October 14, 2025 • 20 mins
In the latest episode of “The Players' Lounge," Victor Cruz sits down with linebacker Bobby Okereke to discuss his time with the New York Giants and his life outside of football. Presented by Jo Malone.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, what's up everybody? And my name is Victor Cruz,
and welcome to the Players Lounge, a place where we
get to know players on a different level, get to
know them one level deeper. Obviously we know what we do,
what they do on the football field, but here we
get into the nitty gritty, get to know them, get
the vibe. And today I am joined by my good
friend Bobby Ocarake, a fierce, fierce competitor, and I'm excited
(00:22):
to get to know you a little bit deeper. Man.
What's up? How you feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm blessed by how you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm doing great, man, appreciate you pulling up before I
go anywhere else after this right now, go next. Let's
get that out there. You see, how'm repidence? See what's
going on? So Bobby, okay, you're from California, grew up
in the Nigerian household. What was your life like growing up?
Get take me back to the beginning, Take me back
to young Bobby growing up in the Nigerian family and
(00:47):
what that vibe is like.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yep, yeah, young young Bobby. I had three sisters, two
older sisters, one younger sister. I was a boy scout
growing up. I was in the choir. Growing up, I
were in seventh grade. I was wearing a Yale T
shirt to school every day.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Growing up in a Nigerian household, education was number one.
It wasn't about sports, wasn't about extracurriculars. It was you know,
go to ivyleg school, get good grades, and you know
that's how you're gonna set yourself up.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
For Did they want you to be? Did your parents
want you to be something other than a football player
growing up?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Doctor lawyer, working on Wall Street, you know, just doing
something with my brain.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
But you know I figured figured a way to circumvent that.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So at what age did you have to convince your
Nigerian family that you wanted to play football? Freshman yr
high school?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Okay, wow, that's when I first started playing football.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
So no little league? You didn't play any little league?
You were doing all the other stuff. Yeah, no little league,
know nothing. Yeah, I was going to games, and funny enough,
I was on JV and VARCI at the same time,
and I didn't tell my parents I was going to practice.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So I'm just coming home late after school. Like, yeah,
I was at tutoring.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
But people would go to my parents be like, dang,
Bobby played a great game this week.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
They're like what. And I know with the Nigeria, I know,
they was like what, Like what is going on? Like
Bobby coming here right now? We need to have a talk.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I remember one time I got to it was this
is my junior junior senior year. I got to see
on the mat test and my mom called the football
coach and she's like, yeah, Bob, Bobby's not coming to
practice this week. He's going to tutoring. He's gonna get
his grades up. So yeah, they were. They were strict.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
That's incredible. Okay, So growing up in Cali, who was
your squad? Who was your football team growing up?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Uh, I'm not gonna lie I was. I was a
Raiders fan. My dad was an Oaklan Raiders fan growing up.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I was born in the Bay Area, actually born in Samonteo. So, uh,
shout out to the Bay, shout out to the Bay
Oakland Raiders.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
And who's your favorite player? Who's your favorite player on
the Raiders back then?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Honestly, back then, two favorite players Jones Drew not on
the Raiders but just in general, and Reggie Bush especially
when he was on the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
That was that was my guy.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
That's what that makes me feel very very old as
I came up in the Reggie Bush era a couple
of years after, but I was in the Reggie Bush era.
Now circling back to you as a choir boy, Yeah,
I just heard that you performed at Carnegie Hall. I
might need to hear a little I might need to
hear a little something just for the people to get
so they know that you got a little voice back there.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well so it was a quite I'm a base so
you know, I got a low, deep voice, so yeah,
it's smooth. This is my sophomore and junior year of
high school.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Came out here.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
That was my first time coming out to New York
and sang performed in Carnegie Hall and it was beautiful atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
That was incredible. So was it did you open for somebody?
Like what was the Carnegie Hall experience?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Like it was us?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It was some you know bands that played, some concert bands,
and then it was like three or four choirs that
had an opportunity to perform. So it was about a
two hour performance and we were probably up there for
like fifteen twenty minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh incredible. So also I heard that you went to
they held the Stanford Alumni reception and Corey Booker was
the was the speaker. New Jersey Zone, Corey Jersey Zone
shout out, how was that? How was that experience? Like?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
It was incredible? Hosted at my house and Wee Hawking.
My buddy Donald Stewart play at Stanford football good friends
with me and Paulson helped me coordinate the event and
it was incredible, you know, great networking, different finance people there,
the Mayor Weehawken was there, Mayor Hillside was there, and
it was good. It wasn't it wasn't too political, it
wasn't too sports. It was more just about you know,
(04:15):
networking and inspiring each other.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's fire. What are you into outside of the game?
Is that? Like when you see like if Bobby wasn't
playing football taking heads off on Sundays, what will Bobby
be doing outside of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
M Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I think it's tough because I got a lot of interests.
