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Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

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  • #1

    Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

    Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on October 2, 2009 5:21 PM ET
    Rams franchise player O.J. Atogwe is a player that likes to take risks; he's forced 33 turnovers since the start of 2006, the most in the NFL.

    Apparently, the Canadian born player's risk-taking extends beyond the field.

    ***** coach Mike Singletary told the Sacramento Bee Friday that the safety is dating Singletary's daughter. Atogwe heads to San Francisco this week to face the ***** and a potentially awkward conversation.

    Luckily for Atogwe, Singletary is cool with the arrangement.

    "He's a very nice guy," said Singletary. "He's a gentleman. He's been to my home several times and we've had conversations, not about football, but about life."

    We often talk about a player's bravery going over the middle or playing through pain, but dating the opposing coach's daughter when the coach is Mike Singletary is a true act of valor.

    Extra! Extra! Rams safety dating coach's daughter
    I always knew that Rams safety O.J. Atogwe was a good safety. But the lengths he'll go to learn about his opponents is positively heroic. Atogwe, as it turns out, is dating Singletary's second-oldest daughter, Jill. What's more amazing is that he's lived to tell about it ...

    "He's a very nice guy," said Singletary, who seemed perfectly fine with the relationship. "He's a gentleman. He's been to my home several times and we've had conversations, not about football, but about life."

    After going to high school at Valley Christian, Singletary said his daughter decided to attend art school in Chicago. That's where she met Atogwe, 28, who attended Kellogg Business school at Northwestern University as part of the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program in March this year. Atogwe also played collegiately at Stanford. Jill Singletary now attends the San Francisco Academy of Art and plays volleyball for the school. Atogwe is one of the best safeties in the league. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2006, his 33 turnovers is tops in the NFL. The Rams made him their franchise player in the offseason.

    Entangling alliances aren't new to the Rams-***** rivalry. Alex Smith's uncle, John L. Smith, was a scout for the Rams when Scott Linehan was their coach.

    Who's Alex Smith? Anyone know??
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

    Originally posted by McKnight
    so does everyone else see what I am seeing? I have this bad feeling that OJ may sign with the ***** in the offseason if we don't Franchise him or sign him long term before the season ends.
    I doubt it .. If you were dating Singletary's daughter, don't you think that playing for Mike might be a little too close to home?

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

      Originally posted by MauiRam View Post
      Who's Alex Smith? Anyone know??
      He's the Niner's backup QB. First overall pick in the '05 draft, taken over Aaron Rodgers.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

        ROFL On the Alex Smith question.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

          It would extremely funny if O.J DOES sign with the Whiners next year, for a 7 year deal, and then he pisses Singletary's daughter off and they break up with each other.


          Can you say AWKWARD?!

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

            Originally posted by McKnight
            so does everyone else see what I am seeing? I have this bad feeling that OJ may sign with the ***** in the offseason if we don't Franchise him or sign him long term before the season ends.
            They can’t sign him now that window has gone they would have to wait until the seasons ends now is the way I understand it.
            :ramlogo:

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

              Originally posted by MauiRam View Post
              I doubt it .. If you were dating Singletary's daughter, don't you think that playing for Mike might be a little too close to home?
              Especially considering his sobriquet of "Samurai Mike". Not the kind of guy I'd feel safe hanging around if I was dating his daughter.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

                We often talk about a player's bravery going over the middle or playing through pain, but dating the opposing coach's daughter when the coach is Mike Singletary is a true act of valor....But the lengths he'll go to learn about his opponents is positively heroic.
                Haha wow that got me laughing. Good way to start off a Sunday Morning.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

                  Wow textbook definiton G. I sack you OJ

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Rams safety O.J. Atogwe has guts ..

                    OJ will go to whoever the highest bidder is, and while that could be the Whiners, that's no guarantee. OJ also loves being a Ram, so as long as we don't lowball him, he'll stay a Ram.
                    I believe!:ram:

                    Comment

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                    • RamWraith
                      Atogwe steps up as a takeaway artist for the Rams
                      by RamWraith
                      By Jim Thomas
                      ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                      12/11/2008

                      Oshiomogho Atogwe's nickname is "O.J.," but an update may be necessary. Something along the lines of "O.J., the Human Takeaway" may be more appropriate.

