Unlike the rest of the top 30 college football players who traveled to Detroit for the Draft, Olu Fashanu stayed at home in Maryland with his friends and family. When the New York Jets selected the Penn State graduate, everyone congratulated Fashanu for his hard-earned achievement.
When asked about why he skipped the ceremony in Detroit, Fashanu revealed that he wanted to share the special moment with people close to him.
I always knew I was going to celebrate the draft at home with the people closest to me, my support system, family, and close friends. To have them all show out for my special night, it meant a lot that they were able to make it. Olu Fashanu told US Sun
The 21-year-old grew up in a household of four people. His father Anthony Fashanu, mother Paige Fashanu, and sister Angie. All of them were present when the Jets selected Olu as the 11th overall pick.
.@olu_fashanu reliving his draft call has us in our feels pic.twitter.com/JKjrfmM8lU
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 29, 2024
My parents made so many sacrifices to help get me to a position where I'm at. This is the least I could give back for all the sacrifice they've made for me. Olu Fashanu said
Olu completed the first week of his rookie minicamp in New York and looks forward to protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets had the worst offensive line last season according to Pro Football Network. To improve, they added veteran tackle Tyron Smith from the Cowboys and guard John Simpson from the Ravens in the offseason.
Fashanu, who many analysts hypothesized to be comfortable on both left and right tackle, could be a starter from day 1. And he is eager to protect their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
The Night I got drafted, Aaron Rodgers sent me a text. For around a week it felt like I was living in a dream but now it's sunk in that I'm an NFL player for the Jets. Olu Fashanu said
It will be a great experience to learn from All-Pro caliber players like Smith. As a rookie, he wants to soak in all the nitty-gritty of being an NFL offensive lineman.
New #Jets first round pick @olu_fashanu delivered some wise words at 21 years of age:
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 8, 2024
‘Offensive line is the engine of the offense. If the O-Line doesn’t have a good game typically the offense doesn’t have a good game.’
‘Generally it’s been a very under-appreciated position,… pic.twitter.com/QLUUy2xgUY
It's really important for myself as a rookie to really learn from the vets and I'm very fortunate to be in a room with a lot of vets. Olu Fashanu added
Fashanu was a four-star recruit coming out of Penn State. He was voted consensus All-American, Rimington Pace Offensive Lineman of the year, and was part of the First Team All-Big Ten in his final year of college football.
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