You know, I had a car company in Miami, so
I liked the entrepreneurial stuff. I studied like a finance
degree at Stanford, so I enjoy finance. I really just
enjoyed networking and you know, meeting cool people and learning. Honestly,
that's so well. New York is a great place for you. Then,
my friend and I've been seeing seeing you outside. You're
(04:50):
making your rounds.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'm active on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
That's something you don't hear every day. It's active on
link Okay, okay, so fast we did childhood oak. Now
I want to get to you were drafted by the
Colts in the third round. Ye, Pat McAfee made the
pick and talk to me about like your first welcome
to NFL moment as a as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, so I was fortunate enough. I played.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I played a good bit my rookie year. I had
great guys in front of me, Anthony Walker, Darius Leonard
that you know, really showed me how to play the game,
how to prepare like a pro. But my rookie year,
I remember playing the Steelers. I'm I'm playing outside linebacker
and you know, I'm checking my B gap. You know,
when they run stretch the other way, your B gap travels.
But you know, I got a keen respect for offensive
(05:38):
lineman after that play because you know they're they're running
the ball the right, so I'm tracking it, look at
the running back and the tackle comes and nearly takes
my head out. It looks like I'm surfing trying to
keep my balance. But I was like, okay, before I
line up, I'm gonna I'm gonna look at these offensive
linemen and see who's looking at me before before I
line up, so I'm not, you know, getting getting teed
up to get knocked out.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So yeah, it's funny how the Steelers always have a
story with some I mean mine, I mean, I got
a couple of Steeler stories, but my biggest one is
playing against them and I'm running a route. We're kind
of on the fringe of the red zone. We're about
to score, and I'm running the I'm kind of opening
the backside of the end zone and I'm like waving
eli down and I think, at least I thought I
was open, and then Ryan Clark hit me so hard
(06:17):
I literally couldn't breathe for like thirty five minutes, and
I was like, okay, this one, this one I'm gonna
remember for a long time. But that Steelers culture and
what they do similar to what we do here is
well respected and it's something that definitely stretches throughout the
fabric of the NFL. Now, I want to talk about
your most important decision that you made was signing as
a free agent with the New York Giants at twenty
(06:38):
twenty three. Tell me about your first like welcome to
New York moment, because obviously playing for other teams across
the NFL is one thing, but New York just has
a different fabric for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You know, I think I think it's been a tale
two stories since I've been here, you know, coming in
first year, being this big signing, Like you see the
highs and the lows are lows. So you know, you
come in and you ball out. People are calling you,
you know, Pro Bowl snub saying you're the best linebacker ever,
Like they're going to really hype you up. And then
(07:10):
if you have a couple of games where you don't
play as well or people expect you to play better,
you know you're gonna hear from it for sure. So
I think, as being you know, an ultimate competitor, this
is the environment you want to be in because it's
it's old gladiator style. It's like when the crowd's holding
the thumb up or the thumb down, like there's no
in between. So it really, you know, prepares you to
be your best.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Talk a little bit more about that, I think because
I always you know, obviously playing here, and I always
talk to other people about the type of thick skin
and the type of personality and character. You got to
have to understand that, right, the highs are the highs
and the lows are the lows. But you have to
operate kind of in the middle at all times and
always good bad are indifferent. You gotta stay keen and
you got to stay even keeled so that you're ready
(07:52):
for when the highs come and also prepare for when
the lows come. Just talk about what type of personality
you got to have to play in this city.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Yeah, you gotta have a growth mindset. And like I
said earlier, I love to learn, and I think, you know,
staying grounded and learning is what's really going to help you,
you know, stop chasing the highs and the lows, because
you can always get better. You know, people talk about
one percent better. There's always one technique that you can
hone down more, one offensive or defensive scheme you can
learn more. So if you stay, you know, connected to that.
(08:21):
Really everything else is a distraction.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah. So Now, obviously being in the New York New
Jersey area, I'm a big foodie guy. I love restaurants.
I'm always eating, I'm always doing something outside to get
the lay of the land, of what's going on out here.
And obviously growing up in this area, I've seen the
transformation of this area in different places to east. So
give me a couple of places you like to visit
where there's restaurants or just places that are outside, places
(08:44):
you like to frequent on on on a weekly basis.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Yeap Blue on the Hudson Place a popular one, man
near and dear to most popular one.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Because they got the TVs right they got the.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
They got the TV, they got the ambiance right there,
and we hawked on the water.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
It's righting the water, great views. But the food is incredible.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, they got so.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
They got sushi to seafood, Italian food, they really got
it all. So Blew on the Hudsond's top tier for
me in the city. There's a couple of places. Sushi
of Gary if you like authentive kind of like hold
the Wall sushi mighta Sushi of.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Gary great place.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I want to say maybe midtown, a little bit south
of Hudson Yards. And then I'm a big I'm a
big sow House guy. I was there on Sunday. They
had a nice brunch. Me and my buddies were there chilling.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I remember there also, that's just a cool place to
just chill vibe. People won't run up on you and
take pictures and like do the whole thing because it's
not legal there take any photos in there. So that's
that's the vibe. Okay. So let's switch up to game day.
Let's talk about kind of your game day preparation. Any
any superstitions, any routines. Are you like a strict do
you eat the same thing before games? Like? What's your
(09:51):
vibe on game day?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
If anything?
