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mfort at Western Michigan beats prestige for Southfield's Chukes Okorafor

Tom Markowski
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Southfield offensive lineman Chukes Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and, despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others, Okorafor stuck with his commitment.
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Southfield offensive lineman Chukes Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and, despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others, Okorafor stuck with his commitment. (Special to Detroit News)

Southfield — Not every high school football player’s dream is to play at a BCS conference school. For some the right fit isn’t dependent upon a school’s success nationally.

To Southfield offensive tackle Chukes Okorafor, his decision on where he would attend college and play football came down to three main factors; family, loyalty and proximity.

Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others Okorafor stuck with his commitment.

Southfield coach Tim Conley has a number of players playing in college, including Leviticus Payne at Cincinnati. This senior class at Southfield is loaded. Defensive end Lawrence Marshall committed to Michigan. Lineman Malik McDowell is one of the country’s top recruits who remains uncommitted. Receiver Jordan Billingslea is committed to Western Michigan.

Then there’s Okorafor, listed at No. 20 on The Detroit News Blue Chip list.

“He has so much potential,” Conley said. “He was a punter at Mumford. When he came here, he said that’s where he wanted to play. He was 6-3 and about 240 pounds then. We started (at tackle) as a junior and he did well. He’s 6-6 and 290 pounds now and this season he didn’t have what I would call a first-team, all-area type of year.”

He showed signs of being that type of player. It’s his highlight tape that opened everyone’s eyes.

Two of those eyes belong to former Detroit Lion and Bloomfield Hills assistant coach Lomas Brown. Brown, a first-round draft pick from Florida, saw the film, called coaches at his alma mater and soon after Florida offered a scholarship. Arkansas was next. Maryland and Virginia also offered a scholarship. Ohio State invited Okorafor for an official visit.

Still, Okorafor refused. The only official visit he took was to Kalamazoo

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140...z2sKTBcWVB

(02-03-2014 09:42 AM)broncojohnny Wrote:  mfort at Western Michigan beats prestige for Southfield's Chukes Okorafor

Tom Markowski
0 Comments

Southfield offensive lineman Chukes Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and, despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others, Okorafor stuck with his commitment.
Zoom
Southfield offensive lineman Chukes Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and, despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others, Okorafor stuck with his commitment. (Special to Detroit News)

Southfield — Not every high school football player’s dream is to play at a BCS conference school. For some the right fit isn’t dependent upon a school’s success nationally.

To Southfield offensive tackle Chukes Okorafor, his decision on where he would attend college and play football came down to three main factors; family, loyalty and proximity.

Okorafor committed to Western Michigan and despite subsequent scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and others Okorafor stuck with his commitment.

Southfield coach Tim Conley has a number of players playing in college, including Leviticus Payne at Cincinnati. This senior class at Southfield is loaded. Defensive end Lawrence Marshall committed to Michigan. Lineman Malik McDowell is one of the country’s top recruits who remains uncommitted. Receiver Jordan Billingslea is committed to Western Michigan.

Then there’s Okorafor, listed at No. 20 on The Detroit News Blue Chip list.

“He has so much potential,” Conley said. “He was a punter at Mumford. When he came here, he said that’s where he wanted to play. He was 6-3 and about 240 pounds then. We started (at tackle) as a junior and he did well. He’s 6-6 and 290 pounds now and this season he didn’t have what I would call a first-team, all-area type of year.”

He showed signs of being that type of player. It’s his highlight tape that opened everyone’s eyes.

Two of those eyes belong to former Detroit Lion and Bloomfield Hills assistant coach Lomas Brown. Brown, a first-round draft pick from Florida, saw the film, called coaches at his alma mater and soon after Florida offered a scholarship. Arkansas was next. Maryland and Virginia also offered a scholarship. Ohio State invited Okorafor for an official visit.

Still, Okorafor refused. The only official visit he took was to Kalamazoo

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140...z2sKTBcWVB

I thought it was a bad article. All it did was basically apologize for Okorafor not going to a BCS school. Marrowski sucks as a writer. He has no respect for MAC programs. It would have been a good article only if Markowski stated that WMU's recruiting class is actually as good or better than a lot of BCS programs this year. He gave WMU absolutely no props, made the Broncos look like some bush league program that doesn't deserve a player of Okorafor's stature.

(02-03-2014 10:48 AM)bramedonas1 Wrote:  made the Broncos look like some bush league program that doesn't deserve a player of Okorafor's stature.

It doesn't take a sports writer to do that. PJ's doing just fine in that department all by himself.

Jeeze Moe, you're making me sound all chill. Hard to do man.

(02-05-2014 12:49 PM)moe24 Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 10:48 AM)bramedonas1 Wrote:  made the Broncos look like some bush league program that doesn't deserve a player of Okorafor's stature.

It doesn't take a sports writer to do that. PJ's doing just fine in that department all by himself.

give it up, life is too short to be critical and pissy all of the time, move on, what's done is done.

Hey Moe, just PM those thoughts to me, I'll post them. I already have the reputation. Muuuaaaaahhhh.