David Ojabo
{{Short description|Scottish-Nigerian gridiron football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = David Ojabo
| image = David Ojabo 2021.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ojabo with the Michigan Wolverines in 2021
| current_team = Baltimore Ravens
| number = 90
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|5|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 252
| high_school = Blair
(Blairstown, New Jersey)
| college = Michigan (2019–2021)
| draftyear = 2022
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 45
| pastteams =
- Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2022}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- Second-team All-American (2021)
- First-team All-Big Ten (2021)
| statweek =
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 16
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 4.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 2
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Pass deflections
| statvalue5 =
| statlabel6 = Defensive touchdowns
| statvalue6 =
| pfr = OjabDa00
}}
David Ojabo (born 17 May 2000) is a Nigerian-Scottish professional American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American college football player for the Michigan Wolverines, and was selected by the Ravens in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Early life
Ojabo was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 2000 and moved to Aberdeen, Scotland with his family in 2007.{{Cite web |last=Sang |first=Orion |date=15 July 2020 |title=Michigan football's David Ojabo thought he'd be in Scotland a week. He has been there 3 months |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2020/07/15/david-ojabo-scotland-michigan-football/5442586002/ |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=Detroit Free Press}}{{Cite web |last=Cryle |first=Ryan |date=18 July 2020 |title=David Ojabo eager to continue American football rise with Michigan Wolverines after three months stranded in Westhill |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/other/2343728/david-ojabo-eager-to-continue-american-football-rise-with-michigan-wolverines-after-three-months-stranded-in-westhill/ |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=Press and Journal}}{{Cite web |date=4 January 2022 |title=From Africa, to Aberdeen, to the NFL |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/59873760 |access-date=5 January 2022 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} At 17, he moved to Blairstown, New Jersey, in the United States and began attending Blair Academy.{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Todderick |date=9 February 2018 |title=Lightning strikes twice at Blair, which boasts DE Ojabo |url=https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/2018/02/lightning_strikes_twice_at_blair_which_boasts_its.html |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=NJ.com}}{{Cite web |last=Farrell |first=Perry A. |date=5 July 2018 |title=From Nigeria to Scotland to N.J., how David Ojabo became Michigan commit |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2018/07/05/david-ojabo-michigan-football-recruiting/758549002/ |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=Detroit Free Press}} He initially played basketball before switching to American football. Ojabo committed to the University of Michigan to play college football{{Cite web |last=Baumgardner |first=Nick |date=2 July 2018 |title=Michigan football: 3-star DE David Ojabo commits to robust 2019 class |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2018/07/02/michigan-football-3-star-de-david-ojabo-commits-2019/750603002/ |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=Detroit Free Press}} in part because the Michigan weather was similar to Scotland and made him feel at home.
College career
Ojabo did not play his first year at Michigan in 2019. As a sophomore in 2020, he played in six games and made one tackle. Ojabo took over as a starter in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Kahn |first=Andrew |date=24 September 2021 |title=Nigeria-born, Scotland-raised, Michigan football LB continues remarkable rise |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2021/09/nigeria-born-scotland-raised-michigan-football-lb-continues-remarkable-rise.html |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=mlive.com}}{{Cite web |last=Chengelis |first=Angelique S. |date=23 September 2021 |title=Michigan's David Ojabo plays with sense of urgency after getting stuck overseas |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2021/09/23/michigan-wolverines-david-ojabo-playing-sense-urgency/5826886001/ |access-date=16 February 2023 |website=Detroit News}} On January 4, 2022, he announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the draft.{{Cite web |last=VanHaaren |first=Tom |date=4 January 2022 |title=Michigan pass-rusher Ojabo entering NFL draft |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32992721/michigan-wolverines-pass-rusher-david-ojabo-entering-nfl-draft |access-date=4 January 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
While performing on Pro Day at Michigan, Ojabo suffered a left ankle injury while performing a drill. It was later confirmed that he had suffered a torn Achilles.{{Cite web |last=VanHaaren |first=Tom |date=19 March 2022 |title=Michigan LB David Ojabo suffered torn Achilles during pro day, could miss six months, source says |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33545367/michigan-lb-david-ojabo-suffered-torn-achilles-pro-day-may-miss-six-months-source-says |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=ESPN.com |agency=Associated Press}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4
| weight = 250
| dash = 4.55
| ten split = 1.59
| twenty split = 2.64
| shuttle = 4.45
| cone drill =
| vertical = 35.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 2
| bench =
| arm span = 33 1/2
| hand span = 9
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Chad |last2=Zierlein |first2=Lance |title=David Ojabo Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/david-ojabo/32004f4a-4141-5291-9c6d-849217a312b3 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |title=David Ojabo, Michigan, DE, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1052097&DraftYear=2022 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=draftscout.com}}
}}
Ojabo was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round, 45th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Clifton |date=29 April 2022 |title=Five Things to Know About David Ojabo |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/david-ojabo-nfl-draft-outside-linebacker-michigan |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}} He was placed on injured reserve on 31 August 2022 as he continued to recover from the Achilles injury he suffered in March.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Clifton |date=31 August 2022 |title=Ravens Move Two to IR, Sign Kenyan Drake and Brent Urban |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/ravens-transactions-ojabo-kolar-injured-reserve-kenyan-drake-brent-urban |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}} He was activated on 1 November.{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=1 November 2022 |title=Ravens Activate Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo to 53-Man Roster |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/tyus-bowser-david-ojabo-ravens-activate |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}} He recorded his first sack in Week 18 in of the 2022 season against the Bengals.{{Cite web |title=David Ojabo 2022 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OjabDa00/gamelog/2022/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
On 30 September 2023, Ojabo was placed on injured reserve.{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=30 September 2023 |title=Ravens Place David Ojabo on Injured Reserve, Sign Kyle Van Noy |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/ravens-place-david-ojabo-on-injured-reserve-sign-kyle-van-noy |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{footballstats|yahoo=34000|espn=4426507|nfl=david-ojabo}}
- [https://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/players-roster/david-ojabo/ Baltimore Ravens bio]
- [https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/david-ojabo/22032 Michigan Wolverines bio]
{{Baltimore Ravens roster navbox}}
{{Ravens2022DraftPicks}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ojabo, David}}
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Baltimore Ravens players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:Sportspeople from Aberdeen
Category:Sportspeople from Port Harcourt
Category:Nigerian players of American football
Category:Scottish players of American football