The world of football knows that Roma Odunze is a star. It may be officially announced this week.
Odunze, who was a dominant wide receiver for Washington last season, was one of five nominees for the Seattle Sports Commission's Men's Sports Star of the Year award, which was won by Odunze. The award will be presented Thursday at the organization's 89th annual event at the Westin. downtown Seattle.
Other candidates are Sounders goaltender Stephen Frye, Mariners shortstop JP Crawford, Kraken center Matty Beniers and Odunze's college teammate, quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Nominees for the women's award include Seattle Pacific track and field athlete Vanessa Aniteai, Seattle Reign's Lauren Burns, WSU basketball star Charlice Ledger-Walker, Seattle Storm's Jewell Lloyd, and 14-year-old phenom Angela Chan is a golf genius.
Odunze set a program record last season with an NCAA-best 1,640 receiving yards, which is also the third-highest in Pac-12 history. His 92 receptions were two shy of Reggie Williams' single-season program record and he was named to the All-American First Team.
“It’s certainly a great honor to be nominated,” Odunze said. “You know, it's a great honor to be here with the other candidates in that regard. I know the people of Seattle and the people on the voting committee see me as close to some of them. I am very grateful for what you have given me.”
Odunze attended the award ceremony last year when former Blue University head coach Karen DeBoer won the Leader of the Year award, but since he is currently training for the next NFL composite team in Irvine, California, he did not attend the award ceremony this time. I can't attend.
Odunze is one of the most coveted players in this year's NFL Draft and is projected to go high in the first round. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft has him selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers, while ESPN's Matt Miller has him selected sixth overall by the New York Giants. ing.
Wherever Odunze goes, he is looking forward to what the future holds. He likes looking at mock drafts and says it's “awesome” to be expected to go this high, but he also knows that a lot of unexpected things can happen on draft day. There is.
“I remember when I was choosing a college, I didn’t necessarily know where I was going,” Odunze said. “But, you know, I had this and that choice, I don't have any choice at all. So I decided to open up and go to a new city and be with new people.'' , I'm honestly really looking forward to having a whole new experience and hopefully growing a lot.”
Now that Odunze has had time to decompress from more than a month since the Huskies' loss to Michigan in the national championship game, he looks back on the 2023 season and realizes it was a life-changing experience.
The only thing he would change in this situation would be to come out victorious, but he expressed himself as “overwhelmed with joy, gratitude and happiness” over the university's monumental year.
“It was a bittersweet ending, but people realize what a great moment that season was and how even though we didn't achieve our ultimate goal, we achieved so much and achieved so much. Dew,” Odunze said. “I'm so proud of my team and it's something I'll never forget. It would be nice to be able to go back to Husky Stadium someday and reminisce about those days.”
Odunze declared for the draft on January 12, just before DeBoer announced he was leaving Washington to become head coach at Alabama. Odunze said he was “very disappointed” when he heard the news of DeBoer's departure and then saw many college players leave.
“I think DeBoer is a great head coach, and if he had stayed in Washington, he would have continued to do great things like he's already done. That goes for all the staff and employees who left, too. But , you know, as the dust settles, I'm happy for both sides. I think both sides are getting great coaches.”
Odunze said he understands why many players chose to transfer as the college football landscape changes rapidly, but he is grateful for those who chose to remain in Montlake. .
“To my teammates, I'm very happy for them wherever they go and I wish them all the best,” Odunze said. “However, I am rooting for all my teammates and really wish them all the best again this season. I am sure they will.”
As a kid who grew up in Las Vegas, Odunze loves Seattle.
“I don't know if there's a better town in terms of sports fans and the support they show and their demand for them and their teams to be great,” Odunze said. “I'm very grateful and I'll never forget it, that's for sure.”
Another award to be presented Thursday is Sports Story of the Year, which features the Kraken's first-round playoff victory over defending champion Colorado, the Seattle Thunderbirds winning the WHL Championship and UW Football's national Championship game, and WSU women's basketball wins the program's first Pac-12 title as the Cal State track and field team sets a record on its way to a Pac-12 title.
Additionally, the Sports Leader of the Year award went to WSU women's head coach Kamie Etheridge, Seattle University men's soccer coach Pete Fewing, Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey, and Kraken head coach. The decision will be made between Dave Hakstol and Seattle University softball coach Heather Tarr.
Former Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone will receive the Keith Jackson Media Excellence Award, and former Reign and soccer player Megan Rapinoe will receive the Paul G. Allen Humanitarian Award.
“We celebrate the athletes, but we really celebrate the people they are,” said host KJ Wright, a former Seahawks linebacker. “When they come, we really look at how they got to where they are, what they’re passionate about, what this day means to them, what this community means to them. I'm going to ask you to give a speech to make sure you have a great day.'' It's to show a side of you that most people don't get to see. ”
