CAREER HONORS
- 2021 Third Team All-Big Ten
- 2021 Phil Steele Third Team All-Big Ten
OKUAYINONU IN THE NEWS
• Sam Okuayinonu’s extra season with Maryland might get him to the NFL (Washington Post, December 28, 2021)
• Overcoming the Odds: Sam Okuayinonu's Journey Has Brought Him Around the World (UMTerps.com, October 22, 2021)
• Sam Okuayinonu’s journey to becoming one of Maryland football’s most reliable defenders (Testudo Times, September 23, 2021)
• Maryland Football’s Sam Okuayinonu Proud Of How Journey Has Shaped Him (PressBox, September 1, 2021)
• After three states and two junior colleges, a Liberian soccer fanatic landed with Maryland football (Washington Post, November 27, 2019)
As a Redshirt Senior (2021): Started in all 12 games ... Totaled 55 tackles (36 solo) and led the team with six sacks for a loss of 55 yards and 8.5 tackles for loss for 59 yards ... Third Team All-Big Ten
Tallied five tackles (four solo) in bowl clinching win at Rutgers (11/27) ... Posted a 10-yard sack as part of three tackle performance at #8 Michigan State (11/13) ... Has at least one sack in four of seven games ... Totaled a career-high nine tackles (three solo) at Minnesota (10/23)Nabbed four tackles (two solo) and a tackle for loss at #7 Ohio State (10/9) ... Notched two tackles for loss for 11 yards and one 10-yard sack vs. #5 Iowa (10/1) Tallied two sacks in win over Illinois (9/17), including huge play with the game tied late in the 4th quarter, forcing a loss of 11 and giving MD the ball back ... Posted a sack for the second straight week in win vs. Howard (9/11) ... Led the Terps with a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss and tallied a sack in win over West Virginia (9/4)
As a Senior (2020): Tallied four tackles and 0.5 for loss at #12 Indiana (11/28) ... Notched two tackles and half sack for six yards in win at Penn State (11/7) ... Earned start and was named captain vs. Minnesota (10/30) ... Matched career-high with seven tackles (three solo) and a half tackle for loss at Northwestern (10/24)
As a Junior (2019): Appeared in 11 of 12 games with one start on the defensive line, missing only the game at #1 Ohio State (11/9) ...
Tallied 31 tackles (18 solo) and 4.5 tackles for loss for 13 yards with one sack ... Posted four tackles vs. Nebraska (11/23) ... Had five tackles with a career-best 1.5 for loss in season finale at Michigan State (11/30) ... Matched career-high with three solo tackles including one for loss vs. #14 Michigan (11/2) ... Recorded three tackles including one for loss at Purdue (10/12) ... Earned first career start vs. #12 Penn State (9/27) ... Led Maryland with seven tackles and posted a sack in Terrapin debut vs. Howard (8/31).
Before Maryland: Rated a three-star recruit (247Sports) ... Rated the sixth-best JUCO strong side defensive end in the nation ... Notched 62 total tackles (21.5 for loss) with 17.5 sacks and one forced fumble ... Named the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year ... All-Region and All-MCAC First-Team selection ... Native of Liberia and lived there until he was 12 years old ... Majoring in Kinesiology
OKUAYINONU’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles - 9 (at Minnesota, 10/23/21)
Solo Tackles - 4 (at Michigan State, 11/30/19)
Tackles for Loss - 2.0 (2x, last vs. #5 Iowa, 10/1/21)
Sacks - 2.0 (at Illinois, 9/17/21)
