| Frank Okam |
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Defensive Tackle
6-5 · 320
Dallas, Texas (Lake Highlands)
#97
· 2007 season highlights video
· 2006 season highlights video
A big, strong and explosive fourth-year player who elected to bypass the NFL Draft and return to UT for his senior season ... a third-team All-America selection by The Associated Press ... a member of the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy watch lists ... a three-time All-Big 12 selection ... played in 50 career games, starting 39, and recorded 160 tackles, 10 sacks, 28 TFL, 46 pressures, 12 PBD, a forced fumble and five fumble recoveries ... started all 13 games in 2007 ... tabbed first-team All-Big 12 by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and second-team All-Big 12 by The Associated Press, Austin American-Statesman and the league's coaches ... tallied 52 tackles, 11 TFL, five sacks, 16 pressures, five PBD, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery ... started 12 games in 2006 ... earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from The Associated Press ... was a preseason member of the Playboy All-America team ... posted 38 tackles, six TFL, two sacks, 10 pressures and recovered a fumble ... started all 13 games in 2005 ... earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches ... notched 48 tackles, five TFL, 11 pressures, a sack, two PBD and two fumble recoveries, one of which was recovered in the end zone for a TD ... earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News as a true freshman in 2004 ... played in all 12 games in 2004, including one start ... recorded 22 tackles, six TFL, nine pressures, five PBD, a fumble recovery and was second on the team with two sacks ... was a Parade All-American as a prepster ... a 2007 first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... a five-time member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll ... graduated in December 2007 with a degree in sports management (three-and-a-half years) ... drafted with the 16th pick in the fifth round (151st overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft.
SENIOR (2007)
Started all 13 games ... a member of the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy watch lists ... tabbed first-team All-Big 12 by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and second-team All-Big 12 by The Associated Press and the league's coaches ... voted a captain by his teammates ... earned one of the Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Strength & Conditioning Awards and was named one of UT's Outstanding Defensive Linemen ... a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... helped UT allow just 93.4 rushing yards per game (Sixth NCAA) ... tallied 52 tackles, 11 TFL, five sacks, 16 pressures, five PBD, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery ... recorded five tackles, including three TFL and 1.5 sacks, a PBD and a pressure against Arkansas State ... added a tackle against No. 19 TCU ... posted four tackles, a PBD and three pressures at UCF ... tallied four tackles, including three TFL and two sacks, a PBD and a pressure versus Rice ... posted a tackle and two pressures against Kansas State ... recorded seven tackles and three pressures versus No. 10 Oklahoma ... tallied two stops at Iowa State ... posted four tackles, a PBD and two pressures at Baylor ... recorded six tackles, including two TFL and a sack, and a pressure against Nebraska ... also forced and recovered a fumble that set up a TD versus the Huskers ... notched seven tackles at Oklahoma State ... posted two stops and a pressure against Texas Tech ... added six tackles, two TFL, a half sack and two pressures at Texas A&M ... notched three tackles, a TFL and a PBD against Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl.
JUNIOR (2006)
Started 12 games ... sat out the Baylor game to rest an injury and only appeared on special teams against Nebraska ... earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from The Associated Press ... was a preseason member of the Playboy All-America team ... helped UT give up only 61.2 yards rushing per game (third NCAA), 297.4 yards per game (22nd NCAA) and 18.3 points per game (26th NCAA) ... the 61.2 yards rushing per game ranks second on UT's all-time list ... posted 38 tackles, six TFL, two sacks, 10 pressures and recovered a fumble ... finished the season strong by recording 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three TFL, four pressures and a fumble recovery over the final four games ... recorded two tackles and a pressure against North Texas ... notched three tackles and a pressure versus No. 1 Ohio State ... had five tackles, including two TFL and a half sack, and two pressures at Rice ... added three tackles against Sam Houston State ... made two tackles versus No. 14 Oklahoma ... recorded three tackles and a pressure at No. 17 Nebraska ... added a TFL and a pressure at Texas Tech ... posted five tackles and a pressure against Oklahoma State ... recorded five tackles at Kansas State ... notched five tackles, including a half sack, two pressures and recovered a fumble against Texas A&M ... posted four tackles, two TFL, a sack and a pressure in the Alamo Bowl versus Iowa.
