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Former Detroit Lions star Romeo Okwara announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. The defensive lineman played eight seasons in the league, including two years with the New York Giants.
Although Okwara retired at 28, which is relatively early, his younger brother Julian Okwara still has a few years left in the tank.
Julian was born on Dec. 27, 1997, in London, England. He grew up in Nigeria but his family relocated to the US when he was in the third grade.
Julian, like his brother Romeo, took a liking to the gridiron from a young age and played football at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, before committing to Notre Dame.
After spending four seasons as a linebacker with the Fighting Irish, Julian declared for the 2020 NFL draft, where the Detroit Lions picked him in the third round. He played alongside Romeo for four seasons until his elder brother announced his retirement.
Julian has racked up 54 tackles, nine sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception in the NFL thus far. However, Detroit waived him before this year's NFC title game, which the Lions lost 34-31 against the San Francisco 49ers.
On Feb. 14 Julian signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Julian is in a relationship with Lauren Wenzel, who played volleyball at Notre Dame, as per her Instagram bio.
Romeo Okwara looking forward to next chapter after announcing NFL retirement
Romeo Okwara took to social media to announce his retirement from the NFL. In his post, the former Lions star also suggested that he is excited for the new chapter in his life.
Okwara entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016, when the New York Giants signed the defensive lineman. He racked up 28 tackles, four passes defended and one sack across 22 games for them.
Okwara was released by the Giants in September 2018 but was signed by the Detroit Lions just a few days later.
In six seasons with Detroit, Okwara recorded 134 tackles, 51 quarterback hits and four passes defended, before calling it quits with football in the 2024 offseason.
