Ogbonnia Okoronkwo wasn’t viewed as one of the Rams’ many premier free agents this offseason, but he still provided value to Los Angeles’ defense. He opted not to return to the Rams for another year after his rookie deal expired, choosing to sign a one-year deal with the Texans.
Okoronkwo didn’t pick the Texans because they offered him a massive contract. They gave him $3.25 million, but more importantly, they gave him an opportunity to return home and give back to the community.
In an interview with ESPN, he explained why it was so important for him to be able to help out in Houston.
“After winning the Super Bowl, I felt like it was very important to me to go home and start working in my community, so I decided to sign a deal with the Texans and start giving back as soon as I could,” Okoronkwo said.
“At this point, now, I’m ready to go win another [Super Bowl]. I’ve celebrated and I’m just ready to get back to work. With my new team, there’s a lot of work to do. I’m very thankful and grateful for the experiences that I’ve had, but it’s time to get to work again.”
The Rams will miss his pass-rushing ability, and he’ll probably miss playing alongside Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. But Okoronkwo has to be thrilled to be back home where he started playing football in high school. He’s already started giving back by participating in the NFL’s first training camp in Africa, continuing his great community efforts.