Q&A with Salem LB/RB Sam Ofurie
SOUTH WEYMOUTH — It has been a busy month — really, less than that — for Sam Ofurie.
After attending the MASS ELITE 7v7 combine, the sophomore linebacker from Salem High quickly picked up an offer from Boston College on January 21. Just three days later, Michigan followed suit.
Ofurie, who also plays running back for the Witches, was effective on both sides of the ball this past fall, and helped his team to a 5-6 record.
At 6-feet, 223 pounds, Ofurie is a big presence in the middle of the field on defense and hits with authority. On offense, he is obviously very tough to bring down with his combination of size, strength, and speed.
On Saturday, MassVarsity caught up with Ofurie as he was at the Union Sports Complex competing with NE Purple in the first round of games at the Legacy New England Football 7-on-7s.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: Been a whirlwind couple of weeks for you. First you get offered by Boston College, then Michigan. What has this been like for you?
Sam Ofurie: This is all recently. It hasn't been up to a month. I'm still trying to figure out everything. My life has changed in a matter of a couple of weeks, and it's only going to get better. So I have to work harder. More eyes are on me now, so that's how it is.
MV: Are you originally from Salem, or did you just move there? How long have you been in the area?
SO: I wasn't born in this country, actually. I was born and raised in Africa, Nigeria. And I grew up in Lynn for a couple of years, and I just moved to Salem recently, about two, three years ago. I've done a lot of moving, you could say.
MV: When did you start playing football?
SO: I started in the eighth grade. . . . It was just, they put me on the line, whoever's in front of you, just move them and hit the guy with the ball. So I started learning football freshman year. So, football's pretty recent.
MV: That's funny. So did you do it because you liked it, or because someone came up to you and said, "Hey, you'd make a pretty good football player . . ."?
SO: It was my way of fitting in. Eighth grade, someone just saw me, (and said), "You're a big dude. Play for us." I went, they put me on the line. We won the Super Bowl (in Salem) that year.
MV: How do you like the sport?
SO: I love it. I love it. This two-hand touch is a little weird for me, because I'm tempted to hit, so I have to get used to it. But it's a good sport. It's aggressive.
MV: What was it like playing at Salem?
SO: It's pretty good, because they put me in a good (offensive) position, running back, and I just took it. The coaches, give the credit to them, they put me in the right position to win. I'm learning a lot. I'm figuring out the game a lot, and it's getting easier and easier. I'm getting better.
MV: What did you know about this sport before you came to this country? Did you watch it on TV?
SO: Before I came to this country, I never saw football in my life. I saw rugby, and I thought that was very aggressive. I didn't watch a football game up until sixth, seventh grade, so it's pretty new. Everything's new.
MV: But you like the physical aspect of it.
SO: Yeah, that I like. It's just a certain feeling once you get, once you dominate somebody and they can't do anything about it. That's great.
MV: But you can't do that out here.
SO: I know. I try to be a little physical, but . . .
MV: So was it a little surreal to have all these schools after you?
SO: I feel like I still haven't realized it. It's still like a dream. But now I'm going to have to get used to it, because now it's real. Now it's real.
After attending the MASS ELITE 7v7 combine, the sophomore linebacker from Salem High quickly picked up an offer from Boston College on January 21. Just three days later, Michigan followed suit.
Ofurie, who also plays running back for the Witches, was effective on both sides of the ball this past fall, and helped his team to a 5-6 record.
At 6-feet, 223 pounds, Ofurie is a big presence in the middle of the field on defense and hits with authority. On offense, he is obviously very tough to bring down with his combination of size, strength, and speed.
On Saturday, MassVarsity caught up with Ofurie as he was at the Union Sports Complex competing with NE Purple in the first round of games at the Legacy New England Football 7-on-7s.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: Been a whirlwind couple of weeks for you. First you get offered by Boston College, then Michigan. What has this been like for you?
Sam Ofurie: This is all recently. It hasn't been up to a month. I'm still trying to figure out everything. My life has changed in a matter of a couple of weeks, and it's only going to get better. So I have to work harder. More eyes are on me now, so that's how it is.
MV: Are you originally from Salem, or did you just move there? How long have you been in the area?
SO: I wasn't born in this country, actually. I was born and raised in Africa, Nigeria. And I grew up in Lynn for a couple of years, and I just moved to Salem recently, about two, three years ago. I've done a lot of moving, you could say.
MV: When did you start playing football?
SO: I started in the eighth grade. . . . It was just, they put me on the line, whoever's in front of you, just move them and hit the guy with the ball. So I started learning football freshman year. So, football's pretty recent.
MV: That's funny. So did you do it because you liked it, or because someone came up to you and said, "Hey, you'd make a pretty good football player . . ."?
SO: It was my way of fitting in. Eighth grade, someone just saw me, (and said), "You're a big dude. Play for us." I went, they put me on the line. We won the Super Bowl (in Salem) that year.
MV: How do you like the sport?
SO: I love it. I love it. This two-hand touch is a little weird for me, because I'm tempted to hit, so I have to get used to it. But it's a good sport. It's aggressive.
MV: What was it like playing at Salem?
SO: It's pretty good, because they put me in a good (offensive) position, running back, and I just took it. The coaches, give the credit to them, they put me in the right position to win. I'm learning a lot. I'm figuring out the game a lot, and it's getting easier and easier. I'm getting better.
MV: What did you know about this sport before you came to this country? Did you watch it on TV?
SO: Before I came to this country, I never saw football in my life. I saw rugby, and I thought that was very aggressive. I didn't watch a football game up until sixth, seventh grade, so it's pretty new. Everything's new.
MV: But you like the physical aspect of it.
SO: Yeah, that I like. It's just a certain feeling once you get, once you dominate somebody and they can't do anything about it. That's great.
MV: But you can't do that out here.
SO: I know. I try to be a little physical, but . . .
MV: So was it a little surreal to have all these schools after you?
SO: I feel like I still haven't realized it. It's still like a dream. But now I'm going to have to get used to it, because now it's real. Now it's real.
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