Skip to main content
Advertising

Dallas Cowboys release Amobi Okoye

If Amobi Okoye is going to return to the NFL after battling his way back from a near-fatal illness, it won't be with the Dallas Cowboys.

The team announced Wednesday that Okoye has been released. The defensive tackle signed with the Cowboys last August and spent the season on the team's non-football illness list.

Okoye's life was upended in 2013 when he was diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, also known as "one-in-a-million" disease. He was placed in a medically induced coma to stabilize recurring seizures that left him with a 145-day memory gap. When he came out of his coma, he had to re-learn how to speak and perform basic motor functions.

Okoye said he was told he was the first male adult to ever receive his diagnosis. He has called himself a "walking miracle."

The Texans selected Okoye with the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. At 19, he was the youngest player ever taken in the first round. Now 27, Okoye is an easy guy to root for. Let's hope he gets another chance.

The latest Around The NFL Podcast plays its newest game, 'What's your Fancy?' and debates if you'd trade Aaron Rodgers for Andrew Luck. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content