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I'm just strict on time. So if game starts at one,
I'm in the locker room by eight forty five to nine.
Just make sure I give myself enough time. I don't
want to be rushed at all on game day. You know,
I want to have time to fold on my clothes,
you know, put the left sock on the left foot,
right sock on the right foot, have my pants all
or you go to my locker, it's you know, pristine
(10:13):
because you know, I feel that's just like my my
physical space is going to reflect my mental space. So uh,
take the time to organize everything, get my stretching, get
my v see different you know practitioners. Uh, and then
go on the field. Go on the field, you know,
really take in the crowd, visualize the places I'm gonna make,
and just get grounded.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
What's the what's the music vibes? Are you? Are you
in your headphones? Are you? Are you getting dialed in
from a music perspective? Who you're listening to? What's your
game day energy? To get you? Get you ready to rock?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I mean when I get there eight forty five nine,
I'm one of the first guys in there.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So I'm on the OX.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
I was about to oh you want Oh so y'all
had the speaker in the locker, in the locker room, Yeah,
oh see, that's what we didn't have. That whole Caughlin
wasn't having that. You know what I'm saying, y'all in
your headphones and that's it, y'all just locking. Okay, So
what's on the OX? Uh?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
When I start probably like nine to eleven, I'm straight afrobeatskay,
you know with sha k, a little whiz kid, a
little Brenda boy. Keep the vibes, you know, and then
eleven closer to like twelve is about on the field.
You know, I'm an Eli chopper.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Time to turn it It's time to turn it up.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I'm a little baby. Yeah, I'm just turning up a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay, okay, fire, is there any significance? See, I didn't
so I wasn't undrafted free agent, right, So I wore
number three in the preseason and you know, I'm just rocking.
That was my college number. So I was always excited.
I'm in three. This is dope, like, and back then
we didn't have the option. We couldn't keep the single
digit numbers like you guys can now. But when I
made the team, I remember coming in like, oh, I
(11:43):
get to wear three in the regular season, like this
is fire. I get to my locker and I'm like eighty.
I'm like what am I What do I tight end?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Like?
Speaker 1 (11:52):
But at the same time, I beggar's gonna be choosers.
I was undrapped. I'm like, I'm gonna take this eighty
and I'm gonna make the best of it. Fast forward.
It's a number that'sonymous obviously with Jeremy Shockey myself, you know,
guys that done really big things with this organization. Does
your number have any meaning behind it, something you had
since you were a freshman in high school? Or is
it just something that kind of came. Yeah, just kind
(12:14):
of came, you know, when I was working with the Colts.
You know, I think I got a choice between two numbers,
maybe fifty four and fifty eight, and just decided fifty eight.
But yeah, you know, I'm loving fifty eight. Stayed with
my whole NFL career. In college, I was twenty, playing
the same time as Bryce Love. He was, you know,
born almost a Heisman player, so I switched to forty.
So for me, I never.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Really had like too much of a deep attachment to
the numbers.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Balling out, just rocking. You hear him, he don't need
no attachment. Give him a helmet and a jersey. Gonna
make it work, man, I schrap it up. So you
seem like a pretty chill guy. This doesn't sound like,
at least to me, unless there's a gear that you
changed when you on the field that you don't talk
too much trash, do you talk trash from time to time,
or has anyone kind of came up to you and
(12:58):
was chirping a little bit and it has had and
has had that kind of back and forth throughout the
course of a game. Take us into trenches a little bit.
I want to I want to hear what's going on
during the game.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, a little bit of both. You know, I like
to talk trash. Hypes It hypes myself up. And you
know sometimes when you're kicking somebody's ass and you're talking trash,
you know they'll back down. So you know there's a
psychological warfare of it too. But you know, some guys
like the chirp. But at the end of the day,
best way to shut somebody up who's chirping is, you know,
hit him in the mouth. So after a while, you know,
(13:28):
you play a physical game, you know they're gonna start,
you know, dapping you up on the way a nice
hit Brodet's.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Checkmate.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
So I love that.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, I just try to stay in that mindset.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Okay, let's talk hobbies a little bit. What are you
What are your favorite like off the field that well,
first of all, I want to talk about because I
do a lot of work with the Boys and Girls Club,
and I know you do too. Boys and Girls Club kid,
I grew up going there. My mom would drop me off.
I mean I would not only was she dropped me
off in the summers, uh while she went to work
and I'd be there all day. But after school I
will jump on the bus. There was a bus I
(14:01):
came through my school that I would miss sometimes I
have to be running after it, but that's near the
end of there. But there were a bus to take
me to Boys and Girls Club. So I literally spent
my formative years that after school program was a big
deal for me. That's where not only I got my
work done and got to understand what time management was,
but I also got to play basketball. I got to
play sports. I learned, I learned ping pong, I learned
(14:21):
pool like that's where I got the hone and all
my skills. Talk to me about the work you do
with the Boys and Girls Club and how that kind
of shaped you to become the menu today.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, so being a boy scout growing out my whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I was a boy scout all the way till junior
year got my Eagle Scout. So any of those youth
development programs I think are very beneficial, especially for both
My parents worked full time jobs and you know, having
four kids and it was a lot of strain on them.
