Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Azusa Pacific University was founded in 1899 as the West Coast's first bible college. It started offering degrees in 1939.
Today the school, located a half hour East of Los Angeles, still has evangelical ties and all students take religion courses. Azusa has a student body of over 10,000 people making it the second largest evangelical student body in the country (next to Liberty University in VA).

Azusa Pacific also boasts the second best NFL running back to ever be a character in Nintendo's Super Techmo Bowl (next to Bo Jackson).
While mingling at a business event I saw a black man standing alone at a table. He wasn't talking to passers by and those who passed did not appear to notice him. I knew no one there so I walked over to say hello. As I approached I recognized his face, but didn't believe my eyes. I didn't believe my eyes because the face I recognized belonged on the body of a giant, and this man was exactly my size. I do not consider myself giant.
I got close enough to read his name tag, we all wore gigantic name tags, and there it was, written in Times New Roman, "Christian Okoye". Christian Okoye came to AzusaPacific directly from Nigeria. He went there on a track scholarship with hopes of making the 1984 Olympic team. When team selections id not go his way he looked around for something else to do and he landed on football. He did not know the game, but he knew how to run and he was a giant. This giant got drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly earned the nickname the "Nigerian Nightmare". It was disconcerting to meet a giant from your childhood and not only find him incredibly friendly, but also not so much a giant. Maybe he just looked bigger because I was 8 years old at the time.

I think he is the only nightmare to ever be associated with Azusa.

1 comment:

Ben said...

I loved Christian Okoye! Great writing over here too!