July 17, 2010
This is part of a series spotlighting the players attending C-USA Football Media Day, July 25 in Memphis. Press conferences from the event will be streamed live on ConferenceUSA.com.
Last season, the Rice Owls were one of the youngest teams in the country, starting 14 underclassmen. A year older, Rice enters the 2010 season hoping to look a lot more like the 2008 team that won the Texas Bowl. One of the key players leading that charge will be senior DE Cheta Ozougwu. He is coming off a season where he posted career-highs in tackles (65), tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (4.5).
Rice
Primed for postseason honors heading into his senior year...Second-team All C-USA pick by Phil Steele and on Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College second team.
2009
Earned honorable mention All C-USA honors from league coaches... Set career-highs for tackles (61), TFL (10.5) and sacks (4.5)...Ranked second among C-USA defensive linemen with 61tackles... Had 39 tackles, including eight for loss in the last six games... Recorded his first multi-sack game with a pair vs. UTEP... Tied with fellow DE Scott Solomon for eighth in C-USA with .88 TFL per game... Recorded his first career double-figure tackle game at ECU, finishing with 10, including 2.5 for losses... Credited with three tackles vs. Tulsa to top 100 career tackles... Matched up against the Oklahoma State's All America Russell Okung (6th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft), Ozougwu was credited with eight tackles, including a pair for loss... Has made 32 career starts (23 consecutive).
2008
Tied with fellow end Scott Solomon for the defensive line lead with 40 tackles ... second on the team with 3.5 sacks and tied for second with six tackles for loss (both career highs) ... opened the year with 1.5 sacks in the first three games, then closed the regular season with sacks in consecutive games vs. Marshall and Houston ... had at least four tackles in eight of 12 games (missed the Vanderbilt game) ... season-best tackle effort was five vs. North Texas ... credited with four tackles and his first career sack in the opener against SMU ... forced his first career fumble on his sack but SMU recovered.
2007
Earned honorable mention freshman All-American designation from The Sporting News and C-USA freshman honors from the conference media ... finished seventh on the team, and second among linemen, with 43 tackles, despite missing the first two games of the year with an injury ... recorded 37 of his tackles in conference action ... posted a season-high seven tackles against Memphis and also had three other games in which he was credited with six stops (Houston, Marshall, SMU) ... broke up a pass vs. Marshall ... named to the C-USA Honor Roll
Alief Taylor High School
2007 graduate of Alief Taylor High in suburban southwest Houston ... All-District 18-5A and All-Greater Houston selection for coach Tom Gerber ... also earned academic all-district honors ... member of the Houston Chronicle's Top 100 ... finished his senior year with 117 tackles, including 19 for loss (5 sacks) as Taylor reached the state playoffs ... selected to play in the 2007 Bayou Bowl against a team of all-stars from Louisiana ... also played basketball and ran track ... member of the National Honor Society and FCA while also coaching youth at the YMCA ... plays the piano.
Personal
Full Name: Chetachi Ozougwu ... born November 18, 1988 at Houston ... Parents: Aja and Josephine Ozougwu (two brothers, two sisters) ... Rice major: Economics ... Jones College.
In the Community
• Black Student Association Social Committee - 2007-Present
• Member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee - 2009 - present
• Fellowship of the Christian Athletes - 2007-Present
• Rice African Student Association - 2007-Present
• Gospel Choir at Braeswood Assembly of God - 2007-Present
• Volunteer basketball and football coach at Alief YMCA - 2007-Present
• African Christian Fellowship - served as secretary - May 2008 - December 2009
(Planned volunteer & member events - including Gala and Young Adult Conference)
• Volunteered as a Floor Hospitality Host at Harris County Hospital - 2007