Amani Oruwariye

Amani Horatio Oruwariye (born February 9, 1996) is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Penn State.

Amani Oruwariye
Oruwariye in 2019
No. 24 – Detroit Lions
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1996-02-09) February 9, 1996
St. Petersburg, Florida
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Tampa (FL) Gaither
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:2019 / Round: 5 / Pick: 146
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
  • First team All-Big Ten (2018)
  • Second-team All-Big Ten (2017)
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Total tackles:72
Pass deflections:10
Interceptions:3
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Oruwariye lettered for three years at Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida. As a senior, he was voted team MVP and invited to the Hillsborough County All-Star Game.[1] He was ranked a three star recruit by all four major recruiting services, and 247Sports and Rivals rated him a top 100 prospect in the state of Florida. Oruwariye committed to Vanderbilt University early in his senior year before decommitting and following Head Coach James Franklin to Penn State.[2]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Amani Oruwariye
CB		 Tampa, FL Tampa (FL) Gaither 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jan 30, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 73
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    College career

    Oruwariye redshirted his true freshman season at Penn State, then appeared in mostly special teams action during his redshirt freshman year.

    In 2016, Oruwariye saw more time en route to Penn State's first Big Ten Championship Game victory. He logged his first interception against Kent State, which he proceeded to return for a touchdown.[3] He finished the season with 23 total tackles.[4][5]

    Oruwariye burst onto the national scene in 2017 due to his personal-best four interceptions, good for fourth in the Big Ten.[6][4][7] He earned recognition from both coaches and the media, who elected him second all-B1G.[8] He appeared in all but one game as Penn State clinched its first Fiesta Bowl victory since 1997.

    Oruwariye carried his junior year momentum into his redshirt senior year, starting in each of Penn State's 12 games, picking off three passes, and tallying a career highs in tackles, pass defenses, and forced fumbles.[5] His excellence was recognized by coaches, media, AP, and ESPN, all of whom named him to their All-B1G teams.[9] He received an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl amidst discussions that he could potentially be a first round pick.[10][11]

    Professional career

    Oruwariye was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He finished the season with two interceptions and third on the Lions' depth chart.[12]

    Oruwariye was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Lions on July 29, 2020,[13] and was activated 10 days later.[14] In Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, Oruwariye recorded his first interception of the season off a pass thrown by P.J. Walker during the 20–0 loss.[15]

    References
    1. "'Tampa Teaches You How to Be Cool Around Greatness': Local Ties in the 2019 Senior Bowl". buccaneers.com. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
    2. STAFF, SPORTS. "Penn State gets commitment from DB Oruwariye". LancasterOnline.
    3. "Amani Oruwariye gets a pick-six for Penn State". Saturday Tradition. 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
    4. "Amani Oruwariye - Football". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
    5. "Amani Oruwariye College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
    6. https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-football/article214174459.html
    7. "Penn State's Amani Oruwariye looking forward to leadership role in 2018". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
    8. "View the 2017 All-Big Ten Football Defensive Teams". Big Ten Network. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
    9. Juliano, Joe. "Amani Oruwariye on track to be first Penn State cornerback drafted in first round". inquirer.com.
    10. "Penn State's Trace McSorley, Amani Oruwariye, accept Senior Bowl invitations". pennlive. November 21, 2018.
    11. https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-football/article221645845.html
    12. Birkett, Dave (April 27, 2019). "Detroit Lions take Amani Oruwariye in Round 5 of 2019 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
    13. Rogers, Justin (July 29, 2020). "Kenny Golladay, T.J. Hockenson among Lions placed on COVID reserve list". DetroitNews.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
    14. "T.J. Hockenson among 3 Lions removed from COVID-19 reserve list". DetroitNews.com. August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
    15. "Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers - November 22nd, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
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