So kind of you know, the saying that it takes
a village, you know, boy Scouts was very important to me.
(14:54):
So working with the Boys and Girls Club. My marketing
agent is married to Andre Reid. He's been a mentor mine.
He's got the Andre Reid Foundation.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Teresa.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, Teresa family shout out love it.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
So you know, that kind of sparked the Boys and
Girls Club initiative there. And last season, dealing with injuries
and different stuff, didn't get the time that I usually
got to put into you know, community service. For me,
that's really important. So this offseason, wanted to commit to
go in to Boys and Girls Club every every Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
That's dope. And shout out to Teresa because I know
you guys recently went to the aquatic center that I built.
Say I think you took a picture, but yes, so
I appreciate that. And anytime you want to come to
Pattison and do anything together, I'll ad me I'll make
sure I clear the schedule and pull up for you, sir,
because you know, giving back to the kids is what
we do as part of It's just part of it, right, Sir,
(15:44):
talk to me on that same path, talk to me
about NFL Africa.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
So shout out Ocumenyora. He's a big brother and you know,
really role model of mine being a Nigerian American first generation.
I got the opportunity to go back to Nigeria last
year with the NFL Africa camp in Nigeria and Legos
and it was incredible. You know, my parents are from there.
I had three aunts and uncles, six cousins, all their supporting.
(16:10):
But to see the guys in Nigeria who you know,
they're hungry. I get Instagram messages from them almost every
other day, sending me videos of them working out. They're
looking at you know, different pages that I follow, different
workout pages, and you know they're really just looking for
an opportunity. So for me, it's just an easy calling
for for me to get back and pour into you know,
community that helped raise my parents and helped you know,
(16:32):
develop me to where I am today.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I still haven't made it to Africa. Man, what's Lagos like? You? Man?
Come on come one time? Because I heard nothing but
great thing.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, you know, it's beautiful, a lot of culture, a
lot of music, a lot of food. You know, it's
a third world country. But that's why I feel like
our culture is so strong, because it's built in adversity.
My parents going through the Bafron War and just you know,
all the all the necessary values and the struggles that
they went through to you know, stay resilient.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I think that's that's huge.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Put Africa on the list. I got it. Come on,
say talk to oc to A. We're gonna play a game, ready, yep.
This one's blind ranking. I'm gonna give you five defensive
plays and without knowing what comes next, and you gotta
rank them all right. First one is past breakup. Hmm,
I'm gonna name that four okay, four, tackle for a
(17:20):
loss three three okay, force fumble one one? Why the
force from because that changes the game.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
That changes the game.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Okay, sack a Yeah, yep.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I think I know what's coming next. I gotta put
this one. You know, I'm not a pass rush. I'm
gonna put this.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
One five, okay, and then the last one picks it
pick six all right?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Two?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Okay? Okay, that was solid. Okay, got another game for you.
This one's called football first where you described the first
time you did any of the following things. First one
is the first position you played, defensive end, so you
was always on defense. He was always a heck okay,
first interception.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
MM we're talking about through the league or through through.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
High school or first one ever?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
First one ever? Dang, maybe my sophomore year of high school.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Okay, described that on what was that? Like?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Man, I was playing off an out round, I was
playing defensive end, and it was a tip pass catch,
one of those when you get up in the in
the thrown alley. Yeah, that's a good one, little tip joint. Okay,
first football jersey you've ever owned?
Speaker 2 (18:32):
First football.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
One of them, one of them raider joints.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
No, not not really.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I don't know if I ever had a football jersey
until I got in the league, honestly, and it was
your own, and it was probably my own.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
That's also fire, okay. Okay. Your first college offer, m M.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
First college offer? You dumb?
Speaker 1 (18:54):
You dumb?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah? Shout out Steve Starkeysan and the Boys.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
That's what's up. Okay. First purchase after signing your NFL contract, I.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Bought my mom a tesla really model. Why you know
she wanted a nice big five seat or so.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
That's what's up.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I got it.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
First person you call after a game.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Definitely mom's. You know, mom and dad are all together.
Probably my older sister in La too.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
See, I couldn't call my mom after the game because
she's in a family room ready to the headline or
hug me with nine of my family members. So being
from here, I was it was a gift in the curse.
People like yo playing at the crib was incredible. I
was like, yeah, it was dope until I had to
get twenty three tickets per week. And my famiing doesn't
understand that we don't. They're not all free, none of
(19:40):
the three of them really two really two for real?
So okay, last finish the finished this particular statement. The
best advice I've ever gotten is.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Man, I forgot man.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
You know, my dad always always tells it to me.
He'll always say, exercise good judgment. And you know, for me,
that's just a reminder to you know, how it was
raised and just thinking about, you know, making my parents proud,
my grandparents proud, everybody you know who watches me play football,
looks up to me, just making proud.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
So exercise good judgment.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Love that man, Bobby has been It's been a blast
talking to you man, getting to know you a little
bit better, getting to know your vibe, what makes you tick,
what makes you go. I appreciate you spending time with
us today. And go Giants forever bad Sure, go Giants
for Players Lounge. Everybody go watch this thing wherever you
can stream anything, and go Giants forever. Peace,
All right, what's up everybody? And my name is Victor Cruz,
and welcome to the Players Lounge, a place where we
get to know players on a different level, get to
know them one level deeper. Obviously we know what we do,
what they do on the football field, but here we
get into the nitty gritty, get to know them, get
the vibe. And today I am joined by my good
friend Bobby Ocarake, a fierce, fierce competitor, and I'm excited
(00:22):
to get to know you a little bit deeper. Man.
