Emmanuel Ogbah – May 16, 2023
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Tuesday, May 16, 2023
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(Last we heard from you, you were trying to come back if the team made a deeper playoff run. How has the triceps injury recovered? Is it 100 percent now?) – “It’s going good. They’re taking it easy on me during camp but I’ve been fully cleared and I am ready to go.”
(Since the end of last season, the team hired Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. What are your first impressions of him and have you thought of the ways that his scheme can benefit you?) – “Right now, I’m still trying to learn all of the plays, different spots and trying to learn the different schemes that he uses. I’m excited for him. He’s a great defensive mind and coach. I’m just excited to do my part to help this team win.”
(I know you mentioned it to some guys in locker room cleanout but were you trying to come back from the triceps injury like the following week? Obviously it would have been the divisional round. When were you trying to come back from the triceps injury?) – “Yeah, if we had made a deeper run, yeah that was my goal to come back and do my best to come back and help the team. I knew it was a longshot but I was excited and trying to do my best to come back.”
(I wanted to ask off the field, I saw there was an NFL Africa trip where you and some other players from Africa were out in Kenya. Can you talk about that experience, how long you were out there, what you were doing and what the experience was like?) – “We were out there for a week in Nairobi, Kenya. It was an amazing experience. We got a chance to coach up some football talent down there. We had different players from different parts of the continent trying out. We had to teach them how to play football in like two days, then they would go through Combine testing afterwards. It was an amazing experience and how quickly they wanted to learn about the game. They view it as a big opportunity for them and they’re excited just to learn from us players. There were only five of us that were there. It was cool.”
(I know the Dolphins play the Chiefs the day before your birthday. Do you have that date circled on your calendar due to your time in Kansas City?) – “Yeah, I mean I was hoping we were at Kansas City, but it’s exciting to go to Germany. I’ve never been there before. I’m excited about their culture over there. I’m excited to see the sights. I don’t know how long we’re going to be there before the game but I’m excited about Germany and to play my former team, too.”
(What did you learn from the Africa trip?) – “Like I said before, just being grateful for the whole experience. Those kids didn’t have much but they still want to listen and learn and take coaching from us. They don’t have football there. Just being able to inspire them, a kid like me – I was born in Nigeria and I came here when I was nine (years old), so they can kind of see similar parts. I was excited just to be there. They absorbed my knowledge and want to learn.”
(Listening to your episode of The Fish Tank, you talked about having your own football camp in I think it was July. I’m curious to hear more about that.) – “Yeah, I’m excited. I have it every year. I’m excited about it. I talk to the kids, encourage them, talk about my trip to Africa and try to inspire them. Just showing those kids, they don’t have much, but they have more than them. They have football here and those kids don’t have football. So kind of just inspiring them and see how they take it.”
(What can you tell us about the Dolphins new tackle in Isaiah Wynn?) – “Isaiah Wynn, I’ve had my battles with him. He’s a good player and a good pickup for us. I’m excited to have him part of the team. I’m looking forward to it.”
(I wanted to ask you about the talent in Africa. Obviously soccer and the NBA have picked up on that being such a wealth of talent. Do you think if college programs were more aggressive in maybe recruiting people from the African continent that it would thrive?) – “It definitely would. There’s definitely a lot of raw talent. Obviously they didn’t know what they were doing and we had two days to coach them up, which was tough. But they picked it up really quick. I would say this, if you give them just a couple of months just to teach them actual football basics, they would pick it up quick. You’d be surprised how quickly they learn the game of football.”
(Tell us about the lion.) – “I don’t know. There’s just something about a lion that draws me towards that animal. Being able to be a leader. Taking care of the family. I’ve always been drawn towards the lion. I don’t know. I feel like it’s my spirit animal and for some reason, I’m just drawn towards it. What’s funny is I know there’s a zoo here, but I’ve never been to the zoo here and apparently they have lions here that I didn’t know about. So I will be making a trip to the zoo just to check them out. I’ve never seen one at a zoo.”
(Changing gears slightly, the Heat and the Panthers are making some nice playoff runs and upsetting teams left and right, beating the odds. As a member of the Dolphins, where people are paying attention to what you guys are putting together, does that put any more heat on you guys to keep this momentum going?) – “Shoot, they’re in the driver’s seat right now. We’re supporting them just like they would support us. I’m looking forward to this season going far. Just taking it one day at a time right now. We’re in OTAs. I’ve got to focus on that, getting better, coming back from injury. I’ve got to focus on that as well. But yeah, we’re supporting the Heat and also the Florida Panthers as they keep going.”
(There was just one game last year – Week 9, the week before your injury, the win against the Bears – where you and LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips and DT Christian Wilkins were all out there together. What do you think about the potential to have all of you guys together for more than just one game?) – “It’s big. We’re all obviously a talented bunch. I’m excited. I’m sure Vic (Fangio) is going to draw up some packages that will have us in there. I’m excited about this new defense that we’ve got going. Unfortunately, I know I got hurt last year, so we didn’t get to see all of what we can do on the field together. But it’s a new season and I’m excited about it.”
(So in terms of hand on the ground or standing, obviously all of you guys can do both. If LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips are often standing and you’re at the defensive end position, do you have a sense on if you will still, probably the majority of the time, be pass-rushing from a standing position?) – “Like I said, I’m still learning this new defense, so I’m going to be pretty much across the whole d-line. So standing, inside, outside, it’s whatever. I’ll be doing whatever.”
(I know last year didn’t go the way you wanted even before the triceps tear. Do you come into this year with an extra level of motivation and something to prove?) – “Definitely. Like I said, they’ve taken care of me. I’ve got to go out there and put some good juice on tape. Obviously I battled some injuries last year but I’m ready to go this year. I’ve got to take care of my body better this year and just focus on the little things.”
(When rookies have their first practice with the vets, do you see more excitement from the rookies or more intimidation? What do you recall most from your first practice with vets?) – “I would say with these rookies, I think they’re just willing to listen, learn and observe. You will see a little intimidation because obviously they’ve never done this before and they’ve never been around a bunch of vets. But I would say they’re willing to listen. They’re asking questions. They’re staying after. We’re going through different drills with them. They just want to learn.”
(With the scheme, you talked about being all along the line. What are the challenges that it creates? You’ve played in a lot of schemes. What are the challenges that it creates for defensive linemen?) – “Just learning different schemes that you’re not entirely used to, it just creates a lot of challenges. For the offense, it also creates challenges because they don’t know where I’ll be at. But having to learn multiple positions, it’s a challenge but I’m well-equipped to do it. Like you said, I’m versatile and it’s a different scheme, so I can adapt quickly on any scheme you present to me.”
