‘Big Maple’ Okpoko’s family ‘explodes’ after Ottawa drafts him

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When the Ottawa Redblacks selected Daniel “Big Maple” Okpoko with their second-round pick (11th overall) in Tuesday’s CFL draft, they kicked off separate celebrations approximately 3,330 km away.

One in the Redblacks’ “war room” at TD Place, another at Okpoko’s mother’s house in Calgary.

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“It was a little crazy for us because we were watching (the draft on TSN) and we didn’t know where we were going to go,” Okpoko said by phone the next day when describing that scene with family members. “The whole room was tense and everyone was nervous the whole time we were watching. We just didn’t know what was going to happen. And then the ad came on the screen and we just exploded.

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“When Coach (Bob) Dyce (of the Redblacks) called me afterward, everyone here was still excited. I had to calm them down so I could hear. When I mentioned the family, the entire room erupted again.

“It was definitely a good feeling. Definitely.”

A similar joy was evident at the Redblacks’ home.

After drafting towering wide receiver Nick Mardner in the first round, Ottawa’s brain trust didn’t think Okpoko would still be available when it was his turn again.

Teams say things like that all the time, but judging by the way usually serious general manager Shawn Burke and Dyce lit up when talking about landing the 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive tackle coming off five years with the Division I San Francisco. Diego Estado Aztecas, the words felt sincere.

“These drafts are fun, aren’t they, because you always say you get what you see and what you like,” Dyce said. “I can tell you that we are all very happy that Daniel Okpoko was there. He is extremely talented. He’s going to continue growing. If you look at his last year at San Diego State, he really played with a purpose. At the same time that he occupies a very high spot on our draft board, he occupies a spot on our roster.”

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Okpoko also inherits a strong mentor: respected veteran Cleyon Laing.

“We all know Cleyon is an elite Canadian tackle, but adding Daniel really helps us,” Dyce said. “He will be in the rotation with our interior players and that helps our squad. Super excited that Daniel is going to be a Redblack and he is super excited. As I told him while his family was screaming on the phone, I told him we were equals in the war room because we were all so excited for him to join us.”

Okpoko’s cousin is Israel Idonije, a solid defensive end who spent most of his 10-year career (2004-2014) in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. Despite strong bloodlines, his parents didn’t want him to play soccer when the family moved from Lagos, Nigeria, to Saskatoon when he was 11.

“She was very, very thin,” Okpoko said. “My parents didn’t want me to get hurt. They were simply protective. They saw how big my cousin was and told me, ‘You’re not that big yet, so you can’t play.’ “

With a strenuous exercise regimen, Okpoko gained weight. The soccer ball he kicked earlier was kicked to the side. In high school, his parents were no longer opposed to him wearing a helmet and pads.

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“The game was love at first sight,” Okpoko said. “It was instantaneous. “I was playing at recess, but when I finally got the chance to play competitively, I knew that was what I wanted to do.”

Okpoko wanted to be on defense like his cousin, but he didn’t want to play the same position. He then he started at linebacker.

“I started getting bigger and then I thought, ‘You’re bigger than everyone else, why don’t you go to the D-line?’ That’s when I made the change.”

As his high school days came to an end, Okpoko continued to pursue his dream. He went to Recruit Ready in Winnipeg and another camp in Regina to show off his skills.

Offers from American universities began to arrive.

“I had the opportunity to go to San Diego and made a connection with the coach there,” he said, referring to Brady Hoke, the Aztecs head coach whose focus was on the defensive side. “It was definitely everything he expected. It was a good learning experience. “I got to work with one of the brightest minds in football and it was just amazing to learn from him and grow as a football player.”

And that’s where the burly Canadian earned his nickname.

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“My freshman year, I think I hit 230-something, and then my sophomore year I hit 260,” he recalled. “One of the trainers said, ‘Wow, you’re really gaining weight…we should start calling you Big Maple.’ Some players listened to him and then he continued and never stopped.”

Neither does its development. In his final year with the Aztecs, Okpoko started all 12 games and recorded 23 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass deflections and five quarterback hurries.

He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. When his playing days are over, he plans to become a lawyer.

But for now, all his attention is focused on the field. Of course he would like to follow in cousin Israel’s footsteps and make it to the NFL. What person doesn’t want to reach the top of their profession? – But his attention is focused on the here and now.

“I have a lot of goals for my rookie year… I plan to eventually win rookie of the year… it’s definitely something I have my eyes on,” Okpoko said. “I plan to get there and put up numbers, just be the best version of myself that I can be and definitely have a long and successful career there. “I’m looking forward to it.”

SHORT PITCHES: Hours after the draft, the Redblacks made a trade with the Edmonton Elks, acquiring long snapper Peter Adjey in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025. The 24-year-old Queen’s University product is 6-foot-3, 230 feet tall. . Toronto native Pound who has suited up in all 36 of the Elks’ games since they selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft.

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