Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527865
52 OCT. 19, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE I t seems like a long time ago that former Irish linebacker Jer- emiah Owusu-Koramoah anx- iously watched in April 2021 as he tumbled from a first-round NFL Draft lock to a mid-second-round pick (52nd overall) by the Cleve- land Browns. As a refresher course, following a stellar senior season at Notre Dame in 2020, when Owusu-Koramoah became a unanimous All-Ameri- can, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and the Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in the country, the pride of Hampton, Va., was projected as a first-round draft pick by all media outlets and even a top-10 candidate by many. Instead, a surprising report sur- faced late in the draft process that Owusu-Koramoah had an unspecified heart ailment that scared off many draft suitors. "There was something that came up in terms of what guys were saying. But in terms of the personal aspect, there was no real heart issues at all," said Owusu-Koramoah, who upon hear- ing the news, went back to Notre Dame to be evaluated by university doctors. "Notre Dame looked at the medical re- cords and everything. I never really had any heart issues or anything going on there." Calling Owusu-Koramoah "com- pletely healthy," Browns general man- ager Andrew Berry traded up to land the star linebacker in a move that many still call the steal of the 2021 draft. "There is really nothing in [Owusu- Koramoah's] background that would suggest he can't have a nice, long career," Berry said. So far, so good. Ow u s u - Ko ra m oa h a cce p te d the financial hit the draft-day fall cost him, reported to the Browns, and has quickly become one of the best linebackers in the league, evidenced by being selected to his first Pro Bowl last year. And for his reward, Owusu- Koramoah signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension with $20 million guaranteed dur- ing this past offseason. And while the 1-4 start through five games wasn't what any of the Browns' fans and faithful ex- pected, none of the team's strug- gles can be put on their defensive stalwart and rising team leader. "When you're baking a cake, you have a recipe," said Owusu-Koramoah, putting much of the early season team struggles on his own shoulders. "When the recipe is not necessarily clicking and you don't have the cake that you want, you kind of go back and say, 'OK, what can we change about the recipe?' And that's what we have to do." Even during the tough start, Owusu- Koramoah's production hasn't slipped. In a 34-13 loss to the Washing- ton Commanders Oct. 6, the Browns' standout weak-side linebacker did much of everything, tallying 5 tackles, 4 quarterback pressures, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and a div- ing interception near the goal line that broke up a Commanders' scoring drive. And when he's not piling up stats for the Browns, Owusu-Koramoah uses his high-profile platform to celebrate his her- itage by giving back to the West African country of Ghana with football camps, clean water initiatives and other endeav- ors through his non-profit organization. "When you get to a certain level, you want to be able to give back and you want to be able to identify some of the issues that are around you," he said, "I think intelligence is defined by how you solve problems around you." ✦ FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS JD Bertrand (Played at Notre Dame from 2019-23), LB, Atlanta Falcons, NFL Making his first career NFL start, the former Irish team captain helped the Falcons to a 36-30 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football Oct. 3 with 5 tackles — which was third on the team — on 38 defensive snaps. A rookie mainstay on the Falcons' special teams, the Alpharetta, Ga., native typi- cally plays more than 20 snaps a game on several of those units and had made 2 tackles. Harrison Smith (2007-11), S, Minnesota Vikings, NFL Like the Energizer Bunny, the 13-year NFL veteran keeps going and going. He re- corded 6 tackles (5 solo) with 1 sack in a 23-17 win over the Jets Oct. 6 in London. Through five games this season, the 2012 first-round draft pick had already tallied 30 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 4 passes defended to help the Vikings start the season 5-0. Kyren Williams (2019-21), RB, Los Angeles Rams, NFL A regular on this list, the 2022 fifth-round draft pick enjoyed the best rushing game of his season in a 24-19 loss to the Packers Oct. 6. The St. Louis native did his part in the defeat, finishing with 102 rushing yards on 22 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Through five games, Williams had 360 rushing yards and was tied for the league lead with 7 total touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving). Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Doing His Part, On And Off The Field I R I S H I N T H E P R O S Owusu-Koramoah compiled 5 tackles, 4 quarterback pressures, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception in the Browns' loss at Washington Oct. 6. PHOTO BY MATT STARKEY/CLEVELAND BROWNS