Sac State’s ‘flex’ defense features a super hero stopper in George Obinna
The biceps cannot be ignored.
And to call them just “guns” would be a slight to a man who otherwise downplays the perks of his power image.
George Obinna offers up cannons. These are the kind of arms that should never be sleeved, even as he stands at the altar on his wedding day.
Sacramento State’s record-setting senior defensive end has the sort of “whoa!” muscle mass that makes me wonder if he doesn’t toss full beer kegs for kicks, or if blocking sleds wince when he approaches. What Obinna does is blow past or right on through guards and tackles in pursuit of the ball carrier, like a man shot out of a Howitzer.
Obinna is Sac State’s gregarious, nice-guy computer science major by day who transforms into something entirely different at the sound of a quarterback’s cadence. His 32 career sacks are a program record. His 12.5 quarterback stops this season represent the second most in a single season for any Hornet.
Obinna leads the Big Sky Conference with 1.25 sacks per game, good for second most at the FCS level. The relentless pursuit of No. 99 has been a primary reason why revamped Sac State is 7-3 and inching closer to its first playoff berth in 31 years.
The buffed-up mannequin within the team’s headquarters in a Hornets game jersey? He has nothing on big George.
“Obinna won the genetic lottery,” said Jason Ross, the Hornets’ longtime radio play-by-play voice.
“I’ve had times where I worked out six hours a day and I didn’t look a tenth of what George looks like,” Sac State coach Troy Taylor said with a laugh. “I mean, the guy really does look like a superhero. And he wears glasses on campus so he’s got a little Clark Kent to him.”
Taylor also said, “He’s a difference-maker for us up front. There’s an issue on pass protection (when facing Obinna). He’s been that guy for us. He plays with such energy.”
And power.
“I’ve seen him lift offensive tackles off the ground, his leverage and his explosiveness is crazy,” Taylor said. “He’s humble, a sweetheart off the field. Those are the guys you’ve got to worry about!”
Obinna can blend into a crowd at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, until he takes his shirt off. He’s a fan of his cannons, too, but Obinna is more of a reluctant football hero. Obinna said his greatest honor is being viewed as a good teammate.
“It doesn’t feel like I did it,” he said of all the career sacks. “It feels like we’ve done it as a team. I have to give props to my defense. It’s our sack record.”
Obinna’s mass was developed not through years of football or even the weight room. He’s a natural, a late bloomer who didn’t fully discover the joys of football until his mother Anne finally allowed him to compete.
“I always hear about my arms,” Obinna said amid laughter. “It’s nonstop with these guys. I know it comes from a good place, and I love these guys. I never thought of myself as big, just a guy who works hard. Then I started to notice through working out that I got bigger.”
Obinna didn’t play football until he was a junior at Tracy High School. Football coaches saw the stout kid with the arms and urged him to come out to block and tackle. He came into his own as a senior.
“At first contact, I just fell in love with football,” Obinna said. “My mom was worried about the contact when I was younger. There’s no real thought when I play. If I’m thinking too much, it gets me off my game. I just feel my way through.”
Obinna has started since his freshman season at Sac State. He was a preseason All-America candidate just over a year ago, but injuries derailed a lot of key Hornets, Obinna included. Sac State limped home at 2-8 in 2018. Under first-year defensive coordinator Andy Thompson, Sac State now leads the Big Sky with 37 sacks, the second most in the country. The Hornets had 13 sacks all of last season.
“It feels great to be healthy,” Obinna said. “It really does feel good. It was touch-and-go over the summer (with an ankle) but no one rushed me to get back.”
Obinna’s biggest play this season wasn’t even a sack. He scooped up a fumble against Eastern Washington last month and rumbled into the end zone 73 yards to seal his program’s first-ever home win against the Eagles in 13 tries. It was the first score of his life.
“It did not feel real,” Obinna recalled. “I was, ‘Yo! I’m still untouched! I’m still running! Did that just happen?’”
Obinna hasn’t slowed down since.
Before Taylor was introduced as Sac State’s coach in December, athletic director Mark Orr located Obinna in the weight room, one floor down from the news conference.
“I asked him to come over after he was done working out, to talk to Coach Taylor, and there’s Big George without sleeves, those arms,” Orr said. “Here you go, coach!”
Obinna said he immediately appreciated Taylor because they share the same belief in dealing with people – respect your opponent, always, and be kind outside of the playing arena.
“Be a good person,” Obinna said. “That’s what Coach Taylor teaches us. That’s why I respected him right away. Be a good person because it’s the right thing to do. And work hard.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 4:00 AM.