Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 91 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
Today, we look at No. 91 and the interesting football journey of former Irish defensive lineman Adetokunbo “Ade” Ogundeji, who wore the jersey number at Notre Dame from 2016-20.
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Ogundeji (pronounced OH-gun-day-gee) wasn’t born in Nigeria, the African country where his parents grew up and eventually met and married. But the former Notre Dame defensive lineman will forever cherish and celebrate his family’s heritage and the sacrifices his mom and dad made to build a better life for him and his two brothers.
Looking to escape tough living conditions in Nigeria, Ogundeji’s parents took a chance and moved to the United States shortly before Adetokunbo — whose name translates to “king from across the seas” — was born.
The family settled in West Bloomfield, Mich., near Detroit, where Ogundeji’s father, Dapo Ogundeji, worked as a physical therapist.
Staying true to his culture, Ade dutifully dabbled in youth soccer as a grade-schooler, but joked, “I was reckless. I got a lot of red cards.”
Football matters
Bored with soccer, Ogundeji began playing football with friends in about the eighth grade.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Ogundeji steadily improved as a player during his four years at Walled Lake Central High School to eventually earn and accept a scholarship offer to play at Western Michigan, until a later offer from Notre Dame caused him to flip his commitment.
“It was impossible to say no to a school like Notre Dame,” he said.
Ogendeji arrived at Notre Dame in 2016 as a spindly 6-foot-5, 211-pound, 17-year-old with barely five years of football experience. The On3.com consensus rates Ogundeji a three-star recruit and only the No. 780 overall recruit and the No. 62 edge rusher in his class.
“I was still just getting used to the game,” Ogundeji recalled of his campus arrival. “There was a lot to learn and I was running late.”
After three years of studying and waiting his turn behind some standout Irish defensive linemen, Ogundeji became a valuable starter as a senior in 2019, a force and a team captain in 2020, then a fifth-round NFL Draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
Ogundeji — who now wears No. 92 — delivered as an NFL rookie last season, finishing with 17 tackles, one sack and the promise of becoming a fifth-round steal.
“There’s a lot to learn, you’re seeing everything for the first time,” Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees said of Ogundeji. “But I think for what we ask of him and what we’ve expected, he’s living up to expectations.”
Football and life have taken this young man with the Scrabble winning name on an interesting journey. And Notre Dame’s former No. 91 has squeezed the most out of every mile.
