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CB Chimdi Chekwa (Official Thread)

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Ohio State spotlight: Chimdi Chekwa
Thursday, September 24, 2009 10:00 PM
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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PHOTO (top): Ohio State's Chimdi Chekwa will be a key player in stopping the Illini's potent passing attack. (Fred Squillante, Dispatch)

Besides Juice Williams sneaking repeatedly for first downs and helping Illinois play keep-away in the fourth quarter in Ohio Stadium, there is another lasting image from the Illini's 28-21 win over Ohio State in 2007. It was of receivers breaking wide open to catch four touchdown passes from Williams.

The object for the OSU defense today is to keep that from happening again, while also figuring out a way to keep the Illini from running with effectiveness. That means it will be an intense afternoon for cornerback Chimdi Chekwa and his cohorts in the secondary as they deal with Illinois' version of the spread offense.

"With the spread, we're not so much on the island, compared to (going against) like a two-tight end set with wide receiver out there by himself; that's when you're on an island a lot," Chekwa said.

"When you go against the spread it's more you've got to cover an area in a zone. Or, when you're in man (coverage), you know you've got a few more receivers inside of you, so you're not so much on an island."

But Illinois will try to gain matchups against the corners man-to-man, and likely will test them deep. Receivers Arrelious Benn, Jared Fayson, Jeff Cumberland and A.J. Jenkins - all listed as possible starters - have shown the ability to run crossing routes or stretch the field deep.

Toledo and its spread offense tested the Buckeyes, especially Chekwa, deep a few times during a 38-0 win by OSU last week in Cleveland. Chekwa seemed to enjoy those situations.

"I had a play where I thought I should have come down with the ball and I didn't," Chekwa said. "But I felt good out there."
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GameDay+
 
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Another terrific game for Chekwa. Beaten twice, and smart enough to still not allow the TD either time - once by a well-chosen interference, the second by a terrific force-out-of-bounds. We're truly blessed to have these outstanding cornerbacks year after year.
 
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No longer unknown

When cornerback Chimdi Chekwa played in the game at Purdue in 2007, the Boilermakers tried to pick on him. Playing extensively at cornerback in the nickel defense for the first time, Chekwa picked back, making 10 tackles and being named the Big Ten defensive player of the week.

"It was a good game for me," said Chekwa, now a junior. "I don't know if it was as good as (deserving) the Big Ten player of the week, but it was a good game.

"It built a little confidence for me going into the next week, but that's about it. Now, I don't even think about that."
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BuckeyeXtra - OSU notebook: Cordle, Miller returning, but not at full strength
 
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Modest Chekwa can humble his opponents
Thursday, October 15, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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PHOTO (top): Ohio State's Chimdi Chekwa, seen defending Wisconsin's Kyle Jefferson in last week's game, learned the value of a good education from his parents, who are Nigerian immigrants. The accounting major says he carries a 3.3 grade-point average. (Neal C. Lauron, Dispatch)

The ball is launched, and Toledo receiver Stephen Williams appears to have Ohio State cornerback Chimdi Chekwa beaten by several steps.

Down the sideline they race. Chekwa never looks at Williams, keeping his eyes on the incoming ball at all times. His hips smoothly swivel and with his sprinter speed, and he easily makes up the gap.

The two leap at the same time, and the ball falls harmlessly to the ground.

Chekwa had made a remarkable play, but there's no celebration - no yapping or jumping around or even a finger in the air. He simply runs back to the huddle.

"Once you make a few plays, you get used to it," he said. "Even though I might make a good play, I'm expecting to make a better one the next time."

This quiet pride and high expectation comes from growing up as a child of Charles and Eunice Chekwa, Nigerian immigrants who fled civil war and built a new life for themselves in America.

Between the two, they own five college degrees. Charles holds a doctorate in business, and Eunice has a master's in mathematics. Both are teachers.

As they raised their six children (Chimdi is the youngest), the foundations were a strong Christian faith and an expectation of achievement, particularly in the classroom.

"That's our heritage," Charles said. "In Nigeria especially, other than God, education is the next thing that's preached and practiced. We tried to model that for our children. We keep preaching to them that they have to be better than their parents."

Said Chimdi, "They weren't always telling us to do this or that, it was something we knew was expected from us. You just needed to come home with an A."

Charles was a professional soccer player and engaged to Eunice in 1967 when their southern region of Nigeria, dominated by Christians, declared itself the independent state of Biafra and broke away from the Muslim-dominated country.

War followed, in which Charles served as a captain. Nigeria ultimately prevailed, and Charles was forced to flee. He arrived in America in 1975, knowing nobody.
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GameDay+
 
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Yes. It seemed as though McNutt or whoever was on him were making plays, whether that was defensive scheme, offensive scheme, or something else, Chekwa had a tough time, imo. The INT at the end would have made up for some of the big plays, but it just took an Iowa bounce. Tough luck sometimes.
 
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Somewhere in the 4th quarter they showed clips of every big Iowa passing play and it was over #5's head almost every time. He didn't exactly have his best game.

I suppose not getting any decent pressure on the QB makes it that much harder to cover what we can all agree on are some pretty top-notch Iowa WR's.
 
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