Christian Emeka Okoye, was born on August 16, 1961 in Enugu, Nigeria, as a member of the Igbo ethnic group. Growing up, Okoye mainly played soccer, while also competing as a sprinter and thrower on his high school track and field team. When Christian arrived in the U.S. at the age of 21, he joined the track and field squad at California’s Azusa Pacific University.
Okoye excelled athletically, winning 7 college titles in shot put, hammer throw, and discus. Despite having attained marks more than sufficient to qualify, Christian was left off the 1984 Nigerian Olympic team. Frustrated, he turned his attention to football, though after observing his first actual football game, Okoye had noted that it was “boring”. Christian didn’t enjoy the roughness of football, nor had he picked a football up until the ripe age of 23, but with encouragement from friends, he committed himself to the sport.
