By Ryan Sherwin

“With the #24 pick in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft the New York Giants select Osi Umenyiora.” As NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, the commissioner of the NFL reads off the card that has been given to him Osi Umenyiora isn’t fazed one bit. The shouts begin to rain down from the crowd of Giants faithful, “Who is this guy?”…. “WHO…WHO??” The Giants faithful obviously haven’t done their research. Osi Umenyiora is one of the nation’s sack leaders out of Troy State. “Where’s Troy State?” comes another shout from the restless and at times obnoxious crowd. Umenyiora, hearing all the jeers doesn’t seem to mind. He reminds himself, in a few months they will know his name, and they will see what he can accomplish.

When the Giants picked Umenyiora with their 2nd pick they knew what they were getting. A player who had registered 57 tackles, 16 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, forced three fumbles, and 43 QB hurries in his final year at Troy State is also as a player who had a huge upside and no history problems to speak of.

Unlike many top draft picks Umenyiora came from a well-rounded family who has lived throughout the world during his childhood including long stops in Nigeria and England. For him football was a privilege, not something that he took for granted. The Giants saw him as a privilege as well, a player who would fly under the radar screen but could come in and contribute. “They say it usually takes a rookie three years to reach his maximum potential,”said Umenyiora, “but I am not going to wait three years before I get to that level. I am trying to play now, keep on playing and reach my peak as soon as possible.”

Listed at 6’3”, 279 lbs., this rookie was one of the top rated athletes in the draft. The Giants were in need of a Defensive End who could do it all and Umenyiora seems to fit the bill. He is expected to contribute in certain situations as a first year player and eventually grow into the starting role.

How hard is the transition from college to the big boys in the NFL? “Troy State was a small school and we played a lot of small schools. But my last year there we stepped up and played a lot of big time competition,” said Umenyiora. “Any time you are looking at a player coming from college to the NFL, the game is going to be played a lot faster, the guys are bigger and stronger - but I am not scared, I am ready.”

As you look into his eyes you can tell he means what he says. Although no one considers him a pushover it is quite clear he doesn’t want to be just an average NFL player. He is here to stay and he makes it clear in his tone. “People didn’t know about me during the draft because it was basically assumed that I would go in the 4th or 5th round. I knew this wasn’t the case though. The 49ers had been giving me serious looks and I believed they were going to choose me with one of their 2 picks.” Although some would perceive that as cockiness, he is not a cocky person - just a confident and dedicated athlete, one who is ready to shock the NFL.