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30 mai 2023

Kene Onyeka, le vétéran de rouge et noir prêt pour une année 2023 exceptionnelle

Kene Onyeka came into the CFL a baby-faced rookie in 2019, after the Ottawa REDBLACKS selected him with the 29th overall pick in the 2018 CFL Draft. Suddenly, he’s on the cusp of turning 27, and has become a key part of the defensive line, seemingly overnight.

It was never magic. Onyeka didn’t go to sleep one night and suddenly turn into a starter, and certainly, it wasn’t a given that he would turn in a career-best season in 2022. The process has felt like it has gone in the blink of an eye for outsiders, but in the five years after the draft, Onyeka’s resolve has been oft tested, and his between-the-ears makeup has powered him forward.

His growth – which he admits has been slower than some – is fueled by the knowledge that nothing is ever guaranteed in football. A bad stretch of games or a couple of lazy practices can be enough to end your career, and with so many of his previous teammates being out of the sport and dying for a chance, he feels he owes it to them to take advantage of his.

“I feel like I was the same person throughout university, I just got a little better at football over time,” Onyeka said. “But in the last two years, there has been a lot of growth. I have matured a lot, and I feel like it’s time to start taking things a little more seriously. That’s where I’m seeing results now. You have to understand how much of a gift it is to still be playing.”

In 2022, Onyeka made the leap from special teamer to key defensive contributor. He took advantage of the playing time, bringing down the quarterback five times, and forcing a fumble. The Carleton alum was a big piece of the REDBLACKS’ revamped defensive line, along with CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Lorenzo Mauldin, and veteran defensive tackle Cleyon Laing.

It was a unit that sacked the quarterback 47 times in 2022, good for second in the league, behind only the Calgary Stampeders. The players, including Onyeka, credit Mike Phair, the REDBLACKS’ Defensive Line Coach, for the success, as well as one another.

“Naturally, I’m going to give [everyone else] the credit,” Onyeka said. “We have a good group up front, and when you play opposite the Most Outstanding Defensive Player, it makes it a little easier to get to the quarterback. As a unit, we’re cohesive.”

If you ask Phair who deserved the praise, he’ll sing a different tune, washing his hands of any responsibility.

“I give credit to the players,” Phair said, not accepting the glory. “They listen [to coaching], they bought in, and they did exactly what I asked them to do. They took advantage [of the opportunity].”

With one breakout season behind him, Onyeka is looking to further cement his status, and become one of the high-end Canadian pass-rushers in the league. His goals are vague, opting not to zero in on a certain statistic, rather setting his marks on improving each day, and helping his club win games.

“My main goal is never to take a step backward,” Onyeka explained. “You hope to be able to make the jump and be an All-Star, maybe the MODP, but that’s not always realistic. The only thing you can control is your effort, and once you start doing the right things every single day, you can only get better.”

That, of course, begins in the weight room, and with film. Then, it’s about hitting the field every day for practice with the intent of winning each rep – never quitting until you beat the man next to you. It’s only when you achieve that, that you can think about improvement.

To this point, Onyeka has done just that, and knows there’s still plenty to learn. After Mauldin’s big 2022, he’s picked up on something he does better than anyone else on the field, and is working to implement it as soon as possible.

“Mauldin knows how to finish, and that’s one thing we can all learn,” Onyeka said. “If you watch the film, we all missed a whole bunch of sacks, we probably could have doubled the amount of sacks we had last year if we would have finished like Lorenzo.”

The ink on Onyeka’s new two-year contract has only just recently dried, serving as a credit for the work already done. Now, he’s ready to be a leader in the locker room with the young players, and be accountable for himself, and his performance on the turf.

“It’s something that I expect from myself, it’s something I’m prepared for,” Onyeka said. “I really started to feel old midway through last season when we brought in guys who were like 22. That used to be me. But I’m now well adjusted, it’s about the process day in, and day out.”

Hopes are high for 2023 for Onyeka, but Phair isn’t allowing that to be the centre of attention.

“He just has to come to work every day and work,” Phair said. “Down-the-road goals are fine to have, but they can’t be your focus. It has to be what you’re going to do today to get where you need to go, and making daily improvements.”