3/26/2022 football Edit

Linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi performs well at Rutgers Pro Day

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Olakunle Fatukasi was a force on defense in 2020 for the Rutgers football team at linebacker.

He led the Big Ten Conference with 101 tackles and ranked ninth in the country with 11.2 per game for the best average by a Scarlet Knight since 1999. He also led the team and was second in the league with 11.0 tackles-for-loss. The New York native notched six games with double-digit stops including 17 each against Michigan and Penn State. Fatukasi racked up the accolades such as Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award National Player of the Week, First Team All-Big Ten (Media), Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), AP First Team All-Big Ten, and Butkus Award semifinalist.

In 2021, an injury hampered Fatukasi and he missed the last three games of the year plus the added bowl game. Still, he was added to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List, was a Butkus Award semifinalist again, and was named Third Team All-Big Ten by the media. The two-time captain made 89 tackles in nine games and placed fourth in the Big Ten and 12th nationally at 9.9 stops per game.

Fatukasi finished his career at Rutgers 12th all-time with 302 tackles in 53 games. He had 28 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, seven pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

"When we came here, he was a huge help. He was a great influence on our football team," head coach Greg Schiano said. "He bought in to what we were doing and played really well. Unfortunately he had his injury this past season which kind of held him back, but I don't know if there was anybody playing better at his position in the Big Ten our first year. He had a special year."

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Tuesday, the 6-foot-2, 234-pounder went through his Pro Day inside The Bubble.

"It was a great experience," Fatukasi said. "We had three months to go and prepare for this. It was a long process and it was a grind. You have to eat and train right."

Fatukasi said the training was challenging at times, but he had to push through.

"The biggest thing I took out of it is every day you have to work," Fatukasi said. "You work on your 40, you work on your bench, and you can get bored and tired of it, but you have to have a strong mindset."

Coming off of his injury, he eased into his workouts.

"Before I started training hard I wanted to make sure I got my hamstring right," said Fatukasi, who trained down in Florida before coming up to North Jersey. "It was good right before I started training 100%."

Fatukasi did 21 reps in the bench press, had a vertical lead of 38-inches, a broad jump of 10-feet, 2-inches, 40-yard dashes of 4.80 seconds and 4.78 seconds, a 3-cone drill of 6.75 seconds, and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.30 seconds.

Comparing numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine, Fatukasi had the fastest time in the 3-cone drill, the third-best shuttle, and fifth-highest vertical.

"I feel like I did great," Fatukasi said. "I don't know any numbers yet or anything, but I feel like I did well. I know one drill -- I think the L-cone -- the scouts had shocked faces from what I heard."

In January, Fatukasi was a late add to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

"That was great even though I got invited like two days before. It was a rush. I got there and balled out and did what I had to do. It was a fun experience," Fatukasi said.

"I was prepared. Obviously I wasn't thinking I was going to be in any bowl game like that. I was training and two days before they called me and I had to switch my gear. I had it treat like practice and an game again."

After spending his first three years at Rutgers under a different coaching staff, Fatukasi was glad to have played for Schiano and his crew.

"Being coached by coach Schiano was great," Fatukasi said. "We went through some hard times, but we all stuck through it."

Throughout his college journey and before Pro Day, Fatukasi has always leaned on his older brother, Folorunso, who was drafted by the New Yok Jets in 2018. He just signed a three-year, $30-million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"He always gives me advice," the younger Fatukasi said. "He gives me advice every day and I take it all in."

Being back at Rutgers for his Pro Day was a surreal feeling for Fatukasi, and now it's over.

"I knew I wasn't going to be in college forever. It had to end someday," he said with a laugh. "It feels different. I've just been training and it's a different type of training."

And while Fatukasi likely has more workouts and meetings in his future, one thing was on his mind a few minutes after he got done competing.

"I'm going to have to take a nap. It was a long day," Fatukasi told TKR. "The anxiety was building up. I couldn't wait for this day, and now we did it and it's over."