SOPHOMORE (2005)
Started all 13 games at defensive tackle ... earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches ... part of a defense that ranked 10th nationally in total defense (302.9 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (16.4 ppg), eighth in passing defense (172.0 ypg) and 33rd in rushing defense (130.9 ypg) ... more than doubled the production from his freshman year with 48 tackles, five TFL, 11 pressures, a sack, two PBD and two fumble recoveries, one of which was recovered in the end zone for a TD ... opened the season with four tackles and a TFL against La.-Lafayette ... recorded three tackles and a pressure at No. 4 Ohio State ... made two tackles and scored his first career TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone against Rice ... notched a career-high seven tackles, including a TFL, to go along with two QB pressures and a fumble recovery at Missouri ... posted six tackles and a pressure versus Oklahoma ... recorded six tackles and a pressure against No. 24 Colorado ... notched four tackles, a TFL and batted down a pass versus No. 10 Texas Tech ... posted five tackles and a pressure at Oklahoma State ... tallied three tackles and a pressure at Baylor ... recorded two tackles, a PBD and a pressure against Kansas ... notched four tackles, including a TFL, and a pressure at Texas A&M ... added one tackle in the Big 12 Championship ... made two tackles, including his first sack of the season, in Texas' 41-38 victory over USC for the National Championship.
FRESHMAN (2004)
Played in all 12 games and started one ... earned first-team Freshman-All America honors from The Sporting News ... competed for time at defensive tackle and played on special teams ... part of a defense that allowed just 320.1 yards per game (23rd NCAA), 107.4 rushing yards per game (16th NCAA) and 17.9 points per game (18th NCAA) ... posted 22 tackles, six TFL, nine pressures, five passes batted down, a fumble recovery and two sacks ... also ranked second on the team in PBDs ... recorded two tackles, one PBD and a fumble recovery versus North Texas ... had a six-yard return on the fumble that set up a 29-yard TD drive for Texas ... notched his first career sack versus Rice along with a season-high five tackles ... registered three tackles, a TFL, a PBD and a pressure against Baylor ... tallied two tackles and a pressure versus Missouri ... recorded two TFL, two pressures, one PBD and his second sack at Texas Tech ... had two tackles and a PBU at Colorado ... made two tackles against No. 19 Oklahoma State ... posted one tackle, one PBD and one pressure at Kansas ... compiled one tackle and four pressures versus No. 22 Texas A&M.
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Jerry Gayden at Lake Highlands H.S. ... a versatile athlete who earned 5A All-State recognition in both football and track & field ... earned 2004 Parade All-America honors ... a two-time first-team all-district selection as well ... posted 170 tackles, seven sacks, 14 TFL, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 11 QB pressures, one blocked kick and five PBUs during his career ... earned first-team 5A all-state honors from The Associated Press in 2003 ... tabbed first-team all-district 9-5A as a senior ... played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl following his senior season ... posted 56 tackles (31 solo), four sacks, eight TFL, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three QB pressures, one blocked kick and four PBUs in helping his squad limit opponents to just 215.7 total yards per game in 2003 ... earned first-team all-district honors after recording 61 tackles, three sacks and five TFL as a junior ... his team was 6-5 and earned a spot in the state playoffs that season ... earned all-district recognition and was a starter on Lake Highlands' defensive line as a sophomore ... registered 53 stops that year ... also a track & field standout who finished fifth at the 2003 Texas 5A state meet in the discus (174-6).
PERSONAL
Born 10/16/85 in Pinebluff, Ark. ... full name is Franklin Nonyelu Okam, Jr. ... moved to Texas at age four ... graduated in December 2007 with a degree in sports management (three-and-a-half years) ... a 2007 first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... a five-time member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll ... honor student who maintained a 3.9 GPA as a prepster ... was ranked among the top 30 students in his senior class ... speaks French ... has taken five years of classes learning the language ... active in UT's community service program ... participated in A Hero's Tribute by welcoming troops back to Fort Hood after being stationed overseas ... is part of a group of Longhorns that regularly visits patients at the Austin Children's Hospital ... enjoys playing chess and dominos ... spent the past two summers working at an Austin law firm ... intends to go to law school after his playing days are over ... enjoys cooking ... has been preparing meals since he was eight years old.
CAREER STATISTICS
Year G/GS TT (Solo) Sacks TFL QBP INT PBD FC FR High
2007 13/13 52 (25) 5.0 (-50) 11 (-62) 16 0 5 1 1 7/2x
2006 12/12 38 (22) 2.0 (-8) 6 (-13) 10 0 0 0 1 5/4x
2005 13/13 48 (23) 1.0 (-7) 5 (-14) 11 0 2 0 2 7/MU
2004 12/1 22 (11) 2.0 (-13) 6 (-20) 9 0 5 0 1 5/RU
Career 50/39 160 (81) 10.0 (-78) 28 (-109) 46 0 12 1 5 7/3x
High Games
Tackles: 7 at Oklahoma State (Sr.); vs. Oklahoma (Sr.) vs. Missouri (So.)
Sacks: 2 vs. Rice (Sr.)
TFL: 3 vs. Rice (Sr.); vs. Arkansas State (Sr.)
QB pressures: 4 vs. Texas A&M (Fr.)