What's up? How you feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm blessed by how you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm doing great, man, appreciate you pulling up before I
go anywhere else after this right now, go next. Let's
get that out there. You see, how'm repidence? See what's
going on? So Bobby, okay, you're from California, grew up
in the Nigerian household. What was your life like growing up?
Get take me back to the beginning, Take me back
to young Bobby growing up in the Nigerian family and
(00:47):
what that vibe is like.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yep, yeah, young young Bobby. I had three sisters, two
older sisters, one younger sister. I was a boy scout
growing up. I was in the choir. Growing up, I
were in seventh grade. I was wearing a Yale T
shirt to school every day.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Growing up in a Nigerian household, education was number one.
It wasn't about sports, wasn't about extracurriculars. It was you know,
go to ivyleg school, get good grades, and you know
that's how you're gonna set yourself up.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
For Did they want you to be? Did your parents
want you to be something other than a football player
growing up?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Doctor lawyer, working on Wall Street, you know, just doing
something with my brain.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
But you know I figured figured a way to circumvent that.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So at what age did you have to convince your
Nigerian family that you wanted to play football? Freshman yr
high school?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Okay, wow, that's when I first started playing football.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
So no little league? You didn't play any little league?
You were doing all the other stuff. Yeah, no little league,
know nothing. Yeah, I was going to games, and funny enough,
I was on JV and VARCI at the same time,
and I didn't tell my parents I was going to practice.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So I'm just coming home late after school. Like, yeah,
I was at tutoring.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
But people would go to my parents be like, dang,
Bobby played a great game this week.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
They're like what. And I know with the Nigeria, I know,
they was like what, Like what is going on? Like
Bobby coming here right now? We need to have a talk.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I remember one time I got to it was this
is my junior junior senior year. I got to see
on the mat test and my mom called the football
coach and she's like, yeah, Bob, Bobby's not coming to
practice this week. He's going to tutoring. He's gonna get
his grades up. So yeah, they were. They were strict.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
That's incredible. Okay, So growing up in Cali, who was
your squad? Who was your football team growing up?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Uh, I'm not gonna lie I was. I was a
Raiders fan. My dad was an Oaklan Raiders fan growing up.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I was born in the Bay Area, actually born in Samonteo. So, uh,
shout out to the Bay, shout out to the Bay
Oakland Raiders.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
And who's your favorite player? Who's your favorite player on
the Raiders back then?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Honestly, back then, two favorite players Jones Drew not on
the Raiders but just in general, and Reggie Bush especially
when he was on the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
That was that was my guy.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
That's what that makes me feel very very old as
I came up in the Reggie Bush era a couple
of years after, but I was in the Reggie Bush era.
Now circling back to you as a choir boy, Yeah,
I just heard that you performed at Carnegie Hall. I
might need to hear a little I might need to
hear a little something just for the people to get
so they know that you got a little voice back there.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well so it was a quite I'm a base so
you know, I got a low, deep voice, so yeah,
it's smooth. This is my sophomore and junior year of
high school.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Came out here.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
That was my first time coming out to New York
and sang performed in Carnegie Hall and it was beautiful atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
That was incredible. So was it did you open for somebody?
Like what was the Carnegie Hall experience?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Like it was us?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It was some you know bands that played, some concert bands,
and then it was like three or four choirs that
had an opportunity to perform. So it was about a
two hour performance and we were probably up there for
like fifteen twenty minutes.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh incredible. So also I heard that you went to
they held the Stanford Alumni reception and Corey Booker was
the was the speaker. New Jersey Zone, Corey Jersey Zone
shout out, how was that? How was that experience? Like?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
It was incredible? Hosted at my house and Wee Hawking.
My buddy Donald Stewart play at Stanford football good friends
with me and Paulson helped me coordinate the event and
it was incredible, you know, great networking, different finance people there,
the Mayor Weehawken was there, Mayor Hillside was there, and
it was good. It wasn't it wasn't too political, it
wasn't too sports. It was more just about you know,
(04:15):
networking and inspiring each other.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's fire. What are you into outside of the game?
Is that? Like when you see like if Bobby wasn't
playing football taking heads off on Sundays, what will Bobby
be doing outside of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
M Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I think it's tough because I got a lot of interests.
