Ifeadi Odenigbo’s favorite jersey is for futbol, not football, and he’ll watch Bruce Lee movies or “Game of Thrones” reruns over “College GameDay.”
Northwestern’s heat-seeking missile, who tied a Big Ten record Saturday by forcing three Western Illinois fumbles, did not play football until his sophomore year of high school. And although he longs for an NFL career, he has a backup plan: “I always kid with my family, ‘If football or school doesn’t work out, I can always be a comedian.’ “
Linda and Thomas Odenigbo surely would reply, You must be joking.
They’ve always had high aspirations for their middle son. They did not want him to play football — too violent — so they said no chin strap unless he earned a 3.5 grade-point average as a freshman at the competitive Centerville (Ohio) High School.
“By the grace of God, I got my transcript and my GPA was 3.5 on the dot,” Odenigbo said. “I’m telling you, someone out there is watching me.”
Many are watching him — and figuring out how to pronounce his Nigerian name. Penn State coach James Franklin, while praising him Tuesday, made an unfortunate attempt that resulted in “I-ding-bo.”
For the record, it’s “if-AH-dee o-DEN-uh-bo.” And like his name, he’s one of a kind.
“He’s a character,” NU defensive line coach Marty Long said. “He brings a lightness to the meeting room. He makes you laugh.”
During meetings, Long will flash a picture and ask a player to name the offensive set and his responsibility. Odenigbo will go on and on about every player’s job until a teammate tells him, “Coach just wants the meat — not the bread, the cheese and the tomatoes.”
Fellow lineman Greg Kuhar calls Odenigbo “goofy” and “crazy” — and a good man with whom to take in soccer.
They’ll wake up at 8:30 on a Sunday morning to watch an international match. Odenigbo will throw on a Vincent Kompany No. 4 Manchester City jersey, with the 310-pound Kuhar opting for a giant Jakub Blaszczykowski No. 16 Borussia Dortmund jersey.
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“We also play FIFA (the video game) with our jerseys on,” Odenigbo said. “We’re kind of lame like that.”
Odenigbo couldn’t get No. 4 when he arrived at Northwestern, but he did snag No. 7, making him the rare defensive lineman not in the 90s.
“I had a coach in high school tell me: ‘Get a single-digit number. Tall people look good in a single-digit number,’ ” he recalled.
Odenigbo’s size-speed combination is why everyone in pigskin-mad Ohio insisted he give up soccer for football. And they were right. An edge rusher with sub-4.5 speed, he began fielding big-time scholarship offers after his second season.
His final four came down to Notre Dame, Stanford, Northwestern and Ohio State. The Buckeyes offered proximity and an NFL pipeline, but the Jim Tressel era was crumbling.
The 6-foot-3 Odenigbo arrived in Evanston as a raw 205-pound linebacker. He told NU coach Pat Fitzgerald, “I see myself as a Clay Matthews kind of guy.”
“I don’t,” Fitzgerald replied. “That’s an All-Pro player. I see you as Ifeadi, and I don’t know what that means yet.”
Odenigbo later told the coaches, “I think I’d be better coming off the edge” — meaning a move to defensive end that would require learning a new position and a major weight gain. It was a struggle.
“Freshman year for Ifeadi, every day was (his) first day,” Fitzgerald recalled. “The guys who are young in the game have to work hard to overcome that.
“How do you fix it? You get your butt in the playbook, you grind mentally and then go back to that talent the good Lord has given you — and he has a lot of it.”
Now a redshirt sophomore, Odenigbo entered Saturday’s game against WIU with just 12 career tackles. His first forced fumble came on a twist, as tackle Dean Lowry occupied two blockers and Odenigbo rushed inside, slamming into quarterback Trenton Norvell.
Odenigbo snatched the loose ball and celebrated by pretending to unleash a sword, a la “Game of Thrones.” To those who don’t watch the HBO series, Odenigbo said, “You’re missing out on life.”
In the fourth quarter, he mashed tailback J.C. Baker to force the ball loose. His third forced fumble came after he put a nasty spin move on WIU’s right tackle.
“He has become a technician,” NU offensive tackle Paul Jorgensen said.
But the 245-pound Odenigbo still has a ways to go to be a complete player.
“Fans get excited about the ‘oohs and ahs’ plays,” Fitzgerald said. “Coaches watch ’em all. Every play, every day. I like the ‘oohs and ahs’ too, but it’s about consistency.
“Ifeadi is getting better, and I’m really proud of him. He’s the first guy in here, working hard. He realizes it’s talent plus technique and desire. And he wants to be great.”
Whereas NU defensive tackle Chance Carter graded out at 100 percent Saturday on “point of attack” plays — the times when a player can directly influence the action — Odenigbo went 9-for-13.
“I happened to get three forced fumbles while Chance was doing his job,” Odenigbo said. “I need to get bigger and become more stout against the run.”
And that’s no joke.
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein