ExtremeRavens Posted August 29 Posted August 29 David Ojabo did not think much of it at first — a sprained ankle suffered when an Indianapolis Colts blocker rolled up on his leg in the third game of last season. Ojabo had recorded his first sack of the year in the season opener and had played 70% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps in Week 2, signs he was on track for the breakout he and many others expected after he spent most of his rookie season rehabilitating a torn Achilles tendon. Surely, a throbbing ankle would not derail him for long. And then Ojabo’s knee began to swell. Six days after the Colts game, the Ravens placed him on injured reserve. Coach John Harbaugh talked of “some decisions that have to be made, that he has to make.” Almost a year later, Ojabo is at peace with the route he chose — surgery to repair a partially torn ACL instead of gritting his teeth and playing at less than his best. The 24-year-old outside linebacker is also acutely aware that he’s played just five NFL games in two years. He faces urgent pressure to drag his career back on track. If it does not happen in 2024, the chorus of skeptics crying “bust” will be emboldened. On top of that, the Ravens need him to become the dynamic edge rusher he was projected to be after he produced 11 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in his one season as a starter at Michigan. Scouts who watched him spin and stutter step past helpless college blockers said he would be a first-round pick until his Achilles gave out during a pre-draft workout. Many saw it as a steal when the Ravens swooped in to take him in the second round. Their upside play has not worked out so far, but with their top edge rusher from 2023, Jadeveon Clowney, now in Carolina, they need Ojabo to complement his close friend, Odafe Oweh, and veteran Kyle Van Noy. “There’s no better feeling than that,” Ojabo said of the team’s high expectations for him. “We all want to feel like we’re special [and] feel like we’re depended on, and it’s on me to put in the work to make that vision come to life. So, it’s a blessing, man.” Doctors finally cleared Ojabo for game action in the Ravens’ second preseason contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He looked better than ever, bursting off the edge for a hurry and a quarterback hit and holding his ground against outside runs. “I kind of expect him to play like that, but to see it out there the very first game, it was really neat because he wasn’t tentative at all,” Harbaugh said. “He was in a good mindset — in a game-day mindset, and he hadn’t played that much in the last couple of years, so that was a quite a statement from him that way. Really, the way he’s been practicing is the way he played, so that’s what you want to see.” “We all want to feel like we’re special [and] feel like we’re depended on, and it’s on me to put in the work to make that vision come to life,” Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo said. “So, it’s a blessing, man.”As encouraging as the performance was for Ojabo and Ravens coaches, it was equally so for his closest teammates, who spent every day with him through the disappointments of last year. Earlier in the summer, Oweh, who has been tight with Ojabo since they were high school teammates at Blair Academy in New Jersey, said: “He’s just waiting to show you guys all that, when it’s sharpened and ready.” He had worked beside Ojabo in Atlanta under the watchful eye of pass rush instructor Dez Walker and sensed the storm brewing in his friend. “I have complete faith in him,” Oweh said. When you talk with Ojabo about his travails, the word faith comes up in a hurry. Yes, he hated not being able to do his job, help his team, chase quarterbacks alongside his buddies. But he did not curse fate. Instead, he leaned on the unbreakable trust he feels in God, his tight-knit family and friends such as Oweh and Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. “ just stayed prayed up,” he said. “I have a very strong family. I have a good base around here. ‘Dafe’ [Odafe Oweh] is like my brother, ‘Beeks’ [Justin Madubiuke is] like my brother, so I live through them. Those three things — God, family, friends — I really honed in on that, and of course, the work, man. Nothing comes easy, so I just put my head down and worked. That’s all I know, so I’m right back.” Harbaugh noticed how Ojabo remained centered despite the gnawing disappointment of two lost seasons. He didn’t need to do anything special to lift the young pass rusher’s spirits. “I can’t tell you how many conversations David and I have had that are just awesome conversations — about a lot of things,” Harbaugh said. “He’s very smart, [and] he’s a very deep thinker — kind of a philosopher, he really is, and I learn a lot talking to him. He’s kept his head on straight and keeps things in perspective. He’s got a really strong family. I don’t know that I really had to say anything other than the fact that conversation is good sometimes, but he’s been in a good place. I think he gets down because he wants to get out there and contribute, and he wants to be a part of it, but he’s excited to get going.” Between his rehabilitation work with doctors and trainers and his fine-tuning under Walker and Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith, Ojabo did not hesitate to answer “yes sir” when asked recently if he’s 100% ready for the season. His thoughtfulness was apparent when he explained why he’s feeling so upbeat. He pointed to the experience of his new defensive coordinator, Zach Orr, who learned he had a career-ending congenital spine condition just as he completed his best season with the Ravens. Ojabo draws from that not a parable of disappointment but one on cherishing these moments. “You never know when it’s going to be your last snap,” he said. “I’m in a very blessed position playing in the NFL for one of the best organizations, so every day I’m out here, [I’m] smiling through it and making it my best day.” Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo flashed his immense potential in his return to action Aug. 17 against the Falcons. (Terrance Williams/AP) View the full article Quote
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