Countdown to Kickoff: No. 45

Jeremiah Attaochu

The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.

Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.

With it now 45 days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 45 Jeremiah Attaochu, who came to Georgia Tech in 2010 as a relative unknown recruit and left The Flats a few years later as one of the best pass rushers in program history and the Jackets’ all-time leader in career sacks with 31.5.

Attaochu came to the U.S. from Nigeria along with his family as a child and played multiple different sports growing up before making his way to the football field in high school at Archbishop Carroll in the Washington D.C. area. He continued to learn and improve and eventually put together a strong senior season where he was noticed by several college programs around the country before ultimately choosing to play at Georgia Tech over more than 10 other offers.

Attaochu made his way onto the field as a true freshman during Tech’s 2010 season and finished the year with 23 tackles (18 solo), four tackles-for-loss and three sacks, ending that year with a start in the Independence Bowl where he recorded a season-high six tackles.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder built on that season the next year as a sophomore, playing in 11 games and starting 10 of them as he was an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection thanks to 59 total tackles (35 solo), six sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception and two passes defended.

As a junior in 2012 the trajectory upward continue as Attaochu was once again an All-ACC Honorable Mention pick as he started in 13 games and finished with 69 total tackles (44 solo), 10 sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble and one pass defended.

That all led up to his senior year in 2013 when Attaochu had his biggest effort yet as a pass rusher with 12.5 sacks in 13 games to go along with 45 tackles (37 solo) 16 tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble and two passes defended. He was named First-Team All-ACC by the coaches and Second-Team All-ACC by the media, Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press and CBS, Fourth-Team All-American by Phil Steele and Honorable Mention All-American by Sports Illustrated.

Attaochu finished his career as Georgia Tech’s all-time leader in sacks with 31.5, all-time leader in sack yards with 226, sixth all-time in career tackles-for-loss with 43.5 and tied for fourth in single-season sacks with 12.5 in 2013. He is also fifth in the ACC all-time in career sacks with 31.5.

Added with his college production, Attaochu put up impressive measurables leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft and was selected in the second round (50th) overall by the San Diego Chargers. He spent four seasons with the Chargers before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2018. He later played with the New York Jets in 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, the Denver Broncos in 2019 and 2020, the Chicago Bears in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and wrapped up his career with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022.

In his nine-year NFL career, Attaochu played in 82 games with 23 starts and compiled 148 total tackles (116 solo), 20.5 sacks, 32 tackles-for-loss, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two passes defended.

Honorable Mention

PJ Daniels (played at GT from 2002-2005)

-Former walk-on who became one of the most productive running backs in Georgia Tech program history

-Finished with 3,346 career rushing yards over four seasons (44 games), including rushing for 1,447 yards as a sophomore in 2003.

-Had 23 career rushing touchdowns and three career receiving touchdowns

-Named First-Team All-ACC in 2003 and Second-Team All-ACC in 2005

-Set the NCAA Bowl Game rushing record with 307 yards in the Jackets 52-10 win over Tulsa in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl. Daniels had four touchdowns in that game.

-Is in the record books at Georgia Tech as fifth in career rushing yards (3,346), third in single-season rushing yards (1,447 in 2003), second in single-game rushing yards (307 in 2004 Humanitarian Bowl), eighth in career rushing touchdowns (23) and tied or second in single-game rushing touchdowns (4 in 2004 Humanitarian Bowl)

-Was drafted in the fourth round (132nd overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and spent three seasons with the franchise before injuries cut his pro career short