The auditorium at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center was full of laughter and fond memories.
Osi Umenyiora, a key piece to the last two Giants Super Bowl teams, was at the podium for his official retirement press conference, sharing stories about general manager Jerry Reese, coach Tom Coughlin and owners John Mara and Steve Tisch as the media, Giants personnel and players took a stroll down memory lane with him.
Nobody, however, was paying closer attention than rookie defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who was sitting quietly in the back of the room, taking it all in.
“Ever since that day I watched him play, I fell in love with how he played,” said Odighizuwa, a third-round pick out of UCLA who is of Nigerian descent, just like Umenyiora. “One summer I did every little drill he did to a T. I did that every single day. Every drill that I could find on him during the offseason. He’s a guy I looked up to a lot.
“He [was] just really quick off the ball, very smart, very crafty, and just really, really good with his hands. He does a lot of those things I’m working on, progressing and getting better at every day.”
Odighizuwa got the chance to sit down with Umenyiora and shake his hand. He would like to build a relationship. Umenyiora watched some film of Odighizuwa and left impressed.
“I think he looks very explosive,” Umenyiora said. “He’s going to be a great player for this franchise.”
One day, the Giants hope Odighizuwa can be a part of a dominant defensive line as Umenyiora was, a group that included Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck. Unsolicited, Coughlin brought up the youngster, as he was discussing how important it is for the Giants’ young defensive lineman to have a bar to aim for.
“He is a guy that is a talented young guy that can learn from watching these guys and knowing full well the success that that group had,” Coughlin said.
Veteran defensive lineman Robert Ayers previously echoed Coughlin, telling reporters early on in camp Odighizuwa “is going to be a monster.”
Odighizuwa enjoyed a solid career at UCLA, establishing a reputation as a quality run-stuffer in the Bruins’ 3-4 defense. As a senior, he was a second team All-Pac 12 selection, tying for the team lead with 11.5 tackles for losses and registering six sacks. He has impressed the Giants in training camp after missing most of OTAs because of a leg injury, even getting some reps with the first team.
While Coughlin singling him out may place an unnecessary spotlight on Odighizuwa at the baby stages of his development, he said he was pleased to hear his name even mentioned as someone capable of continuing the Giants’ tradition of producing elite defensive ends.
“I don’t take those words lightly at all,” he said. “Any time Coach can mention me in that type of conversation, it’s definitely an honor. But that’s something I work towards every day, is being the best I can be, and contributing to [the Giants’] tradition is something that’s a dream of mine. It’s something I’m never going to let go of.”
Odighizuwa is one of many young defensive players the Giants have high hopes for, along with another rookie, safety Landon Collins, and third-year defensive end Damontre Moore.
“We understand that we haven’t made a name for ourselves yet, but we have a lot of ambition,” Odighizuwa said. “We all want to be great.
“I look at it, personally, as a story to be told.”
Who knows, maybe years from now Odighizuwa will have a day like Umenyiora did.