Jeff Okudah was entering his senior season in high school the first time he played for Aaron Glenn. It was at a seven-on-seven tournament and Glenn was the defensive backs coach.
"The only thing I remember is we won the first two games and then it just went downhill. We were on our way home that quick," Okudah said with a laugh on Thursday. "It was a fun weekend. Looking forward to winning some more games with him soon."
Okudah and Glenn have been reunited in Detroit, with Glenn taking over as the Lions' defensive coordinator. "Let's get to it!" Okudah said on Twitter when Glenn's hire was announced this offseason. And there's a lot to get to. Detroit's defense finished last in the NFL in 2020 and Okudah, hampered by injuries, looked nothing like a cornerback drafted third overall.
A hamstring injury in training camp sidelined Okudah for the Lions' season opener. Groin and shoulder injuries followed. His season came to an end nine games later when he underwent surgery on his core. In between, Okudah was baptized by the NFL. He allowed 41 targets on 53 attempts in coverage for 594 yards, two touchdowns, one pick and a passer rating of 118.0.
Okudah said Thursday he's "feeling great" physically and "definitely trending toward 100 (percent)." Which has him feeling great mentally entering his second season.
"It just feels like I have a different level that I wasn’t really able to tap into last year," he said. "I feel like this year, just moving around now and not having that pain in my groin anymore, it just feels like a different level. So I’m excited to kind of forge it, get with AP and craft it up and see what it turns out to be."
'AP' would be Aubrey Pleasant, Detroit's new defensive backs coach. AP and AG -- Aaron Glenn -- will be working hand in hand to fix a secondary that surrendered the highest passer rating (112.4) and the most passing touchdowns (38) in the league last season. Okudah's thrilled they're here.
Because injuries weren't the only thing that derailed his rookie campaign. Okudah also clashed with the Lions' old coaching staff. He pointed to 'dysfunction' within the organization at the end of the season and said there was a lack of 'transparency' between the coaches and the players. He said the two sides weren't 'aligned.' He said strategy and scheme were part of problem.
And let's just be honest here: no cornerback wants to play in a defense that almost never pressures the quarterback and leaves its secondary out to dry. So there's that.
There's also this: both Pleasant and Glenn have a track record of grooming some of the best cornerbacks in the league. Glenn was defensive backs coach for the Saints when former 11th overall pick Marcus Lattimore made three Pro Bowls in four seasons. And Pleasant was cornerbacks coach for the Rams when former third overall pick Jalen Ramsey made two Pro Bowls (and earned an All-Pro nod) in two seasons.
They're coaches known as teachers. Glenn was also a three-time Pro Bowl corner in his playing days.
"That means everything to me," Okudah said. "Just sitting down with them within the first couple meetings, I was picking up so many things that I thought to myself, 'It would have been nice to have these tools in my toolbox my rookie year.' But I’m still grateful to have them going into my second year. And it’s only been two or three months and we still have all this work to do.
"It just has me excited about how much more there is to learn and how much better there is to get leading up to the season."
Specifically, Okudah said Pleasant has him dissecting film from a "whole different perspective."
"Just breaking down how the offense is trying to attack, and that’s what I try to do every single day going into the game plan. So just having the tools that AP has put in my toolbox, I’m seeing film from a whole different perspective, I’m seeing the game completely different. It's just kind of slowed down in that aspect."
After a disappointing rookie season, Okudah heads into year two with a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator and a new position coach, not to mention a new GM. His clean slate comes with a clean bill of health. He knows how good he can be. Now he has to go out and prove it.
"There’s not too many times in life where you’re able to get a fresh start on so many different elements all at the same time, so I’m just embracing that," Okudah said. "My mindset, it’s always been not really proving people wrong, but just proving myself right."