You know, I had a car company in Miami, so
I liked the entrepreneurial stuff. I studied like a finance
degree at Stanford, so I enjoy finance. I really just
enjoyed networking and you know, meeting cool people and learning. Honestly,
that's so well. New York is a great place for you. Then,
my friend and I've been seeing seeing you outside. You're
(04:50):
making your rounds.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'm active on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
That's something you don't hear every day. It's active on
link Okay, okay, so fast we did childhood oak. Now
I want to get to you were drafted by the
Colts in the third round. Ye, Pat McAfee made the
pick and talk to me about like your first welcome
to NFL moment as a as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, so I was fortunate enough. I played.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I played a good bit my rookie year. I had
great guys in front of me, Anthony Walker, Darius Leonard
that you know, really showed me how to play the game,
how to prepare like a pro. But my rookie year,
I remember playing the Steelers. I'm I'm playing outside linebacker
and you know, I'm checking my B gap. You know,
when they run stretch the other way, your B gap travels.
But you know, I got a keen respect for offensive
(05:38):
lineman after that play because you know they're they're running
the ball the right, so I'm tracking it, look at
the running back and the tackle comes and nearly takes
my head out. It looks like I'm surfing trying to
keep my balance. But I was like, okay, before I
line up, I'm gonna I'm gonna look at these offensive
linemen and see who's looking at me before before I
line up, so I'm not, you know, getting getting teed
up to get knocked out.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So yeah, it's funny how the Steelers always have a
story with some I mean mine, I mean, I got
a couple of Steeler stories, but my biggest one is
playing against them and I'm running a route. We're kind
of on the fringe of the red zone. We're about
to score, and I'm running the I'm kind of opening
the backside of the end zone and I'm like waving
eli down and I think, at least I thought I
was open, and then Ryan Clark hit me so hard
(06:17):
I literally couldn't breathe for like thirty five minutes, and
I was like, okay, this one, this one I'm gonna
remember for a long time. But that Steelers culture and
what they do similar to what we do here is
well respected and it's something that definitely stretches throughout the
fabric of the NFL. Now, I want to talk about
your most important decision that you made was signing as
a free agent with the New York Giants at twenty
(06:38):
twenty three. Tell me about your first like welcome to
New York moment, because obviously playing for other teams across
the NFL is one thing, but New York just has
a different fabric for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You know, I think I think it's been a tale
two stories since I've been here, you know, coming in
first year, being this big signing, Like you see the
highs and the lows are lows. So you know, you
come in and you ball out. People are calling you,
you know, Pro Bowl snub saying you're the best linebacker ever,
Like they're going to really hype you up. And then
(07:10):
if you have a couple of games where you don't
play as well or people expect you to play better,
you know you're gonna hear from it for sure. So
I think, as being you know, an ultimate competitor, this
is the environment you want to be in because it's
it's old gladiator style. It's like when the crowd's holding
the thumb up or the thumb down, like there's no
in between. So it really, you know, prepares you to
be your best.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Talk a little bit more about that, I think because
I always you know, obviously playing here, and I always
talk to other people about the type of thick skin
and the type of personality and character. You got to
have to understand that, right, the highs are the highs
and the lows are the lows. But you have to
operate kind of in the middle at all times and
always good bad are indifferent. You gotta stay keen and
you got to stay even keeled so that you're ready
(07:52):
for when the highs come and also prepare for when
the lows come. Just talk about what type of personality
you got to have to play in this city.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Yeah, you gotta have a growth mindset. And like I
said earlier, I love to learn, and I think, you know,
staying grounded and learning is what's really going to help you,
you know, stop chasing the highs and the lows, because
you can always get better. You know, people talk about
one percent better. There's always one technique that you can
hone down more, one offensive or defensive scheme you can
learn more. So if you stay, you know, connected to that.
(08:21):
Really everything else is a distraction.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah. So Now, obviously being in the New York New
Jersey area, I'm a big foodie guy. I love restaurants.
I'm always eating, I'm always doing something outside to get
the lay of the land, of what's going on out here.
And obviously growing up in this area, I've seen the
transformation of this area in different places to east. So
give me a couple of places you like to visit
where there's restaurants or just places that are outside, places
(08:44):
you like to frequent on on on a weekly basis.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Yeap Blue on the Hudson Place a popular one, man
near and dear to most popular one.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Because they got the TVs right they got the.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
They got the TV, they got the ambiance right there,
and we hawked on the water.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
It's righting the water, great views. But the food is incredible.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, they got so.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
They got sushi to seafood, Italian food, they really got
it all. So Blew on the Hudsond's top tier for
me in the city. There's a couple of places. Sushi
of Gary if you like authentive kind of like hold
the Wall sushi mighta Sushi of.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Gary great place.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I want to say maybe midtown, a little bit south
of Hudson Yards. And then I'm a big I'm a
big sow House guy. I was there on Sunday. They
had a nice brunch. Me and my buddies were there chilling.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I remember there also, that's just a cool place to
just chill vibe. People won't run up on you and
take pictures and like do the whole thing because it's
not legal there take any photos in there. So that's
that's the vibe. Okay. So let's switch up to game day.
Let's talk about kind of your game day preparation. Any
any superstitions, any routines. Are you like a strict do
you eat the same thing before games? Like? What's your
(09:51):
vibe on game day?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
If anything?
Speaker 3 (09:53):
I'm just strict on time. So if game starts at one,
I'm in the locker room by eight forty five to nine.
