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Signed by Arizona on 3/7/05 to a five-year contract after four seasons with San Francisco (1999-02) and two with Seattle (2003-04).
Led the Cardinals with 8.5 sacks in 2006; 7.5 of those came in the last seven games.
Has recorded 32.5 sacks over the last four seasons (with Cards had 7.5 in 2005 and 8.5 in ‘06).
Since 2002, has started 79 of 80 games; only miss was at Min. on 11/26/06 when the Cardinals opened with three down linemen and three safeties on first defensive play, technically halting his games started streak at 74.
Began his career as a third-round draft pick of the 49ers in 1999 and spent four seasons (1999-2002) there before joining Seattle as a free agent in 2003.
Full name is Chikezie (Chike) Russell Okeafor; his first name, means well made by God in the Ibo dialect of the Nigerian language.
Pronounces his name: CHEEK-eh o-KEY-fur
Pro Career:
Originally drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft (89th overall), Okeafor spent four years with the 49ers before signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent in 2003. Signed with the Cardinals on 3/7/05 to a five-year contract and led the Cardinals in sacks (8.5) in 2006, tallying 7.5 of them over the final seven games. In 121 career games (82 starts) Okeafor has tallied 323 tackles (233 solo), 45 sacks, one interception and 16 forced fumbles.
2006: Appeared in all 16 games for the fifth consecutive season, starting 15 and pacing the Cardinals with 8.5 sacks recorded four tackles and one QB pressure @ Sea (9/17) tallied four tackles, with a team high two tackles for a loss vs. StL (9/24) registered two tackles, a pass defensed and brought down Michael Vick for his first sack of the season @ Atl (10/1) had an impressive all-around day collecting three tackles, one for a loss, a fumble recovery and a key pass defensed on a third down play in the second quarter vs. KC (10/8) had five tackles, a fumble recovery and a QB pressure @ Oak (10/22) recorded four tackles and two quarterback pressures vs. Dal (11/12) had an outstanding game vs. Det (11/19) when he amassed two tackles, one sack, two passes defensed and one quarterback pressure collected one tackle and was a regular in the backfield with two QB pressures, two QB hits and two passes defensed @ Min (11/26); ended his consecutive starts streak which stopped at 74, albeit on a technicality as the Cards opened the game with three down linemen and three safeties on the game’s first play tied a career high with his 2.5 sacks of QB Marc Bulger, adding four tackles and two quarterback pressures @ StL (12/3) tallied three tackles, one sack of QB Matt Hasselbeck, two QB pressures and one QB hit vs. Sea (12/10); sack came against Seahawks All-Pro Walter Jones and came with Seattle threatening to score late in the fourth quarter, forcing the Seahawks into a fourth-and-20 they did not convert continued his dominate play when he piled up six tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack of QB Jay Cutler and two forced fumbles vs. Den (12/17); first of the forced fumbles came in the second quarter when he tackled running back Tatum Bell, forcing the ball loose and into the hands of Antonio Smith, who ran four yards for a TD continued to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks when he added a sack of Alex Smith and two QB hits to the three tackles he collected @ SF (12/24) finished the season finale @ SD (12/31) tying a career high with nine tackles also adding his fourth sack in four games, his final one coming when he dropped Philip Rivers.
2005: Started all 16 games in his first season with the Cardinals and finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks (Adrian Wilson 8.0) recorded two tackles, tipped a pass which was intercepted by Karlos Dansby and added a QB pressure on Eli Manning in the Cardinals season opener @ NYG (9/11) recorded his first sack as a Cardinal taking down Rams QB Marc Bulger for an eight-yard loss in the third quarter of the Cardinals home opener vs. StL (9/18) recorded six tackles and two pressures vs. Car (10/9) recorded two tackles and 1.5 sacks of QB Billy Volek vs. Ten (10/23) recorded five tackles @ Dal (10/30) recorded four tackles, one sack of Matt Haselbeck and forced a fumble vs. Sea (11/6) recorded one sack of QB Marc Bulger @ StL (11/20) recorded three tackles and four QB pressures vs. Jax (11/27) recorded six tackles vs. Was (12/11) recorded two sacks on Philadelphia’s Mike McMahon and added two more tackles vs. Phi (12/24) added one sack of Peyton Manning @ Ind (1/1) to finish the season with 7.5 sacks.