                      Atogwe got off to a slow start this season because of a hamstring injury that sidelined him for most of training camp and the preseason. But beginning with an interception against Buffalo in Game 4, Atogwe has been a takeaway waiting to happen.

                      In seven of the past 10 games, Atogwe has been responsible for at least one takeaway, either in the form of an interception, a fumble recovery, or a forced fumble recovered by a Rams teammate.

                      "O.J.'s a heck of a football player," coach Jim Haslett said recently. "I think people are starting to recognize that. The guy's a ball magnet. He does a great job punching the balls out."

                      Say what you will about the Rams' struggling defense, it's hard to argue with Atogwe's numbers. In 13 games this season, the Rams have 17 takeaways. Atogwe has been responsible for 10 of them.

                      He has four interceptions, recovered two fumbles, and four of his forced fumbles have been recovered by teammates. Atogwe returned one of those recovered fumbles 75 yards for a key touchdown in the Rams' 19-17 victory over Washington.

                      "My mother told me a long time ago: 'Everybody has their time,' " Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade said. "Whatever you're doing, you have a time that's your time. You wonder how Ed Reed will end up year after year with eight, nine interceptions? How Ray Lewis has 100-something tackles?

                      "There's no way to explain it, I don't think. It's just his time. He's very focused; very anointed by God right now."

                      Atogwe didn't seem all that "anointed" coming out of Stanford in 2005.

                      "When he first got here, he didn't have the best ball skills," Haslett said. "He worked on it and worked on it."

                      Atogwe made it a point — and still does — to come in on Tuesdays, the players' normal day off during the regular sesason, and work on those ball skills.

                      "It was one of the weaknesses that I felt I had — that I wasn't making a lot of plays as far as interceptions on the ball," Atogwe said.

                      On Tuesdays, equipment assistant Matt Taylor operates a JUGS machine that spits out football after football Atogwe's way.

                      "He'll do anywhere between 200 and 300 balls, and I'll just catch them," Atogwe said. "He shoots them to me from all different angles."

                      Slowly but surely, Atogwe's hand-eye coordination improved, and so did his interception totals. After recording just one interception in limited playing time as a rookie, Atogwe picked off three passes in 2006, his first season as a starter. Last...
                      -12-11-2008, 04:09 AM
                    • RamWraith
                      Atogwe hopes to remain with Rams
                      by RamWraith
                      Third-year free safety topped NFC with eight interceptions
                      BY STEVE KORTE
                      News-Democrat


                      ST. LOUIS --After leading the NFC in interceptions this season, St. Louis Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe will be one of the more attractive restricted free agents this spring.

                      The Rams will retain matching rights to an any offer Atogwe receives. They'll also receive compensation in the form of draft picks from any team signing Atogwe depending on what level of one-year tender offer they make to him.

                      The Rams would be wise to tender Atogwe at a first-round level to dissuade teams from pursuing him.

                      "I don't even worry about all of that," Atogwe said of being a restricted free agent. "My job is to come out here and work hard and play, and that all takes care of itself. It's not even a concern of mine."

                      Asked whether he wanted to remain with the Rams, Atogwe said: "I definitely enjoy being here. I don't know what my future holds. I'm just going to continue to count my blessings and see what happens."

                      Atogwe said the Rams' 3-13 season didn't dampen his desire to return to the team.

                      "It's not like we were a 3-13 team with guys who didn't like each other or guys who just didn't care about their jobs," Atogwe said. "There wasn't that feeling at all. We just had some bad breaks, and we didn't capitalize on some opportunities we had.

                      "It's not a situation where we have a bunch of losers in the locker room. I'd love to come back here."

                      Atogwe picked off his eighth pass of the season in the Rams' 48-19 season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

                      Atogwe returned the interception 52 yards late in the third quarter for his first NFL touchdown.

