Frank Okam brings wide experience to D-line job

Sir Purr

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Mar 16, 2019
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Of course, Okam was a known commodity to Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow, working for them as the defensive line coach at Baylor before coming here last season.


Snow said they were clearly confident in Okam, but since he hadn't been a full position coach in the NFL previously, they wanted to bring in a more experienced coach at first. It didn't take long for Okam to gain their trust with a room again.


They've still surrounded the 35-year-old Okam with experience (longtime line coach Don Johnson was brought in as a pass-rush specialist), but Snow said Okam has stood out as being capable for some time.


"First of all, Frank is really bright," Snow said. "But he's got a really good feel for the position, having done it himself, but he has an ability to connect with players and communicate what we want taught."


Okam played in the league, but his background gave him plenty of stuff to draw from. He was listed at 6-foot-4, 319 pounds when he played, and he had the skills to fill a variety of roles across the line. He talked about the challenges of playing everywhere from nose tackle to a "seven technique" defensive end, but he's now using it to teach a cast of players that aren't stamped out of a mold. Snow said the closest comp on the current Panthers' roster to Okam (in role, as opposed to body type) is Efe Obada, who came up as a defensive end but developed into a strong interior rusher last year.


"He was genetically gifted, in that he was a big guy who could move," Snow said of Okam, the player, who spent five years in the NFL with the Texans and Buccaneers, along with stints with the Seahawks, Giants, and Patriots. "But the hardest thing about finding a defensive line coach is finding guys who can teach pass-rush. When we interviewed Frank at Baylor, he really impressed us with his ability to communicate the concepts and make sure guys could really understand."
 
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