INDIANAPOLIS —Linebacker Bobby Okereke, the Indianapolis Colts' third-round (89th-overall) pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, held his first media conference call on Friday night. What did he have to say about his game?
You're coming to a pretty loaded linebacker group. Have they told you at all what they expect your role to be?
"Yeah, I mean I'll obviously come in as a guy who can play on all four special teams and then just be a fast, athletic guy that can compete and just play wherever I'm needed."
Have they told you what linebacker spot they see you at?
"I think more MIKE."
What was it like interning for Condoleezza Rice?
"That was amazing. Just got to go in her office and see the work she does every day and then see all the important people that send her emails or that she has corresponded with. I worked on the KPMG project with Condoleezza Rice. She just brought some underprivileged kids in and basically just toured them around Stanford. So I got to organize that. That was pretty cool."
What were your interactions like with the Colts with the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and the last couple months?
"Just really talked extensively with their main area scout Chris (McGaha). I first met him at the Senior Bowl. Then I had a formal interview with the Colts, basically the whole staff – defensive coach (Matt Eberflus), linebacker coach (Dave Borgonzi) and got to meet them. Then obviously Chris was at my Pro Day again. I just felt really comfortable with them. They kept telling me, 'We want you to be a Colt. We love you. We love your playstyle. We think we would fit well with you.' I'm excited that they pulled the trigger."
For those unfamiliar with your playing style, describe it for us.
"Yeah – fast, physical, sideline to sideline. I've got really good length but also really good coverage ability and I am an instant plug and play special teams player. So I can really do whatever the team needs me to do."
What was your major at Stanford?
"Management science and engineering with a track in finance and decision analysis."
With that major how did you end up doing the political stuff?
"It was really just an opportunity that arrived. Matt Doyle, our director of football operations, told me that there was an opening to intern with Condoleezza Rice. So once I heard about that I jumped on it."
What does someone with that major do after football?
"Anything in finance basically. I interned at a private investment firm in Palo Alto so I got good experience there. But really investment banking, financial analysis and anything in that realm."
Andrew Luck apparently works out at Stanford a lot during the offseason. Do you have a relationship with him?
"Yeah, there was a point in time he was back. I had some really good conversations with him. I just got to see how smart, how humble and how focused of a guy he is. So obviously that is going to be a big role model for me and someone that I'm going to be looking up to once I get into Indy."
Did you have any idea where you were going to go round-wise?
"I was thinking third, maybe a slight chance I would go in the second. I was prepared to go in the fourth or the fifth, but going in the third round is a blessing."
Did you make a pre-draft visit here?
"I didn't take any pre-draft visits to Indianapolis, no. I mean I spent time there for the combine obviously. But I took one to the Ravens and I also spent a little time with the Raiders at their local pro day."
I am sure you are a little familiar with the defense. What's it like thinking of playing next to Darius Leonard who jumped out of nowhere last year?
"I mean it's amazing. I obviously get to come in and pick his brain. But to have someone in the position room like that to compete with every day and to feed that type of energy off of – I mean it's only going to make both of us better."
