Osa Odighizuwa chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft

Posted May 2021

By Advisor

2016 David Douglas graduate Osawaru, or Osa, Odighizuwa is now a professional football player, drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round as the 75th pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The 6 foot 2 inch, 280 pound Odighizuwa will play defensive tackle for the Cowboys. He was a three star recruit coming out of David Douglas when he committed to play at UCLA on May 5, 2015. While a Scot, Odighizuwa preferred wrestling to football, where he thoroughly dominated. He was a three-time, undefeated state wrestling champion in the heavyweight division, an attribute that may serve him well in the NFL, as was mentioned at the draft. Odighizuwa has a 34-inch arm length, allowing him to play defense with "length and leverage."

"That wrestling background has really helped him from a cardio standpoint," commented a NFL analyst. "He played 60 snaps per game. He got well over 27 starts in a row. I really like his toughness in the middle."

Odighizuwa, who benches 425 pounds and squats over 700 pounds, was asked what traits could he take from high school wrestling and successfully apply on the [NFL] football field.

"I would say my balance and understanding of leverage," he said to the NFL network. "Just from being low all the time, and then my ability to hand fight."

Odighizuwa played five seasons at UCLA where he was a First-Team All-Conference selection in the Pac-12 as a senior in 2020.

"I feel like one of the things I do best, and prove from year to year, is I can look at film, look at the things to work on, and just kind of build a plan going into the next season," Odighizuwa said to the NFL network. "I think I'm going to take that with me into the NFL."

Odighizuwa's older brother Owa, a 2010 David Douglas graduate, played at UCLA before he was drafted by the New York Giants in 2015 as a defensive end. Owa is currently a free agent.

"[Owa's] always been a mentor to me and someone to look up to and aspire to be," Odighizuwa said to the NFL network. "He's someone who's applied himself at school and at every aspect of life."

Osa Odighizuwa announced his intentions to enter the 2021 NFL Draft on Dec. 22, 2020.