A Special Homecoming For Chig Okonkwo and Sam Okuayinonu

When Chigoziem "Chig" Okonkwo got a hold of his first NFL schedule, one game stood out from the rest.

Okonkwo saw that his first taste of NFL action would come in Baltimore, approximately 30 miles from Maryland Stadium, where he spent the past four years hauling in touchdown after touchdown.

As if that wasn't special enough, Okonkwo, a fourth-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans, knew that it was tradition for the Terps to make an appearance during one of the Ravens' preseason games.

"Immediately I was like 'Damn, I hope (the team) comes to this game,'" Okonkwo said. "Every year we went to a preseason game during camp and this was a perfect game for them to come."

The team was, in fact, in attendance, providing some added excitement for both Okonkwo and fellow Titan and former Maryland star Sam Okuayinonu.

"It was very exciting to come back to Maryland and play ball," Okuayinonu said. "Seeing my former teammates at the game gave me a little extra juice. I just love everything about being back in Maryland."

As the two former Terps walked through the tunnels at halftime, they came within a few feet of their former teammates, who lined up to enter the field later in the game for a special scholarship announcement. Loud cheers erupted from the team in celebration of Okonkwo and Okuayinonu.

"That was really cool to walk through the tunnel and see my boys there cheering me on," Okonkwo said.

Okuayinonu had some added Terp support at the game. Craig Kushner, a Terp alum and Okuayinonu's mentor during his time at Maryland, was in the stands along with Okuayinonu's mom.

"It was really special to have them both there," Okuayinonu said.

The Titans signed Okuayinonu as an undrafted free agent on April 30. Last year as a Terp, the 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle started in all 12 games, totaling 55 tackles (36 solo) and a team-high six sacks. He was also named Third Team All-Big Ten.

Okonkwo was a focal point of last year's potent Maryland offense. The tight end stood second on the team with 52 receptions for 447 yards with a team-best five touchdowns. The 447 receiving yards were the most by a Maryland tight end since Vernon Davis in 2005.

Now, the pair is bringing their lifelong goals to fruition together.

"Just stepping onto that field for the first time, looking into the stands, it was amazing," Okuayinonu said. "It's really dreams to reality."

Neither player has had an easy path to get to where they are today.

Okonkwo suffered from myocarditis in 2020, forcing him to miss the entire season. The road back to full health was lonely and challenging, but Okonkwo never wavered in his belief that he would find his way back to the field and, ultimately, reach the NFL.

"I always knew I would get to this point," Okonkwo said. "I never doubted myself even when all of that happened. It's just very nice to finally get to see it through. It always makes for a cool story, but, in my mind, I was never not going to be here."

Okuayinonu had a remarkable journey not just to the NFL but to the United States, fleeing his home country of Liberia as a child due to the nation's civil war. He was also separated from his mother, Clara, for some time.

"Coming from where I came from to playing in Ravens Stadium, it's amazing," he said. "I can't even put it into words."

Both guys got to see game action against the Ravens.

Okonkwo, who is listed as the Titans’ second-string tight end as a rookie, got 23 snaps and recorded one catch for five yards. It won’t go in the record books, but Okonkwo also had a key pass rush pickup on one of the Titans most explosive plays of the night—a 48-yard downfield pass completion that ultimately led to a successful field goal.

Still, Okonkwo has bigger and better things in mind for his play.

"I'm just scratching the surface with everything I do," Okonkwo said. "The sky's the limit."

Okuayinonu recorded nine snaps and made a tackle in the Titans' 23-10 loss.

"Obviously it wasn't the result we wanted, but I went out there and left it all on the field," Okuayinonu said. "I took care of my assignments and knew what I had to do. You gotta take advantage of all the opportunities you get, and I feel like I did that out there today."

The Titans won't be making any more trips to Baltimore during the regular season. However, Okonkwo and Okuayinonu will always have this memory—their first professional game, which happened to take place in the state where both developed into NFL-caliber players.

"It's funny how all that works out," Okonkwo said. "It kinda brings everything full circle."