didn’t know it was a sack. Yeah, so the first tryout I didn’t know nothing.” But here’s what makes it even better.

Okoye’s story started far from Baltimore, in Agbogugu, Nigeria. He came to America in 2023 through the NFL’s International Pathway Program. So, his first real game was a preseason matchup on August 13, 2023, when the Los Angeles Chargers faced the Rams. That night he sacked quarterback Stetson Bennett.

Interestingly, his journey began with a nudge from a friend and Nigerian legend Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl champ.

Okoye joined the Uprise football camp, impressed scouts, and then earned a spot among 38 players at the NFL International Combine in London. So, from there, he was one of just 13 athletes who completed 10 intense weeks at IMG Academy in Florida.

By May 2023, his persistence paid off. Okoye was one of only eight players to make the final cut and was assigned to the Chargers. So, he got that first sack without knowing what it meant. After two years on the practice squad, the Ravens signed him in January. Now, under John Harbaugh, he’s finally showing why that decision was worth it.

John Harbaugh is happy with CJ Okoye’s development

No player on the Baltimore Ravens’ defense has climbed faster than C.J. Okoye. From his roots in Nigeria to lining up in front of the Flock at M&T Bank Stadium, his growth has been wild to watch. And the Ravens’ coaching staff sees something special in him.

“I think C.J. Okoye has come a long way,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s come a long way. To see him where he is at right now compared to where he was when he got here is just unbelievable. It’s night and day. He’s really done a great job. I got to give him credit.”

Even though Okoye has been in the league for three seasons, his real debut came this year. When the Ravens faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, Okoye finally got his shot. And he made it count. In 3 games, he got eight total tackles, including five solo stops and a hit on the quarterback.

Now with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the season and Broderick Washington sidelined, Baltimore needed someone to step up. Okoye did just that.

“I think, for him, coming through for us the way he did has been kind of a real blessing; [it’s] not something we really expected to have happen,” Harbaugh said.

So now it’s on Harbaugh to figure out how to keep his emerging star in the mix.