2004: Led the Seahawks with 8.5 sacks while starting in all 16 regular season games and the Seahawks postseason appearance posted three tackles and split a sack o fAaron Brooks @ NO (9/12) tallied five tackles, one sack of QB Ken Dorsey and forced his first fumble (recovered by Rashad Moore) of the season to help hold the 49ers scoreless for the first time in 420 games @ SF (9/26) recorded four tackles, sacked QB Marc Bulger twice, his third multi-sack game of his career vs. StL (10/10) collected four tackles and sacked Tom Brady, giving him a sack for the third consecutive game @ NE (10/17) posted a sack of QB Josh McCown, giving him a sack in a career-high fourth consecutive game that caused a fumble, his second forced fumble of the year and eighth of his career along with three tackles @ Arz (10/24) tied then career high with seven solo stops @ StL (11/14) recorded three tackles and one sack Drew Bledsoe vs. Dal (12/6) posted his fourth multi-sack game of his career, second of the year, bringing down Josh McCown twice; added a career-high nine solo tackles and forced his fifth fumble of the year vs. Arz (12/26) posted one tackle in the regular season finale vs. Atl (1/2) posted four tackles and two sacks of Marc Bulger vs. StL (1/8) in the first round of the playoffs.
2003: Started all 16 games at right end in his first season with the Seahawks and tied his then career-high with 47 tackles and established a career-high with eight sacks, which led the team in Seahawks debut vs. NO (9/7), had three tackles (two solo), one sack of Aaron Brooks that forced a fumble that was recovered by Chad Brown; added his first career interception, returning it 18 yards had another sack that forced another fumble the following week when he brought down QB Jeff Blake @ Arz (9/14) facing his formed team, posted a career-high seven tackles (three solo) and sacked QB Jeff Garcia vs. SF (10/12) posted a sack in his next three consecutive games (@ Bal, 11/23; vs. Cle, 11/30; @ Min, 12/7) while totaling 11 tackles posted a season-high two sacks vs. Ari (12/21), bringing down Jeff Blake; added four tackles ... had two stops in the Wild Card Game @ GB (1/4/04).
2002: Started all 16 games for the 49ers, ranking second on the team with a career-high six sacks, and established a career-high in tackles with 47 also added two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed began the season recording one sack in each of the Niners first three games posted five tackles @ Arz (12/21) ... started both postseason contests vs. NYG (1/5/03) and @ TB (1/12/03).
2001: Played in 14 games for the 49ers, starting three finished the season with 32 tackles (23 solo) and 2.5 sacks made first career start, recording a career-high tying five tackles (three solo) @ Ind (11/25) ... posted a career-high 2.5 sacks of QB Jay Fiedler vs. Mia (12/16) also had four tackles (three solo) against the Dolphins ... had three tackles (one solo) vs. Phi (12/22) before leaving the game with a fibula injury was inactive the following two weeks to close out the season also declared inactive for the 49ers Wild Card game @ GB (1/13/02).
2000: Played in 15 games for San Francisco and posted 28 tackles (21 solo) and three sacks returned his first career kickoff 17 yards @ SD (12/3) ... tallied five tackles and 1.5 sacks of Gus Frerotte @ Den (12/23).
1999: Played in 12 games for the 49ers at end and on special teams, where he recorded four special teams tackles had nine solo stops on the year and his first career sack came vs. StL (11/21) ... declared inactive Weeks 14-17 due to left knee injury.
College:
Second-team All-Big Ten selection and named to the Super Sleeper Team by the Sports Network as a senior at Purdue started every game his final season, recording 65 tackles (45 solo) and eight sacks started every game as a junior and had 85 tackles (45 solo) and 3.5 sacks, on his way to a second-team All-Big Ten selection played outside linebacker as a sophomore and led the team with a career-high 103 tackles named Freshman All-America after finishing his first year with 65 tackles (46 solo).
Personal:
Full name is Chikezie Russell Okeafor, pronounced CHEE-kay o-KEY-fur his first name, means well made by God in the Ibo dialect of the Nigerian language was a finalist for Indiana Mr. Football, earning All-State and Super Prep All-Midwest honors while at West Lafayette (IN) High named Indiana Region IV MVP posted 132 tackles and rushed for 1,169 yards and 12 scores on 132 carries his senior season of high school majored in engineering at Purdue, where his mother is a professor married, wife’s name is Stephanie. |
