Romeo Okwara


Romeo Blue Okwara is an American football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame and signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

Professional career

New York Giants

Okwara signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2016. Okwara made his first start replacing Jason Pierre-Paul in a 10-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on December 11, 2016.
On October 17, 2017, Okwara was placed on injured reserve with a knee sprain. He was activated off injured reserve to the active roster on December 19, 2017.
On September 4, 2018, Okwara was waived by the Giants.

Detroit Lions

On September 5, 2018, Okwara was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions. On October 7, 2018, against the Green Bay Packers, Okwara strip sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a fumble recovery. He played in 15 games with 15 starts, finishing with 39 combined tackles, a team-leading 7.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
On March 1, 2019, Okwara signed a two-year contract extension with the Lions.

Personal life

Okwara's younger brother Julian Okwara, who also played college football at Notre Dame, also plays for the Detroit Lions.