Los Angeles Rams EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
(On if he has any nicknames)
“Yes, my cousins call me ‘Obeezy’ and some of my friends call me ‘Obo’. My mom calls me ‘Obo.’”
(On what it was like to get the call from the Rams)
“Honestly, I was at a loss of words. It felt like a dream. I had sort of dosed off a little bit just sitting on the couch and I was just awoken to a bunch of people shaking me with a phone in my face. So, when I got that call, I was a little disoriented. When I got the call, tears just started dropping when I heard (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Wade) Phillips tell me that they’re going to draft me.”
(On being listed at Oklahoma as a defensive end/linebacker and if the Rams have told him what position he’ll be playing with them)
“Yeah, they see me as an edge guy who can do linebacker things and also an instant contributor on special teams. So, I’ll be doing what (former Rams OLB) Robert Quinn was doing.”
(On what kind of opportunity he sees with the Rams since former Rams OLB Robert Quinn is no longer with the team)
“I see an amazing opportunity. With the addition of (DT) Ndamukong Suh and also (DT) Aaron Donald opening up the inside like that. It’s an edge rusher’s dream.”
(On if he visited the Rams at all)
“Yes.”
(On what other contact he had with the Rams throughout the whole process)
“(Area Scout/Western) Steve Kazor, I talked to him throughout the whole process. I saw him a number of times. I knew the Rams were going to pick me, I just didn’t know when. The contact between us has been so fluid, so I knew it was going to be the Rams.”
(On how he knew the Rams were going to pick him)
“I just got a feeling. Just every time I would talk to Steve, he just kept telling me I’m his guy and I just believed him. So every time the Rams’ pick came, I made sure I was at the T.V. watching closely.”
(On if he ever matched up against Rams third-round pick T Joseph Noteboom and if he knows him at all)
“Oh, yes. I know him very well.”
(On if his prior meetings with Noteboom were friendly)
“Oh, yeah. I mean at this point, yeah (laughs).”
(On what it was like going head-to-head against Noteboom)
“I think he had a great jump from junior year to senior year. I think in the year we battled it out. I think junior year I really got the best of him. Senior year, he was like a whole different player. I saw him grow a lot in a year.”