Obi Egekeze

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Obi Egekeze (born November 8, 1985) is a former American football placekicker who played for the University of Maryland Terrapins from 2006 to 2008. He was Maryland’s starting placekicker in 2007 and 2008, scoring 164 points, making 32 field goals and converting 68 extra points. He ranks tenth in scoring in Maryland football history.

Early years
Egekeze grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and attended Westside High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and soccer. As a senior, he was an all-state football kicker and posted a high GPA of 3.86. He was recruited by several major colleges, including Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State, and chose the University of Maryland.

University of Maryland
In 2006, Egekeze handled kickoffs before becoming the Terps’ starting kicker in 2007 and 2008. He played in all 26 games across those two seasons, recording 164 points (68-for-69 on extra points; 32-for-47 on field goals). He faced a rough stretch in 2008 with five early missed field goals but recovered to make several crucial kicks, including a game-winning field goal in the rain against NC State and another late kick to move Maryland to first place in the ACC against North Carolina. He also kicked four field goals in a notable game against Wake Forest. His performance prompted extensive press coverage.

Education and after Maryland
Egekeze earned a finance degree in May 2008 and stayed at Maryland as a graduate student in international business. He was twice selected Academic All-ACC. In 2010, he signed with the Omaha Nighthawks as an undrafted free agent. He completed an MBA at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 2013 and helped start the UIUC chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit that supports rare diseases through college football outreach and research.

Family
His brother Ndu Egekeze played basketball for Penn State (2000–2004), and another brother, Nkem Egekeze, played soccer at Mercer University.