Danny Okoye is about to make his season debut in a spot that carries extra weight.
The Oklahoma junior edge rusher didn’t play in the opener against UTEP, but he’s set to get on the field in Week 2 when the Sooners visit Michigan. That game comes one day after the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and Okoye is tying his first appearance of the year to a charity effort that runs all season long.
The 6-foot-3, 257-pound defender has partnered with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to raise money for first responders, military veterans and their families. His plan is simple: $100 for every tackle, $200 for every sack and $500 for every interception.
"When I saw an opportunity to partner with an organization that had similar priorities as me, I figured it was something I couldn't really pass up on," Okoye said during an appearance on CBS Sports' Inside College Football.
The idea came out of a conversation with family members who work in public service, including one who is a fire chief and another who is a police officer. With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, they started tossing around ideas for how Okoye could use his platform. That fit neatly with the profile he’s already built at Oklahoma: a member of the SEC's 2025 Community Service team and a preseason watchlist selection for the Wuerffel Trophy, which honors student-athletes who use their platforms to serve others and make a positive impact in their communities.
"I feel my whole life has really been in form of service to other people," Okoye said. "I try to give back more than I've taken, and I've tried to do that in my whole time in college - even before college, I had a heart for giving back and helping people. I've tried to live that out in every area that I can."
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded in December 2001 in honor of Stephen Siller, a New York Fire Department firefighter who died on 9/11. Siller had just finished his shift and was off the clock when he heard that a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
He went back to Squad 1 in Brooklyn to get his gear, but the Brooklyn Batter Tunnel entrance was already closed. He kept going anyway, carrying 60 pounds of gear on his back and making the trip on foot through the tunnel to Ground Zero, where he died while trying to help others that day.
Okoye said he first learned Siller’s story in June, when the foundation’s "Steel Across America" tour stopped in Oklahoma City with an authentic steel beam from the World Trade Center. The visit was designed to connect people who lived through 9/11 with younger generations who were too young to remember it.
"I was really blessed to get the opportunity," Okoye said. "I was talking to people there - people who were at the actual event, people who had a lot of family members who were at the event.
I made a lot of connections. Some of the firefighters of New York were actually traveling with the beam.
I made some friends; shoutout to the guys in Staten Island…. It was just a great experience, and I really wish that more people had the opportunity."
On Saturday, when No. 11 Oklahoma faces Michigan at The Big House with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on Fox, Okoye will finally have a chance to turn that inspiration into action.
He had six tackles and two sacks last season in a limited role for OU’s defense, but this fall he’s expected to be more involved off the edge. He hasn’t set a target for how much he wants to raise, saying he’s "going to go wherever it takes" him.
For now, Okoye just wants to get rolling. The player nicknamed Coyote said he’s ready.
"(I'm) licking my chops," Okoye said. "Coyote is definitely licking the chops."
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