New Eagles pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari excited to reunite with former Georgia teammates
New Eagles pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari excited to reunite with former Georgia teammates
After spending four seasons with the Giants, pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari has landed in Philadelphia with several familiar faces.
Ojulari, 24, signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Eagles despite New York's interest in bringing him back. He was expected to receive a higher offer on the open market, but Ojulari is betting on himself to excel on a young defensive line coming off a Super Bowl.
GM Howie Roseman adds Ojulari to his growing list of former Bulldogs on the Eagles roster: Jalen Carter, Lewis Cine, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo, and Nolan Smith.
While addressing the media during his introductory press conference, Ojulari stated he was excited to reunite with old teammates but is particularly close with Nolan Smith.
"It's amazing having that chemistry and brotherhood with those guys, it's just amazing to come back here and just keep it going on," Ojulari said on Wednesday.
"We got so many Georgia guys here. Nolan [Smith], that's my brother for real. All of them are my brothers, but Nolan, since we've been in the same room since Georgia, I'm probably more close with him. But I'm close with all of them – we all share that brotherhood and the relationship we have is amazing. I'm ready to be here now."
Ojulari was a member of the 2020 Georgia team that defeated Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl, handing them their only loss of the season. He had two forced fumbles and three sacks in that game, including one for a safety on the final play.
The Giants drafted Ojulari No. 50 overall in the following NFL Draft, which yielded immediate results. The second-round pick played in all 17 games and tallied 8.0 sacks in 2021, a new franchise rookie record.
Injuries plagued Ojulari's next three seasons, as he appeared in only 29 games. Ojulari has proven to be an effective pass-rusher when healthy, and he could be a key piece of a rotation featuring Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche.
In addition to Georgia alumni, Ojulari is reconnecting with running back Saquon Barkley and cornerback Adoree' Jackson, whom he played with in New York.
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