Ibekwe Leaves Behind Basketball
by Janis Carr, Orange County Register
April 28, 2006 Onye Ibekwe put down his football six years ago, leaving behind a budding career after his sophomore season in high school.
By that time, basketball was his thing. Magic Johnson was cool. Michael Jordan was the greatest, and Ibekwe wanted to be like Mike.
So Ibekwe and his younger brother, Ekene, concentrated on jumpshots, spending hours in the gym and planning their multimillion-dollar futures in the NBA. They both were good enough in high school to land DivisionI scholarships - Ekene to Maryland and Onye initially to Oklahoma State then Long Beach State.
Life, however, has thrown Onye Ibekwe a spiral, and now, six weeks after hitting his last free throw for the 49ers, his career has spun toward the NFL and a possible future as a tight end. The 6-foot-5, 256-pound former Long Beach State forward has been projected as a potential fifth- to seventh-round pick in Saturday's NFL draft.
"Basketball was my passion, but now all I do is sleep, eat and think about football,"
Ibekwe said.
Ironic, considering Ibekwe never played a down of college football and pursued his athletic dreams at Long Beach State, a university that disbanded its football program 15 years ago.
Yet on April 1, Ibekwe worked out for 7-10 teams on an NFL Pro Day at El Camino College. According to NFL Draft Almanac, scouts were impressed with his catching, route running and vertical jump (361/2 inches).
Ibekwe reportedly ran 4.7 seconds in the 40 on tall, wet grass. He also ran the short shuttle in 4.35 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.07.
"With the amount of teams present for his workout and the positive reviews that came out of it, we could see Ibekwe get drafted late as some team hopes to grab the lightning in a bottle like San Diego did with (Antonio) Gates a few years ago," NFL Draft Almanac wrote.
Mike Mayock, an NFL Network draft anyalyst, said Gates opened the door to basketball players who might see the NFL as an option while opening the eyes of NFL personnel.
"I've talked to several NFL people who said they need to be up to speed on these basketball players because they don't want to miss out on another prospect such as Gates," Mayock said.
Ibekwe said he began entertaining thoughts of a professional football career after a largely undistinguished senior season at Long Beach, in which he averaged 4.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
So, on the advice of a friend and encouragement from his agent, Ibekwe traded in his high tops for a pair of cleats. His agent, Evert Glenn, began making phone calls and soon Ibekwe was working out for NFL scouts.
The basketball-to-football transition isn't new. There are a handful of college basketball players looking for a shot in the NFL, hoping to follow the path carved by two-time Pro Bowl tight end Gates. A basketball player out of Kent State, Gates was signed in 2003 as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers.
Ed Nelson, of Connecticut, hasn't played football since ninth grade but is hoping for an impromptu chance at the NFL, as is George Mason's Jai Lewis.
Ibekwe said if he doesn't get drafted, he would look overseas to play basketball. But right now, that's not an option.
"The scouts have said that I have the potential, work ethic and size," Ibekwe said. "I don't want to be the next Antonio Gates. I want to be the first Onye Ibekwe." |
