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Numerical Roster Countdown 2014: Day 71, Rees Odhiambo

By Drew Roberts
Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports

We have 71 days until kickoff, so today we'll highlight #71 on the Bronco roster—Rees Odhiambo.

#71, Rees Odhiambo, RS Junior, OL

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Stats

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 300 lbs

High School: Mansfield Legacy High School, Mansfield, TX

How'd he get to the Blue™?

Odhiambo, a native of Kenya, has only lived in the U.S. since 2000 and only started playing football his junior year after Mansfield coaches spotted him in a P.E. class and begged him to come out for the team. Odhiambo caved in, hit the weight room and quickly became a huge (and I mean huge) force for the fortuitously named Broncos—garnering honorable mention all-league honors in only his 1st year playing the sport and then nabbing 2nd team all-conference honors his senior year. In Odhiambo's final year at Legacy, he recorded 26 knockdowns and 14 pancake blocks while also being named academic all-district and receiving the Teacher's Choice Award. Apparently other schools were scared off by Odhiambo's lack of experience and the Broncos extended him his only D-1 offer. A few schools suddenly became interested once he committed to the Broncos, but Odhiambo knew where he belonged.

Nickname

"Odie"

I'm not saying Odhiambo is a dim-witted comic strip dog...I cannot stress that enough.

Look-a-like

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Big Papi

Career Highlights

Appeared in 8 games, and started each one in 2013 before being sidelined with an injury. Named to Academic All-MWC team in 2013. Appeared in six games for the Broncos as a redshirt freshman in 2012. Earned "Ultimate Goon" award from strength coach Tim Socha in 2011. Allowed just one sack as a senior at Mansfield Legacy. Earned 2nd team all-conference honors. Back-to-back academic all-district distinctions.

2014 Prospectus

Odhiambo was really in a groove last season before he was shelved due to an injury and I think everyone is hoping and praying to Jobu that he'll be 100% going into Fall Camp. Currently Odhiambo is our only proven tackle and we need proven tackles (and guards, centers...everyone, really). I fully expect Odhiambo to be good to go for Fall Camp and he should be a lock for the starting nod at directional tackle...a distinction I'm giving him because although he played right tackle last season, he's projected to slide into Charles Leno's LT spot come August. This switch appears to show the Bronco coaching staff's desire to have one of their best linemen protecting Grant Hedrick's blind side—a plan I support wholeheartedly. Odhiambo's backup looks like it may well be redshirt frosh Eli McCullough and on the opposite end, in his old spot, presumably Archie Lewis. This would give us (finally), a starting lineup of Odhiambo, Yakoo, Henry, Averill, and Lewis—a solid group if they can stay healthy, and a group with the versatility to move around some of its parts without losing any productivity. Odhiambo should be an anchor and one of the veteran leaders of the Bronco O-line this year, so knock on wood that he'll have more than 8 games in his tank.

Is he on Twitter?

Completely made up fact

American football never really took off in Odhiambo's native Kenya. There weren't enough referees to deal with all the Cheetahs. /self rimshot