Franklin Nonyelu Okam, Jr. (born October 16, 1985) is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

coach and former

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

who currently serves as the assistant defensive line coach for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). Okam played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and ...

and was selected by the Texans in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He also was a member of the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which played in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010 UFL season, 2010. During ...

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

, and Carolina Panthers.

Early life

Of Nigerian descent, Okam attended

Lake Highlands High School Lake Highlands High School (LHHS) is a secondary school serving grades 9–12 in the Lake Highlands area of northeastern Dallas, Texas, United States, primarily serving the Lake Highlands community. The school is part of the Richardson Independe ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, where he competed in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

where he was an all-district, all-area, & all-state. He also competed in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

where his team finished as Region II semifinalists. Okam also competed in

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

where was a state finalist in discus, all while holding a 3.9 GPA. As a senior at Lake Highlands, Okam achieved a bench max, squat max, 29 inch vertical, and an impressive 4.9 40-yard dash for a man of his size. He weighed in at on a frame. Okam was highly recruited as the second ranked defensive tackle in the nation, Okam received scholarship offers from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

, and

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

among other universities. He was a Parade All American. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Oil Bowl in which he got Defensive MVP following his senior season.

Playing career

College

Okam accepted a scholarship to the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

, where he played defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns football team from 2004 to 2007. Okam contributed immediately as a true freshman, earning first-team Freshman All-American honors from ''

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

''. As a sophomore, he started all 13 games at

nose tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

and earned second-team All-

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Okla ...

honors from the league's coaches. He made five

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

, including his first

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

of the season, in Texas' 41–38 victory over

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

for the 2005–06 National Championship. As a junior, he started 11 games and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, and he made the 2006

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

first-team All-American squad. In their 2007-season preview magazine, CBS Sportsline.com said, "Frank Okam should be one of the top players in the country" during his senior season with the 2007 Texas Longhorns football team. After a stellar senior season, Okam finished his career at the University of Texas with 160 total tackles, 81 solo tackles with 28 tackles for a loss. In addition, Okam finished his career with 10 sacks, a forced fumble, 5 recovered fumbles, and 12 deflected passes.

National Football League

Houston Texans

Okam was selected by the

in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2008 NFL draft. He was waived on October 25, 2010.

Seattle Seahawks

Okam signed with the Seattle Seahawks on November 2, 2010.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The

signed Okam as a free agent after he was cut by the

. He was waived on November 22, 2011, and re-signed to the team's practice squad the following day. He was then cut again by the

on Aug 31, 2012.

New York Giants

He was signed by the

on May 11, 2013 after a veteran tryout at the rookie minicamp. On August 25, 2013, he was cut by the Giants.

Coaching career

Rice University

In 2014, Okam began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

. In his 1st season working with the defensive line, Rice's defensive line broke the school record for most sacks in a season. Led by Zach Patt and Brian Nordstrom who finished 3rd and 4th respectively on Rice's single season sack list. Brian Nordstrom garnered 1st team All C-USA honors as well as finishing the season as the C-USA TFL leader. Patt set a school record 5 sacks and 3 FF in a game vs FIU and was National Player of the Week. Rice broke the record during the 2014 Hawai'i Bowl vs Fresno State. In 2016, he was promoted to defensive line coach. In 2017, Rice's defensive line was one of the top in C-USA. Roe Wilkins led all interior C-USA lineman with 6.5 sacks. That would put him 10th all time on Rice's single season sack list. Brian Womac earned 1st team All C-USA honors and led the team with 10 sacks and broke the school record with 22 TFLs. Womac's 10 sacks are second all time on Rice's single season sack list. Womac signed as a free agent with the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

following his 2017 season.

