.jpg) Oruwariye in 2019 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1996-02-09)February 9, 1996 (age 29) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Gaither (Tampa, Florida) | ||||||||||
| College: | Penn State (2014–2018) | ||||||||||
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2019: 5th round, 146th pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Amani Horatio Oruwariye (/ɔːruˈwɑːriˌjeɪ/or-oo-WAR-ee-YAY;[1] born February 9, 1996) is an American professionalfootballcornerback who is currently a free agent. He playedcollege football atPenn State.
Oruwariye lettered for three years atGaither High School in Tampa, Florida.[2] As a senior, he was voted team MVP and invited to the Hillsborough County All-Star Game.[3] He was ranked a three star recruit by all four major recruiting services, and 247Sports and Rivals rated him a top 100 prospect in the state of Florida. Oruwariye committed to Vanderbilt University early in his senior year before decommitting and following Head Coach James Franklin to Penn State.[4]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amani Oruwariye CB | Tampa, FL | Tampa (FL) Gaither | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 30, 2014 | |
Star ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 73 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Oruwariyeredshirted his true freshman season at Penn State, then appeared in mostly special teams action during his redshirt freshman year.[5]
In 2016, Oruwariye saw more time en route to Penn State's firstBig Ten Championship Game victory. He logged his first interception against Kent State, which he proceeded to return for a touchdown.[6] He finished the season with 23 total tackles.[7][8]
Oruwariye burst onto the national scene in 2017 due to his personal-best four interceptions, good for fourth in the Big Ten.[9][7][10] He earned recognition from both coaches and the media, who elected him second all-B1G.[11] He appeared in all but one game as Penn State clinched its firstFiesta Bowl victory since 1997.
Oruwariye carried his junior year momentum into his redshirt senior year, starting in each of Penn State's 12 games, picking off three passes, and tallying a career highs in tackles, pass defenses, and forced fumbles.[8] His excellence was recognized by coaches, media, the Associated Press, and ESPN, all of whom named him to their All-B1G teams.[12] He received an invite to theReese's Senior Bowl amidst discussions that he could potentially be a first round pick.[13]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+5⁄8 in (1.87 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.47 s | 1.63 s | 2.66 s | 4.16 s | 6.82 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 17 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[14][15] | ||||||||||||
Oruwariye was drafted by theDetroit Lions in the fifth round (146th overall) of the2019 NFL draft.[16] He finished the season with two interceptions and third on the Lions' depth chart.[17][18]
Oruwariye was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Lions on July 29, 2020,[19] and was activated 10 days later.[20]In Week 11 against theCarolina Panthers, Oruwariye recorded his first interception of the season off a pass thrown byP. J. Walker during the 20–0 loss.[21] In the 2020 season, he appeared in 16 games and started 15. He finished with 53 total tackles (45 solo), one interception, and seven passes defended.[22]
Oruwariye entered the 2021 season as a starting cornerback for the Lions. He started the first 14 games before suffering a thumb injury in Week 15. He was placed on injured reserve on December 25, ending his season.[23] He finished the season with 57 tackles, and a team-leading 11 passes defensed and six interceptions.[24] He was third in the NFL in interceptions at the time of his injury.
In the 2022 season, Oruwariye finished with 44 total tackles (36 solo), three passes defended, and one fumble recovery in 14 games and five starts.[25]
On March 23, 2023, Oruwariye signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with theNew York Giants.[26] He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[27][28] He was released on October 10.[29]
On October 16, 2023, Oruwariye was signed to theJacksonville Jaguars practice squad.[30] He was active in one game in the 2023 season, Week 17 against the Panthers.[31] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.[32] He was released on August 27, 2024.[33]
Oruwariye was signed to theDallas Cowboys practice squad on August 29, 2024.[34] He was promoted to the active roster on October 26.[35] In the Week 14Monday Night Football game against theCincinnati Bengals, with two minutes to go in a 20–20 game, Oruwariye muffed ablocked punt, which was eventually recovered by the Bengals for afirst down. The Bengals would score the winning touchdown soon after. Oruwariye refused to speak to the media after the game concluded, and wore a towel on his head while walking to the locker room.[36]