Just make sure I give myself enough time. I don't
want to be rushed at all on game day. You know,
I want to have time to fold on my clothes,
you know, put the left sock on the left foot,
right sock on the right foot, have my pants all
or you go to my locker, it's you know, pristine
(10:13):
because you know, I feel that's just like my my
physical space is going to reflect my mental space. So uh,
take the time to organize everything, get my stretching, get
my v see different you know practitioners. Uh, and then
go on the field. Go on the field, you know,
really take in the crowd, visualize the places I'm gonna make,
and just get grounded.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
What's the what's the music vibes? Are you? Are you
in your headphones? Are you? Are you getting dialed in
from a music perspective? Who you're listening to? What's your
game day energy? To get you? Get you ready to rock?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
I mean when I get there eight forty five nine,
I'm one of the first guys in there.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So I'm on the OX.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
I was about to oh you want Oh so y'all
had the speaker in the locker, in the locker room, Yeah,
oh see, that's what we didn't have. That whole Caughlin
wasn't having that. You know what I'm saying, y'all in
your headphones and that's it, y'all just locking. Okay, So
what's on the OX? Uh?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
When I start probably like nine to eleven, I'm straight afrobeatskay,
you know with sha k, a little whiz kid, a
little Brenda boy. Keep the vibes, you know, and then
eleven closer to like twelve is about on the field.
You know, I'm an Eli chopper.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Time to turn it It's time to turn it up.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I'm a little baby. Yeah, I'm just turning up a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay, okay, fire, is there any significance? See, I didn't
so I wasn't undrafted free agent, right, So I wore
number three in the preseason and you know, I'm just rocking.
That was my college number. So I was always excited.
I'm in three. This is dope, like, and back then
we didn't have the option. We couldn't keep the single
digit numbers like you guys can now. But when I
made the team, I remember coming in like, oh, I
(11:43):
get to wear three in the regular season, like this
is fire. I get to my locker and I'm like eighty.
I'm like what am I What do I tight end?
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Like?
Speaker 1 (11:52):
But at the same time, I beggar's gonna be choosers.
I was undrapped. I'm like, I'm gonna take this eighty
and I'm gonna make the best of it. Fast forward.
It's a number that'sonymous obviously with Jeremy Shockey myself, you know,
guys that done really big things with this organization. Does
your number have any meaning behind it, something you had
since you were a freshman in high school? Or is
it just something that kind of came. Yeah, just kind
(12:14):
of came, you know, when I was working with the Colts.
You know, I think I got a choice between two numbers,
maybe fifty four and fifty eight, and just decided fifty eight.
But yeah, you know, I'm loving fifty eight. Stayed with
my whole NFL career. In college, I was twenty, playing
the same time as Bryce Love. He was, you know,
born almost a Heisman player, so I switched to forty.
So for me, I never.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Really had like too much of a deep attachment to
the numbers.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Balling out, just rocking. You hear him, he don't need
no attachment. Give him a helmet and a jersey. Gonna
make it work, man, I schrap it up. So you
seem like a pretty chill guy. This doesn't sound like,
at least to me, unless there's a gear that you
changed when you on the field that you don't talk
too much trash, do you talk trash from time to time,
or has anyone kind of came up to you and
(12:58):
was chirping a little bit and it has had and
has had that kind of back and forth throughout the
course of a game. Take us into trenches a little bit.
I want to I want to hear what's going on
during the game.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Yeah, a little bit of both. You know, I like
to talk trash. Hypes It hypes myself up. And you
know sometimes when you're kicking somebody's ass and you're talking trash,
you know they'll back down. So you know there's a
psychological warfare of it too. But you know, some guys
like the chirp. But at the end of the day,
best way to shut somebody up who's chirping is, you know,
hit him in the mouth. So after a while, you know,
(13:28):
you play a physical game, you know they're gonna start,
you know, dapping you up on the way a nice
hit Brodet's.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Checkmate.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
So I love that.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, I just try to stay in that mindset.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Okay, let's talk hobbies a little bit. What are you
What are your favorite like off the field that well,
first of all, I want to talk about because I
do a lot of work with the Boys and Girls Club,
and I know you do too. Boys and Girls Club kid,
I grew up going there. My mom would drop me off.
I mean I would not only was she dropped me
off in the summers, uh while she went to work
and I'd be there all day. But after school I
will jump on the bus. There was a bus I
(14:01):
came through my school that I would miss sometimes I
have to be running after it, but that's near the
end of there. But there were a bus to take
me to Boys and Girls Club. So I literally spent
my formative years that after school program was a big
deal for me. That's where not only I got my
work done and got to understand what time management was,
but I also got to play basketball. I got to
play sports. I learned, I learned ping pong, I learned
(14:21):
pool like that's where I got the hone and all
my skills. Talk to me about the work you do
with the Boys and Girls Club and how that kind
of shaped you to become the menu today.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, so being a boy scout growing out my whole life.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I was a boy scout all the way till junior
year got my Eagle Scout. So any of those youth
development programs I think are very beneficial, especially for both
My parents worked full time jobs and you know, having
four kids and it was a lot of strain on them.
So kind of you know, the saying that it takes
a village, you know, boy Scouts was very important to me.
