Jeremiah Attaochu’s ascent to the peak of college football began in the wrong room.
As a freshman at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., Attaochu wanted to try out for the soccer team. Told he needed a physical, Attaochu went where he thought he was supposed to go, only to accidentally end up in a room with the freshman football coach.
“I’m like, 6-1, 175-ish, and he’s like, you should try playing football,” Attaochu said Wednesday.
Seven years after that serendipitous turn, Attaochu was recognized Tuesday as a member of the Associated Press All-America team, one of the top 75 players in a pyramid of more than 10,000 scholarship players at the FBS level.
“I really feel like I’m blessed, really put in favor,” Attaochu said.
Attaochu will play his final game for the Yellow Jackets Dec. 30 in the Music City Bowl against Ole Miss. He is tied with Greg Gathers for the all-time lead in career sacks (31) – a total that also makes him the active career leader in FBS. He will be considered one of the top defensive players to wear the Tech uniform.
“You knew he had some athletic ability and some quick-twitch (muscle) when he got here, but I don’t think you can ever guess that he would have reached the heights that he’s reached,” coach Paul Johnson said. “To be one sack away from the all-time career sack leader and be an All-American and all that is pretty special.”
Attaochu, who comes across as grounded but also supremely confident, had a quintessential reaction when kicker David Scully informed him of the honor Tuesday as he left a meeting – not surprised, but not overwhelmed.
“I woke up the same person this morning, but I think over time, it’ll mean a lot more,” he said. “Now, it’s a testament to how far God has brought me, but also, I’m not satisfied.”
While Tech’s 7-5 regular season has not met expectations, Attaochu has compiled a productive and memorable senior season. Moving from outside linebacker in former coordinator Al Groh’s 3-4 to defensive end in Ted Roof’s 4-3, Attaochu single-handedly changed the North Carolina game Sept. 21 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Under heavy rains, with UNC ahead 20-14 in the third quarter, Attaochu’s pass rush drew a holding penalty that negated an 82-yard touchdown pass. Two plays later, he sacked Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner to force a punt. Tech took the lead on the next possession and never trailed again.
Two other favorite plays of Attaochu’s were a sack of Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd and his first of four of Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason.
“I came inside on the tackle, (running back Todd) Gurley came up to block me and I threw him away, and I sacked (Mason),” he said. “That was big. I liked that one a lot. It was effort.”
The position change, which could have negatively impacted his draft stock, became a benefit. While he expects to return to the rush linebacker spot in a 3-4 in the NFL, his work with new defensive line coach Mike Pelton improved his pass-rushing techniques.
Said Attaochu, “It worked out perfectly for me.”
Following the Music City Bowl, Attaochu will take part in the Senior Bowl, the premier pre-draft all-star game, and will begin training in anticipation of a likely invite to the NFL scouting combine and Tech’s pro day. In November, two draft experts tabbed Attaochu as a likely middle-round pick.
“It’s exciting, but scary at the same time,” Attaochu said. “Like, packing up my stuff (to move out) is kind of weird. I’m like, What? I just got here.”
He is part of an American success story. Attaochu grew up in Nigeria, kicking a soccer ball made out of rags. His father Paul moved to the U.S. in 1997 and worked multiple jobs for four years before bringing his family over in 2001. He and his wife Comfort started a church in Maryland earlier this year. Their son, driven by the same ethic as his parents, is one semester shy of a degree, served as a team captain and, perhaps in more than one sense of the word, has been recognized as an All-American.
Comfort Attaochu probably has a good idea how her son went to the wrong room for a physical.
“I believe that every one of us, we are destined to do something,” she said. “Sometimes, things just come the way God has ordained them to be. That’s what I’ve seen in the case of Jeremiah.”
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