Godwin Igwebuike
NORTHWESTERN
Those carrying the football against Northwestern know their forward progress likely will end once safety Godwin Igwebuike arrives. In 48 career games that include 42 starts, he has 314 tackles.
Asked about taking down players so efficiently in an era when many people say the art of tackling has taking a tumble, Igwebuike went back to his roots at Pickerington North, and even before that.
“My dad (Leo) was my first coach and teacher, and he taught me how to tackle and how to be aggressive,” Igwebuike said. “It’s a lot about technique and discipline. I always wanted to be a well-rounded player and not just a cover guy. Tackling is something I take pride in. We were always doing tackling drills in high school. We talked about wrapping up.’”
Igwebuike, a redshirt senior, ranks third on the team in tackles with 68. He has forced one fumble, recovered one fumble, intercepted two passes and broken up nine passes. In 2016, he had 108 tackles and ranked ninth in the nation in average unassisted tackles with 6.0 per game. He had 87 tackles as a sophomore and 51 as a freshman.
The best part is that Igwebuike will leave Northwestern a winner. The team finished 5-7 his redshirt freshman season in 2014 for the third losing season in four years, but things changed in ’15 when the Wildcats finished 10-3 to match the team record for victories. The following season the team finished 7-6 and defeated Pittsburgh 31-24 in the Pinstripe Bowl for its second bowl win ever.
This season, the team is 8-3 and guaranteed of receiving a bowl bid going into the final regular season game at Illinois.
“I never really put that into perspective like that,” Igwebuike said. “It just feels good to be part of a winning team and being part of Chicago. Everywhere you go you want to make an impact and leave with a legacy, and we’re leaving ours. Those bowl games are awesome and important. You want to expect to be in a bowl game every single season.”
Igwebuike got excited talking about the day he signed a national letter of intent to enroll at Northwestern.
“I was so overwhelmed and felt so blessed being in that position for a new chapter in my life,” he said. “I was sitting there with some of my best friends — teammates who also signed — and that was a special moment. It’s about your dreams coming to life.”
The next dream for Igwebuike would be playing in the NFL. He thinks about it often.
“I’ve been playing this game since I was 6 years old, and I have those dreams and aspirations,” he said. “You go to high school and become a pretty good player. Then you go to college and get better. I know it’s about 2 or 3 percent who make it to college and it’s 1 percent at the next level. I’m doing everything I can to get better.” The sophomore defensive back from Northland had 50 tackles and four interceptions. The senior offensive lineman from DeSales played in 23 games his final two seasons.