Nakas man of many words
Linebacker gives Hawks jolt of energy; opponents get a dose of humility
Faster than a terrified running back. More powerful than an offensive lineman en route to the buffet table. Able to fill a reporter’s notebook with a single breath. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Nakas. Wilfrid Laurier’s frenetic linebacker Nakas Onyeka invites the question. Which works harder, his motor or his mouth?
There is no simple answer for the Golden Hawks’ undisputed inspirational leader on the gridiron.
Onyeka is the OUA conference co-leader in tackles (44 solo takedowns) and Laurier’s beloved leader in pep talks (incalculable).
Invariably, if there is a game-altering hit to be made, or any manner of on-field mayhem to be heard, Onyeka and his No. 11 jersey are probably standing in the middle of it.
“Guy’s a tackling machine,” said Laurier receiver Marcus Arkarakas.
“Professional talker,” was head coach Michael Faulds’ two-word summation.
Onyeka is, after all, a communication studies major.
“Whether it’s at practice, whether it’s on game day or in the weight room, anywhere you find Nakas, he is going to be loud. He’s going to get everyone fired up,” Arkarakas added.
Rallying the troops is one thing. Non-stop attempts to throw opponents off their game, is quite another. Onyeka, a six-foot, 210pound fireball, regularly keeps his teammates in stitches and even cracks up opponents with rapid-fire quips directed across the line of scrimmage like: “Don’t talk to me. I don’t even know you.” “I don’t have my insoles on. You’re lucky.” His more colourful remarks aren’t too suited for print, but they are never intended to be taken personally, Onyeka insisted.
“Last week, one of the refs told me I am one of his favourite players because of the way I talk. But he told me if I don’t tone it down, he’d have to give me a penalty,” said the 22-year-old from Brampton.
Onyeka’s favourite verbal targets this season have been Western running back Alex Taylor and Guelph quarterback James Roberts.
“It’s a competitive thing. I don’t mean it to be disrespectful. If you can get somebody off their game and focus on you rather than their assignment, it makes all the difference,” added Onyeka, listed at No. 16 on the CFL’s top prospect list in September.
Onyeka’s name is actually an abbreviation of the Nigerian word, Odinakachukwu, which means “in the hands of God.”
His parents moved to Canada 25 years ago, and raised three boys. His dad, Vinnie, is the CEO of a Nigerian oil company; his mom, Nwando, is a nurse in downtown Toronto.
Nakas, the couple’s eldest son, intends to make his presence felt even if means chatting up his many fans after games, or even busting a few dance moves in the lockerroom to the delight — or not — of his teammates.
“Nakas is always dancing in the room after a win,” said Arkarakas. “He thinks he does. But, no, he doesn’t have the best moves.
“You look for a little bit of comic relief during games to even out the tone.”