Okoronkwo looks to travel the world for more than just football

Justin Okoronkwo is looking to make a name for himself on the gridiron, even if only a few of the South Carolina junior linebacker’s teammates can actually pronounce it.

“They try,” Okoronkwo said with a laugh. “Everyone just calls me J.O.”

The Munich, Germany native played in all 12 games last season for the Gamecocks, starting eight, and was tied for the team lead with 64 tackles, including a career high nine at Texas A&M. He’s in his second year with the Gamecocks after starting his career at Alabama.

“South Carolina had recruited me before coming out of high school from Germany,” Okoronkwo said. “I knew (defensive coordinator) Coach (Clayton) White and Coach (Shane) Beamer already. I really felt welcome here. They were one of the first schools to contact me when I entered the portal. I just liked the whole culture here.

“I really like Coach White’s defense. He’s a great coach. I feel like we have a good group of guys who can be special this year.”

Okoronkwo learned to play football with club teams in Germany and found his way to the U.S.

“Football is getting more and more popular in Germany,” Okoronkwo said. “I have a lot of friends and people that I know that played in Germany and have played in the U.S. now. It’s a club sport over there, but there are more than one hundred clubs that play in semi-pro leagues. It’s getting better. Germans like American football!

“There’s an organization called PPI with (former UMass football player) Brandon Collier running the whole thing, and he’s always doing camps in Europe and around the world. They do a college dream-chasers tour during the summer and bring kids to different college camps. That’s how I got in contact with coaches and got offers.”

Going from club football in Germany to the SEC wasn’t an easy adjustment, on and off the field.

“The speed of the game and the playbook is a lot different,” Okoronkwo said. “In Germany, I played with maybe ten plays on defense. Here, there is a lot more to it. I really like that part of it.

“When I first got to Alabama, the language was a challenge at first. I started learning English in the fifth grade but speaking it on an everyday basis is a whole different thing. That was one of the hardest things. The food is different. You have some good food over here, but I would say Germany has way more fresh stuff, and not everything is fried.”

It was an adjustment for his parents as well, who make frequent trips to the U.S. to watch him play.

“At club games, there were maybe one hundred people watching,” Okoronkwo said. “My parents still don’t know football rules as well, so it was really a shock for them to see all the people at the games here going crazy.”

Okoronkwo has a lot going for him off the field as well. He speaks German, English and a little bit of French and Spanish. He also loves cooking and can play the piano. He competed in soccer and gymnastics growing up and proudly stated he can still do back flips and front flips. As an operation and supply chain management major, he is already thinking about life after his days on the gridiron are done.

“What I really want to do is travel the whole world,” Okoronkwo said. “Supply chain management is something that is needed everywhere, so that’s probably what I’ll go into.”

For now, he’s excited for his second season wearing the Garnet and Black.

“I want to be the best that I can be,” Okoronkwo said. “I want to be one of the best linebackers in the nation. I’m just looking forward to the first game and getting ready to run out on the field.”