For Purdue NT Mo Omonode, it’s all about proving them wrong

For Purdue’s Mo Omomode , it isn’t about proving others wrong. It’s about proving himself right.

Coming out of West Lafayette High, the Purdue nose tackle wasn’t inundated with major college offers. For months, Omonode’s best offer was from … Arkansas State. Why the trepidation from big-time programs? Omonode is just 6-feet tall, not an ideal height for a major college defensive lineman.

Look at Omonode now. The junior is poised to be arguably Purdue’s best interior defensive linemen.

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“I’m not surprised,” said Omonode, who was offered by former Purdue d-line coach Mark Hagen who had to convince Jeff Brohm to take him. “I feel like I always knew what I could do.”

The 286-pound Omonode will team with 6-3, 333-pound Cole Brevard to give Purdue a potent tandem at nose tackle, arguably the brightest spot on the d-line. One nose man is lightning, while the other is thunder.

“Cole is the bruiser,” said Omonode. “I say I’m the speed. Cole, you’ve seen him. Big, strong, mountain of a man. He’ll drive anybody off the ball. I don’t think there’s anyone in the country who can mess with Cole.

“Me? I’m not so much a bruiser. I’ll come in, work a move before I bull rush.”

Omonode is famous for his “plays like his hair is on fire” style. He’s relentless. And his lack of ideal height often gives him an edge in football, where the low man always wins.

“You get low leverage on a lot of people,” said Omonode, one of four former West Lafayette Red Devils on the Boilermaker roster (ILB Yanni Karlaftis , ILB Cooper Kitchel and QB Carson Kitchel ).

“A 6-7 tackle comes to block down, you are already lower than him. You just have to stand your ground. That’s really the main thing, the leverage. Maybe I don’t get tired so much. I ain’t as big.”

Omonode is like a Tasmanian devil, which is what d-line coach Brick Haley has dubbed No. 92.

“He’s all over the place,” said Haley. “I can tell you, he’ll run through a wall if you ask, but he’s got to believe and trust in you, and I think that we’ve built that relationship together, and I think that’s why he plays the way he plays. The motor’s always been there. Now, he’s starting to fine-tune some of the techniques and fundamentals, and he’s becoming a better player day in and day out.”

Omonode just smiles at the nickname.

“I think everybody, we go out there and play fast,” said Omonode. “My body bends a little different. That’s why they say that. But, we all are moving fast, getting out off the snap, playing hard. So, we are a whole bunch of Tasmanian devils.”

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