Ndulue is a Name Sooners Should Remember

By John Rohde // SoonerSports.com

The proper pronunciation of Chuka Ndulue (CHOO-kuh en-DOO-loo-ay) can be difficult to remember, but there's no forgetting what the name translates to in its native language.

Ndulue smiled and puffed out his chest a bit as he shared the answer.

“God is great.”

Powerful. Tough to beat a name like that.

“Indeed … indeed,” said the Oklahoma senior defensive end, still smiling and puffing, but now also nodding.

When the Sooners trailed Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in the closing seconds of last year's regular-season finale, Ndulue freely admitted he tried to contact his namesake.

“I was praying hard. I was a very spiritual man today,” Ndulue said after OU scored two touchdowns in the final 19 seconds to post a 33-24 victory and advance to the Sugar Bowl, where it stunned two-time defending national champion Alabama 45-31.

“If I get really upset, my accent just comes out of nowhere,” Ndulue said with a laugh.

Born in Nigeria, Ndulue speaks two-and-a-half languages. His English is smooth, much like his personality. He speaks Igbo, which one of four official languages of Nigeria. He also speaks half-French, exactly which half “kind of depends on your location back home,” Ndulue explained.

Does he ever talk smack in a foreign tongue? “If I get really upset, my accent just comes out of nowhere,” Ndulue said with a laugh.

In practice, Ndulue goes head-to-head against starting left tackle Tyrus Thompson, who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. “He says he can speak French or something like that,” Thompson said. “I have yet to really hear it.”

Ndulue was in seventh grade when his mother, Vivian, moved the family from Africa to Texas. Ndulue weighed 135 pounds at the time and was having a love affair with futbol, not football.

Ndulue's first year of American football was as a freshman on the junior varsity team at Dallas Jesuit. His parents didn't allow Ndulue to play football as a sophomore because his grades dipped.

While all this was happening, Ndulue gained approximately 70 pounds in just one year. “Somehow my weight gene kicked in,” Ndulue said. As a result, his soccer career came to an abrupt halt when he reached 205 pounds.

An opposing player, who weighed around 120 pounds, ran into Ndulue during a soccer match. “He bounced right off me,” recalled Ndulue, who didn't flinch. Ndulue was red-carded on the play, disqualified and suddenly realized he was too big for his soccer dream to continue.

Although Ndulue's parents wanted him to concentrate solely on academics, longtime Dallas Jesuit football coach Bob Wunderlick eventually convinced them to allow Ndulue to return to football.

Chuka Ndulue

Ndulue was sidelined most of his junior season with a high ankle sprain. According to Wunderlick, Ndulue was the strongest player on the team and weighed 230 pounds, but he had yet to accumulate any highlights because of the ankle injury and was still unknown to recruiters.

Wunderlick started telephoning college coaches, and OU defensive ends coach Chris Wilson was among them. “I have somebody you need to look at,” Wunderlick told Wilson.

Word soon began to spread on Ndulue, who was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN after collecting 50 tackles and eight sacks as a senior.

So, after playing what essentially amounted to one full season of varsity football in his entire life, Ndulue signed a letter of intent with one of the most storied college programs in history, choosing OU over TCU and Baylor.

Ndulue arrived in Norman as a 6-foot-2, 252-pounder who was part of a superb 2010 recruiting class that included receiver Kenny Stills, cornerback Aaron Colvin, fullback Trey Millard, running back Roy Finch, running back Brennan Clay, linebacker Corey Nelson, safety Tony Jefferson, receiver Trey Franks and offensive lineman Bronson Irwin. Others who redshirted from that same class include Ndulue, Thompson, offensive tackle Daryl Williams, offensive guard Adam Shead, cornerback Julian Wilson, linebacker Geneo Grissom, tight end Blake Bell and safety Quentin Hayes – all of whom are starting for the Sooners this season.

The first time Ndulue played on Owen Field in front of 85,000 fans, he remembered thinking, “Please, Lord. Don't let me do anything stupid.”

Much like his move from his native land to the Metroplex, Ndulue has been all over the map as to what position he plays and exactly how big he should be while playing it.

