Understudy Romeo Steals Spotlight

There were 253 names called at the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago.

- Geoff Magliocchetti

Romeo Okwara’s was not one.

Despite emerging from the football powerhouse they call Notre Dame, partaking in a football revolution in South Bend that crowned in the program’s 2014 national championship appearance, its first realistic shot at a title in over two decades, Okwara didn’t hear his name called during the draft proceedings last spring.

Instead, he signed on with the New York Giants as a free agent, offered the challenge of making an NFL roster in the grueling New Jersey summer. When camp broke, Okwara was part of the opening-day squad ... but it was by no means caused by the luck of the (Fighting) Irish.

“Romeo is a young guy that was kind of a surprise when he came here,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “He has got some length; he is a smart football player, high-effort guy.”

From his first games in Giants blue, Okwara endeared himself to the faithful almost immediately in the best way an undrafted rookie can … leading the Giants to victory in the annual tradition formerly known as the “Snoopy Bowl,” the nickname gifted to the Giants annual preseason tilt with their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, the New York Jets. After picking up a sack the week before in the Giants exhibition contest with the Buffalo Bills, Okwara ended a potential Jets game-winning drive, not just by sacking fellow rookie Christian Hackenberg, but forcing a fumble as well on the final drive of the Giants 21-20 victory.