(14:54):
So working with the Boys and Girls Club. My marketing
agent is married to Andre Reid. He's been a mentor mine.
He's got the Andre Reid Foundation.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Teresa.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, Teresa family shout out love it.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
So you know, that kind of sparked the Boys and
Girls Club initiative there. And last season, dealing with injuries
and different stuff, didn't get the time that I usually
got to put into you know, community service. For me,
that's really important. So this offseason, wanted to commit to
go in to Boys and Girls Club every every Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
That's dope. And shout out to Teresa because I know
you guys recently went to the aquatic center that I built.
Say I think you took a picture, but yes, so
I appreciate that. And anytime you want to come to
Pattison and do anything together, I'll ad me I'll make
sure I clear the schedule and pull up for you, sir,
because you know, giving back to the kids is what
we do as part of It's just part of it, right, Sir,
(15:44):
talk to me on that same path, talk to me
about NFL Africa.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
So shout out Ocumenyora. He's a big brother and you know,
really role model of mine being a Nigerian American first generation.
I got the opportunity to go back to Nigeria last
year with the NFL Africa camp in Nigeria and Legos
and it was incredible. You know, my parents are from there.
I had three aunts and uncles, six cousins, all their supporting.
(16:10):
But to see the guys in Nigeria who you know,
they're hungry. I get Instagram messages from them almost every
other day, sending me videos of them working out. They're
looking at you know, different pages that I follow, different
workout pages, and you know they're really just looking for
an opportunity. So for me, it's just an easy calling
for for me to get back and pour into you know,
community that helped raise my parents and helped you know,
(16:32):
develop me to where I am today.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I still haven't made it to Africa. Man, what's Lagos like? You? Man?
Come on come one time? Because I heard nothing but
great thing.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, you know, it's beautiful, a lot of culture, a
lot of music, a lot of food. You know, it's
a third world country. But that's why I feel like
our culture is so strong, because it's built in adversity.
My parents going through the Bafron War and just you know,
all the all the necessary values and the struggles that
they went through to you know, stay resilient.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I think that's that's huge.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Put Africa on the list. I got it. Come on,
say talk to oc to A. We're gonna play a game, ready, yep.
This one's blind ranking. I'm gonna give you five defensive
plays and without knowing what comes next, and you gotta
rank them all right. First one is past breakup. Hmm,
I'm gonna name that four okay, four, tackle for a
(17:20):
loss three three okay, force fumble one one? Why the
force from because that changes the game.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
That changes the game.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Okay, sack a Yeah, yep.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I think I know what's coming next. I gotta put
this one. You know, I'm not a pass rush. I'm
gonna put this.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
One five, okay, and then the last one picks it
pick six all right?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Two?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Okay? Okay, that was solid. Okay, got another game for you.
This one's called football first where you described the first
time you did any of the following things. First one
is the first position you played, defensive end, so you
was always on defense. He was always a heck okay,
first interception.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
MM we're talking about through the league or through through.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
High school or first one ever?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
First one ever? Dang, maybe my sophomore year of high school.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Okay, described that on what was that? Like?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Man, I was playing off an out round, I was
playing defensive end, and it was a tip pass catch,
one of those when you get up in the in
the thrown alley. Yeah, that's a good one, little tip joint. Okay,
first football jersey you've ever owned?
Speaker 2 (18:32):
First football.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
One of them, one of them raider joints.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
No, not not really.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
I don't know if I ever had a football jersey
until I got in the league, honestly, and it was
your own, and it was probably my own.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
That's also fire, okay. Okay. Your first college offer, m M.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
First college offer? You dumb?
Speaker 1 (18:54):
You dumb?
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah? Shout out Steve Starkeysan and the Boys.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
That's what's up. Okay. First purchase after signing your NFL contract, I.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Bought my mom a tesla really model. Why you know
she wanted a nice big five seat or so.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
That's what's up.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I got it.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
First person you call after a game.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Definitely mom's. You know, mom and dad are all together.
Probably my older sister in La too.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
See, I couldn't call my mom after the game because
she's in a family room ready to the headline or
hug me with nine of my family members. So being
from here, I was it was a gift in the curse.
People like yo playing at the crib was incredible. I
was like, yeah, it was dope until I had to
get twenty three tickets per week. And my famiing doesn't
understand that we don't. They're not all free, none of
(19:40):
the three of them really two really two for real?
So okay, last finish the finished this particular statement. The
best advice I've ever gotten is.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Man, I forgot man.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
You know, my dad always always tells it to me.
He'll always say, exercise good judgment. And you know, for me,
that's just a reminder to you know, how it was
raised and just thinking about, you know, making my parents proud,
my grandparents proud, everybody you know who watches me play football,
looks up to me, just making proud.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
So exercise good judgment.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Love that man, Bobby has been It's been a blast
talking to you man, getting to know you a little
bit better, getting to know your vibe, what makes you tick,
what makes you go. I appreciate you spending time with
us today. And go Giants forever bad Sure, go Giants
for Players Lounge. Everybody go watch this thing wherever you
can stream anything, and go Giants forever. Peace,
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