                      "I wasn't really able to enjoy it because I was feeling so bad, but I hadn't had a pick six since maybe high school," Atogwe said. "It's definitely a long time coming and something I'll cherish."

                      Atogwe played against the Cardinals despite battling a stomach virus.

                      "It was never a situation where I wasn't going to play," Atogwe said. "It was just how much could I take, how much could I get through. I was throwing up all day, all morning. The team needed me, and I'm just here to serve."

                      Atogwe's eight interceptions ranked second in the NFL behind the 10 grabbed by San Diego's Antonio Cromartie.

                      It's also the most interceptions by a Rams player since Dexter McCleon had eight in 2000.

                      "It's a great honor," Atogwe said of leading the NFC in interceptions. "There's a lot of great football players in the NFC and AFC. I'm truly blessed."

                      Atogwe, a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Stanford, said his personal accomplishments in his...
                      -01-02-2008, 03:24 PM
                    • Guam rammer
                      OJ Atogwe
                      by Guam rammer
                      Dude gets some love from NFL.com Defensive players to watch. Along with Miami's Porter and Tampa's Barber. Good names to be amongst. RAAAMS BABY!!!
                      -11-01-2008, 04:34 AM
                    • Milan
                      OJ Atogwe
                      by Milan
                      We'd better re-sign this guy when the time comes (Is it this offseason?) He's been my favorite player for over a year now. This guy is top 10 in almost every D category for a FS.
                      -12-02-2007, 02:20 PM
                    • r8rh8rmike
                      Rams' Atogwe Motivated By Franchise Tag
                      by r8rh8rmike
                      Rams’ Atogwe motivated by franchise tag
                      6 hours, 13 minutes ago


                      ST. LOUIS (AP)—Being saddled with the franchise tag did not rub St. Louis Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe(notes) the wrong way.

                      “That meant a lot to me,” Atogwe said Sunday after practice at Rams Park. “It was an honor, to say the least, to be that highly thought of by the organization and to be put among the top in your position in this league.

                      “It doesn’t come easily. Not many players can have that said about them whether or not they think it about themselves. To have it said about me is definitely a blessing and it’s not anything I want to tarnish or even belittle a little bit.”

                      Atogwe signed the $6.3 million franchise tender July 15 and reported on time to camp. He did not miss any minicamps even though he was not under contract.

                      That impressed rookie coach Steve Spagnuolo, who thought Atogwe handled the franchise tag situation well.

                      “I’ve told him a number of times how classy I think he has handled everything,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s a quality person right there. Forget about the football talent.

                      “And, I sensed that the first time when I first got here, I visited with him in my office, and you could see that right away.”

                      For Atogwe, there’s no other way to conduct himself.

                      “I believe to whom much is given, much is expected,” Atogwe said. “Each one of us comes out here to be great at our jobs. In our positions, we all want to reach the pinnacle or the highest that there is. That comes with a lot of responsibility and behind that responsibility is a lot of work.”

                      Certainly work is important to Atogwe. After a practice that lasted just over two hours, Atogwe went with his teammates to sign autographs and take photographs with the fans. Sunday was the last open practice for fans.

                      Then Atogwe caught balls off the JUGS machine before doing some conditioning exercises.

                      “I don’t mind the hard work,” Atogwe said. “I’ve been blessed to play this game and it’s by God’s grace that I’m able to work and I’ll do that for Him.”

                      His body of work with the Rams, who drafted him in the third round in 2005, is impressive. He has emerged as one of the league’s top defensive talents.

                      Last season, Atogwe made a career-high total of 109 tackles. He led the team in interceptions with five and forced fumbles with eight. Atogwe was voted by his teammates as Rams MVP.

                      That followed a 2007 season in which Atogwe showed he was a ballhawk. He led the NFC with eight interceptions, including one off Arizona’s Kurt Warner(notes) he returned 52 yards for his lone touchdown.

                      “He’s hard to play against,” Atogwe said about Warner. “He’s very intelligent. It’s like he’s playing chess on the field and it’s hard to just get a bead on where he’s going to go with the...
                      -08-23-2009, 11:23 PM
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