Baylor University

In 2018, Okam was hired as the defensive line coach at

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

. During the 2018 season, Baylor's Defensive Line improved and seniors, Ira Lewis and Greg Roberts signed as free agents and made NFL rosters the next season playing for the

and the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, respectively. In 2019, Baylor had one of the top defensive line's in the country. Okam was up for the Football Scoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year Honors. Under Okam's tutelage, and led by James Lynch and Bravvion Roy, Baylor's defensive line broke the school's sack record with 46 sacks. They also led the country with 23 sacks while only rushing 3 defensive lineman. Roy made 61 tackles including 13 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, seven QB hurries, and one blocked kick. He was named to the first-team All-Big 12. Roy was selected in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL draft to the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

. Lynch was named preseason first-team All-Big 12 and to the

Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and profess ...

watchlist entering his junior season. Lynch was named first-team All-Big 12, the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, the conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-America selection after finishing the regular season with 41 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and a conference-high 13.5 sacks along with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, five passes defended and two blocked kicks. Lynch's 13.5 sacks broke a Baylor school record. Lynch was selected in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL draft to the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

Carolina Panthers

On January 20, 2020, Okam was hired by the

as their assistant defensive line coach, reuniting with head coach Matt Rhule. During the 2020 Season, Okam helped tutor 1st round pick Derrick Brown, 2nd round pick Yetur Gross-Matos, and 6th round pick Bravvion Roy. Several Panther defensive lineman recorded career years in sack production including Brian Burns, Efe Obada, and Marquis Haynes. In February 2021, Okam was promoted to head defensive line coach for the

. Okam coached and mentored 2021 NFL Draft picks Daviyon Nixon, 5th round pick and Phil Hoskins, 7th round pick. Nixon appeared in 7 games with 9 total tackles with .5 sacks. Hoskins finished with 4 tackles and 1 sack. • 2nd year DL Derrick Brown set career-highs in sacks (3.0) and total tackles (41) in 2021 • 2nd year DL Yetur Gross-Matos set career-highs in games played (14) and sacks (3.5) and total tackles in 2021 Brian Burns was selected as a Pro Bowl Starter for the NFC for the 2021 Pro Bowl. Burns tied his career high in sacks set in 2020. • Helped improve Carolina's defensive unit YOY, 2020 vs. 2021: Rushing Yards Per Game: 121.0 vs. 113.8 Passing Yards Per Game: 239.1 vs. 192.1 (4th NFL) Points Per Game: 25.1 vs. 23.8 Total Sacks: 29 vs. 39 3rd Down Conv. Rate: 49.3% (31st NFL) vs. 37.8% (9th NFL) Carolina finished with the #2 defense in the NFL

Las Vegas Raiders

On February 17, 2022,

Josh McDaniels Joshua Thomas McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American professional football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the offensive coordinator of the Patrio ...

and the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

hired Okam to be their defensive line coach. Okam was let go on February 19, 2023, after one season with the Raiders. Maxx Crosby finished with career highs in sacks and tackles for loss. Andrew Billings also had a career year statistically.

Toledo Rockets

On June 6, 2023, Toledo hired Okam be their new defensive line coach. In 2023, Toledo finished 27th in the country in total defense. Toledo was 11th in the country in total sacks with 39 and ranked top 10 in the country in forced fumbles per game, with 14. Judge Culpepper was 1st Team All-MAC and finished the year with 9.0 sacks. Darius Alexander was 3rd Team All-MAC. Toledo had 10 defensive lineman with at least 1.0 sacks in the season.

Houston Texans

On February 16, 2025, the

hired Okam to serve as their assistant defensive line coach.

References

External links

Houston Texans bio

Seattle Seahawks bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okam, Frank 1985 births Living people Players of American football from Pine Bluff, Arkansas American players of American football of Nigerian descent American football defensive tackles Texas Longhorns football players Houston Texans players 21st-century American sportsmen Seattle Seahawks players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players New York Giants players Carolina Panthers coaches Baylor Bears football coaches Rice Owls football coaches Las Vegas Raiders coaches Lake Highlands High School alumni