The first time Ndulue played on Owen Field in front of 85,000 fans, he remembered thinking, “Please, Lord. Don't let me do anything stupid.”

As a redshirt sophomore two years ago, Ndulue started nine games at right end on perhaps the thinnest, weakest defensive line in OU history, let alone the Bob Stoops era. It was a statistical nightmare for the Sooners, who ranked 70th nationally in sacks (1.85 per game), 89th in rushing defense (192.2 yards), 100th in takeaways (16 total), 112th in tackles for loss per game (4.23) and 117th in fumbles recovered (three).

OU's signature under Stoops had been an attacking defensive front, but it didn't live up to that standard that year. Due to their lack of depth, experience and talent, the Sooners' defensive approach essentially was an attempt at damage control, which often failed miserably in the spread/no-huddle era of college football.

Several opposing players had career outings against OU's defense in 2012 that Mike Stoops and Ndulue would prefer that we forget:

· West Virginia running back Tavon Austin: Big 12 record 572 all-purpose yards; 344 yards rushing; 16.4 yards-per-carry.

· Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel: 229 yards rushing and two touchdowns; 13.5 yards-per-carry; 22 for 34 passing for 287 yards and two touchdowns in the Cotton Bowl.

Chuka Ndulue

Jerry Montgomery arrived as the new defensive line coach just before 2013 spring practice and promptly categorized Ndulue as a tweener. “He's not tall enough to be a great edge rusher, but not big enough to be a great inside guy,” Montgomery said.

With massive attrition in the defensive interior prior to last season, Ndulue was moved from end to tackle, which required him to drop some weight and rely on his quickness to shoot between gaps against the opposing offensive line.

Ndulue was delighted when Stoops decided to switch from 4-3 defensive front to the current 3-4 alignment. As a result, Ndulue returned to defensive end, which requires him to line up directly across from the opposing tackle. This meant Ndulue had to add bulk.

“I like it because it gave me a chance to gain weight,” Ndulue said. “For a fat kid, I got to go to Chipotle and double up on my burrito. Little stuff like that makes me happy. That makes me sound so fat, but you know, I got to gain weight.”

Ndulue laughs at his constant weight fluctuation, particularly given that in a span of roughly 10 years, he has gone from 135 pounds to just shy of 300 at one point. He has since dropped to 289. “It's always difficult for your body to adjust at first because you always have to deal with the back problems,” Ndulue said. “But once the back is fine, I'm good.”

For a fat kid, I got to go to Chipotle and double up on my burrito. Little stuff like that makes me happy. That makes me sound so fat, but you know, I got to gain weight.
Chuka Ndulue

Engaging with the opposing tackle helps free up linebackers to make plays and Ndulue has never shied away from getting physical. It was his physicality that pushed him into the starting lineup in 2012. “It's a big boys' game,” Ndulue said prior to 2013 spring practice. “I like that a lot. I like hitting people.”

While discussing the various positions Ndulue has played and the weight fluctuation that has accompanied each move, Thompson couldn't resist taking a verbal shot at his friend. “He used to be a lot quicker than he is now. He's got a big old belly now,” Thompson said with a smile. “Nah, he works really hard. He's also a great technical player. That's why he catches (detects) a lot of screen plays. He can feel that stuff. He's really smart.”

In the Sooners' 4-0 start to the season, Ndulue easily led all linemen in tackles with 16. He also had 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and one quarterback hurry.

While difficult to pronounce, rest assured, Sooners' fans are plenty thankful that this former futbol prodigy came to Norman.

About John Rohde

John Rohde is a respected name on the Oklahoma sports scene and will provide regular features for SoonerSports.com. Voted Oklahoma Sportswriter of the Year five times, Rohde has covered OU football and basketball, the Oklahoma City Thunder, OKC/New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, the Final Four, Masters and PGA Tour. He spent over 26 years for The Oklahoman, serving as a columnist and beat writer. He can be heard on 107.7 The Franchise, the flagship station for OU Athletics weekdays from 5:30-9 a.m.